The members of The Cool Kids met in 2005 when Reed found a beat on the internet that Ingersoll had produced. The two met to discuss terms of the beat's sale, and eventually ended up recording for two hours. They were inspired by hip hop in the 1980s and artists like Eric B. & Rakim. Ingersoll began promoting the new duo's material, and it was eventually booked by Josh Young of Flosstradamus for a DJ performance. At this performance (in a venue called Town Hall Pub), the duo met the electronic musician Diplo who offered to release a mixtape of their unreleased tracks titled Totally Flossed Out on his label Mad Decent, though it was eventually released on C.A.K.E. Recordings. They also received an offer from the DJ A-Trak to sign to his Fool's Gold label, which they did, but only for one single.
Up until recently, all material had been released solely on the band's MySpace page—their recording contract came after performances at the CMJ Music Festival and Pitchfork Music Festival, on July 15, 2007. Eventually, The Cool Kids signed to Chocolate Industries, another independent label, which had previously been the label of rapper Lady Sovereign. Ingersoll has been the producer for tracks released thus far, but both work in rapping and production.
They have been and currently are on tour, opening for M.I.A. One of the duo's singles, Black Mags, is featured in a late 2007 Rhapsody TV commercial, along with Sara Bareilles. In the same year, the group collaborated with Lil' Wayne and DJ Benzi through the internet on a track entitled Gettin' It, which will reportedly appear on the DJ's future album "Get Right." The band has been featured in the video game "NBA Live 08" with the song 88, and they have been featured in the video game "NBA 2K9 with the song 2k pennies, and in the episode "The First Cut Is the Deepest" from HBO's TV series Entourage with the song I Rock. They were listed in Rolling Stone's Ten Artists to Watch in 2008.
Their debut LP, When Fish Ride Bicycles, was released on July 12, 2011.
On April 25, 2015, member Mikey Rocks took to Twitter to address the consistent questions about a possible reunion, saying they were "never coming back."
One Two
The Cool Kids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Three to the four, when I step out the door
Five, six, kick a lil' somethin' with The Cool Kids
Then we do it again
It's like, one, two, lace up my shoes
Three to the four, when I step out the door
Five, six, kick a lil' somethin' with The Cool Kids
Then we do it again
What it is, what it is, come check the noise
It's the new black version of the Beastie Boys
Chuck-ie, Mikey, some dudes don't like me
Don't care, I'm dope, they lame, so bite me
Find a rock to kick or a bridge to jump off
I'm popular and you not (yessir)
I'm on the Dyno with the black mags
Smooth as the vinyl in the black bag
Stumble like the wino with the brown bag
In his right hand around town again
I am keepin' cool like it's goin' outta style
Stickin' to the program, kickin' it with no hands (kickin')
That's what I do, been doin' it for a while
Homie, not a wack thread on me
Size ten Jedis, Obi-Wan Kenobi
And I'm Anakin and I'm rambling
So blahdablahdablah 'til the chorus end
One, two, lace up my shoes
Three to the four, when I step out the door
Five, six, kick a lil' somethin' with The Cool Kids
Then we do it again
It goes, one, two, lace up my shoes
Three to the four, when I step out the door
Five, six, kick a lil' somethin' with The Cool Kids
Then we do it again
Chuck was dope but Chuck is cold
As a ice cream cone in a ice land snowstorm
Feelin' like a ceiling fan blowing out the window
Midway city is the city where wind blows
Fairly cold, 'fridgerator Perry with a little bit of gold
'85 Bears jersey, true blue cement Spiz'ike Jordan Nikes
There's pegs on the side, I'm popping wheelies on my bike
'Til the wheel pop up, if Chuck and Mike pop up
The whole sink in the kitchen full of dishes stop up
Now it's shit errywhere and that's a lot to mop up
Suckas can't get it right 'til they stop jockin' us
And hmm, now lemme think to myself
'Cause if I wasn't me I'd want to be myself
And you, you'd prolly be like Mikey
I'm shark bait, any slight move you might bite me
One, two, lace up my shoes
Three to the four, when I step out the door
Five, six, kick a lil' somethin' with The Cool Kids
Then we do it again
It's like, one, two, lace up my shoes
Three to the four, when I step out the door
Five, six, kick a lil' somethin' with The Cool Kids
Then we do it again
The Cool Kids' song "One Two" is a rap song that highlights the duo's love for their art and passion. The song starts with an energizing beat that signifies that the duo is ready to hit the stage. The chorus shows that the duo is confident and ready to strut their stuff. The rappers are in sync, moving with ease, and seem to be enjoying themselves. The first verse is about a recognition of their style as the new black version of the Beastie Boys. They are both proud and unapologetic about their style regardless of what anyone else thinks. They are secure in the knowledge that they are great in their terms and that success will come naturally.
In the second verse, Chuck and Mike describe their lifestyle and why it's unique. Chuck is so cold that he is like an ice cream cone in a snowstorm. They talk about how they tower above their peers, indicating that they are the standard to aspire to. They describe themselves as leaders and innovators, making sure their listeners know that they are the real thing.
Overall, the song is about confidence, individuality, and being unapologetically true to oneself. The Cool Kids are inspiring their audience to embrace their unique traits and appreciate their individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, lace up my shoes
Getting ready to start the day with some footwear preparation
Three to the four, when I step out the door
Heading out into the world as the day begins
Five, six, kick a lil' somethin' with The Cool Kids
Hanging out and doing something fun with friends
Then we do it again
Repeat the process of enjoying the day with friends
Chuck-ie, Mikey, some dudes don't like me
Naming himself and his friend, acknowledging that some people may dislike them
Don't care, I'm dope, they lame, so bite me
Not caring about the haters, confident in his own abilities and calling them out for being uncool
Find a rock to kick or a bridge to jump off
Suggesting that the haters can go do something else instead of bothering him
I'm popular and you not (yessir)
Confidently stating that he has a good reputation among friends compared to the haters
I'm on the Dyno with the black mags
Riding a Charger with black wheels
Smooth as the vinyl in the black bag
Referencing the smoothness of the car and how it compares to vinyl records
Stumble like the wino with the brown bag
Contrasting his smoothness with the unsmooth movements of a drunkard on the street
In his right hand around town again
The drunkard may be moving around town whilst inebriated
I am keepin' cool like it's goin' outta style
Staying calm and collected, as if being cool is becoming less fashionable
Stickin' to the program, kickin' it with no hands (kickin')
Sticking to the plan and doing what he wants, without worrying about the details
That's what I do, been doin' it for a while
Staying true to his character and lifestyle, as it has been his way for some time
Homie, not a wack thread on me
Proudly proclaiming that his outfit and style is all cool, with nothing uncool or 'wack'
Size ten Jedis, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Referencing his cool shoes (possibly Nike Air Force Ones) as well as characters from Star Wars
And I'm Anakin and I'm rambling
Identifying himself as another Star Wars character, while also implying that he's talking a lot in a similar way to Anakin Skywalker
So blahdablahdablah 'til the chorus end
Continuing to talk without any specific meaning until the chorus comes back around
Chuck was dope but Chuck is cold
Referring back to his friend Chuck, who used to be cool but is no longer in the picture
As a ice cream cone in a ice land snowstorm
Comparing Chuck's coolness to an ice cream cone in a blizzard
Feelin' like a ceiling fan blowing out the window
Feeling uncool or out of place, like a ceiling fan that doesn't fit its setting
Midway city is the city where wind blows
Referencing his city (Midway) as a place where things aren't quite right
Fairly cold, 'fridgerator Perry with a little bit of gold
Playing on his city's coldness, while also making a sports reference to Chicago Bears player 'Fridge' Perry
'85 Bears jersey, true blue cement Spiz'ike Jordan Nikes
Referencing various items of clothing and sneakers that are considered cool
There's pegs on the side, I'm popping wheelies on my bike
Talking about riding a BMX bike with pegs, doing tricks like popping wheelies
'Til the wheel pop up, if Chuck and Mike pop up
Continuing the bike riding imagery, and referencing his friends Chuck and Mike
The whole sink in the kitchen full of dishes stop up
Joking that if Chuck and Mike were around, they would cause a mess and block up the sink with dirty dishes
Now it's shit errywhere and that's a lot to mop up
Continuing the joke, saying that everything would be messy and hard to clean up
Suckas can't get it right 'til they stop jockin' us
Asserting that the haters and uncool people can't do anything right until they stop copying or following the cool crowd
And hmm, now lemme think to myself
Pausing to think about something
'Cause if I wasn't me I'd want to be myself
Realizing that his lifestyle and personality is desirable
And you, you'd prolly be like Mikey
An imaginary person may want to be like Chuck, but actually be like Mikey
I'm shark bait, any slight move you might bite me
Comparing himself to prey in the ocean that may be bitten by predators, suggesting that he is vulnerable
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTOINE REED, EVAN INGERSOLL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind