Kooley High

An offshoot of North Carolina State University’s H2O collective, Kooley High’s six members have long been making noise locally through steady involvement in a host of other projects: Emcees Tab-One and Charlie Smarts—each of whom released a solo album last year—have tasted success while touring the eastern seaboard with live hip-hop band Inflowential, while fellow rhyme-slayer Rapsody is signed to Grammy-winning producer 9th Wonder’s JamLa imprint. Former WKNC DJ Ill Digitz now spins the hottest tracks for K97.5 on his Fresh Cuts mixes, and local beatmakers Sinopsis and Foolery hit hard on joints molded by the influence of J. Dilla and DJ Premier.  Despite their individual pursuits, Kooley has a tight-knight chemistry. Together, they’re as formidable as any local hip-hop squad since the Justus League.

Mentored by members of the J-League and raised on a steady diet of early ’90s hip-hop (think Tribe, Biggie, De La Soul), Kooley’s playful wit and throwback grooves pay respect to those forefathers. With bars sharp and concise, Tab plays the straight man to the eccentric Smarts’ easygoing croon and loose, pop-culture referencing rhymes. Overflowing with charisma, Rapsody provides a sexy, sassy female counterpoint with braggadocio to spare. Though they’ve dabbled in mixtapes and solo records in the interim, early indications suggest Eastern Standard Time—the crew’s debut full-length—returns to the laid-back form of the Summer Sessions EP, with a fresh infiltration of reggae, soul and funk influence thanks to the crate-digging habits of Foolery and Sinopsis. Take “Money,” the dollar-chasing theme that marries gritty Jamrock production to tales of the daily grind spit by the three MCs, or witness the rubbery bass, smooth horns, claves and turntable cuts of the Foolery-produced “Can’t Go Wrong” from last year’s Hear Here compilation.

Across the country, savvy hip-hop heads and blogs have already taken notice of Kooley High’s refreshing verve. Deservedly so: Kooley’s not our little secret anymore, and neither is the fact that this talented young troupe is still just beginning to discover its full potential. —Spencer Griffith