IT TAKES TWO

Two record labels, Two Albums, and One duo speak on why they’re the leaders of The In Crowd.

College is a funny thing. Few people go in knowing exactly what they want to do. While there, most experiment with drugs and alcohol, while others attempt to “find themselves”. Naledge (MC) and Double O (Producer/DJ) found each other and knew exactly what they wanted to do - make dope music. Meeting each other at University of Pennsylvania, the two did just that and never looked back. Getting signed to Rawkus Records and dropping their debut album in 06, School Was My Hustle definitely gave the Kidz some shine and a little bit of elbow room.

Back on the scene with a NEW album - The In Crowd on a NEW label - Duck Down, the Kidz are excited, “It feels almost surreal,” confesses Naledge about being signed to BuckShot’s legendary label. “It didn’t really kick in until we were in the studio with him, and then we were like “…damn were in the studio with Buckshot” adds Double O. Making they’re presence felt with their first single “Drivin’ down the block”, they’re happy with the buzz they’ve garnered thus far, but look forward to truly breaking into the mainstream with their Estelle assisted second single, “Love Hangover”, “every things gonna be really shifting with the second single…its an undeniable record.” States Double O.

Things seem to have propelled the Kidz further the second time around. They have a larger buzz with their second album, and they’re more comfortable at their second label home. They’re hoping the second single will make them household names but more importantly, the two hope to secure themselves and nab the most important number of all, the number one spot…

So the album is DOPE…What was the reason for all the Guest Appearances though?

Naledge: Well it was a concept, The In Crowd part of it was saying, we can sit with anybody and make good records and they can come out fresh and bring these people into our world. The whole concept was if you walk into a lunchroom in high school there’s a bunch of people sitting here, different people sitting there, the “in crowd” can sit with anybody and the track list also reflects that. We have a lot of friends and when we make records with them they can still come out fresh and so it all comes together.

The themes of the songs also talk about being in the in crowd, struggling and trying to be popular and be famous, weather your on the inside looking out or vice versa its giving the various perspectives.

Double O: We didn’t do it purposely, but the guests ended up being the brand new in crowd in terms of what’s popping in terms of Hip-Hop. There’s so many acts coming out, its like we pick the right ones [guests] without even thinking about it.

Y’all are doing the Paid due’s tour with Rakim and some other legends… That’s gotta be dope…

Naledge: Its crazy but the part that’s even iller is when your getting off stage and they’re [legends] telling you they like YOUR energy and they’re telling you that they like YOUR presence, I’ve had that happen on this paid dues tour like a lot.

Word? Who said that?

Naledge: Mad heads…even Buckshot said on the first night, “y’all commanding these crowds more and more”.

Most of these new groups have hot records but they’re live show isn’t up to par. We can meet people and they’ve never seen us before and win em over and that comes from us having them open …they start out looking at us like this (blank expression) and by the end of the show they got their hands up…

Double O: But more important is that were true musicians and I think people of all ages can respect that and we love what we do and eventually you start turning the people and they see you enjoy it and they get with you.

You’ve garnered an impressive buzz with an independent budget, little to no major radio spins and a little MTV love, that’s an accomplishment, how do y’all feel about it ?

Double O: Well the people that have shown us love on Hot 97 and MTV have done it just strictly off the love because we don’t have a major budget so us doing that means that were doing it right because now it’s a situation where people who could go and deal with the person who gave them a couple hundred thousand dollars in advertising but they’d rather deal with us because they just enjoy the music…

Naledge: It’s just ill honestly because people choose to like what they want these days and I feel like there’s not so much brainwashing as their used to be like were you could pay a DJ to spin something but if its not hot its not gonna stick. With Myspace and the internet and all these sites and blogs, fans are able to go and really find what they want, and become fans that way. It’s a new era…so for us to come in we’re a new crop of artists bringing the underground, over-ground and getting mainstream outlets to buy into our buzz.

Driving down the block was a banger, why do you think it hasn’t been added on major radio play lists?

Naledge: (sings) Money, money, money, moooneey…(laughs) it’s all money.

Double O: It costs money. We got LOVE at hot 97. People played the records strictly off the love. But as much as we want to be in this industry we can’t think “OK they love our record,” when Warner bros and Atlantic is spending millions of dollars in terms of advertising and other shit, who [you think] they are gonna cater to?

The DJ’s that are accused of Payola, played our shit off GP, so that says a lot.

So after the buzz, in a market where music isn’t really selling, how does Kidz In The Hall survive?

Double O: Touring we don’t operate like a rap group we operate like an indie rock band…cause that’s where the money is, we knew that very early we cant sit around and hopefully wait for some fucking royalty checks.

Your immediate money is gonna be from getting out there getting on the road selling merchandise, interacting with the fans and just really get out there and grind. Some other stuff, like sponsorships and partnerships….

So what’s the next move for Kidz In The Hall?

Double O: Well I think everything is going to start shifting with the second single cause I think what “driving down the block” did even though I think it was a bigger hit than we could make it because we don’t have the money to make it, it set us up, and it kept people’s ears open paying attention to when we come with “Love Hangover” because this record is really an undeniable record.

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