Cool Kids go through motions on new mixtape, fall flat

Rap duo The Cool Kids have finally stepped up to the mic in the musically rich 2009 and given the Internet an uncharacteristically long mixtape, “Gone Fishing.” Produced by Don Cannon of “Gangsta Grillz” fame (please remember that Lil’ Wayne track) and including the annoying interruptions of “cannon!” and excessive echoed yelling reminiscent of no-talent DJs on bootlegged MP3s, the mixtape is pretty whatever.

The beats are out of place here. Instead of the clean sound of the 808 mixed with the goofiness of the Kids’ normal retro style, we get tinny, powerless beats you couldn’t ever imagine bumpin’ to and surprisingly subdued stuntin’. Add this to the boys seemingly sounding like they just woke up and are already bored with the day, and you’ve got a ton of weak tracks.

The filled-with-flyness lyrics that have come to be expected from The Cool Kids are slightly diminished on “Gone Fishing.” Chuck Inglish tries (and fails) to rhyme “this” with “first” in “Champions,” and most lines easily could be substituted into a different song without anyone noticing. But the lines are usually going to be interchangeable with Cool Kids content. They’re cool, and they know it, but it sounds as if they’re going through the motions in explaining their dopeness this time. They sound like some dudes posing as Chuck and Mikey, caring a little too much how much hip stuff they can fit into a song. “Gold Links” exaggerates a Cool Kids cliché that these boys love gold chains. We get it. If you’re gonna make a song about how much you like gold, even though you kind of already did with “Gold and a Pager,” you better come hard. Saying you’re “back on that gold chain s—-” just tells me that you’re rapping about exactly what you’re rapping about. You guys are clearly back on that gold chain s—-. Even though I didn’t think you left.

“Gone Fishing” is weary and indifferent throughout, but a couple of tracks do work. “The Last Stretch feat. Jahda” is just the right amount of sexy and laid-back. And “Pennies (The Updated Rosters Remix)” is where it’s at, especially with verses by Ludacris and Bun B. (Even though Luda unknowingly calls out the mixtape for what it is when he’s all “bass and treble good/need a lil’ meat on it.”) The “Wall Street” and Wimbledon references in ending track “Knocked Down” try to win me over pretty admirably, so it’s worth a mention. But really, that’s about it.

Without Don Cannon and his constant blabbering about being “First Team All-State” — which is just a weirdly specific sports reference to be throwing out all the time — the mixtape would have more replay value. But as a precursor to a hopefully simpler and uncluttered album release later this year, “Gone Fishing” isn’t to be hated on too hard. Except for that GLC interlude. What the hell.

Get “Gone Fishing” here

Lil’ Wayne’s “Cannon”

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