The Chicago rap duo Kidz in the Hall have managed to make some pretty impressive friends in their short existence. First of all, they were svengali'd by Just Blaze, whose tastes run to throwback rap when he's not cranking out bangers for Jay-Z. Now, for their second full-length, the Kidz have gathered an even more impressive roster of guests. The In Crowd, indeed. All the cool kids are here — hell, even the Cool Kids showed up — and they've come from all corners of the rap world. Bun B chops it up alongside a Masta Ace sample on the monstrous first single “Drivin Down the Block,” which also features Clipse's Pusha T. Elsewhere, underground hip-hop luminaries from Phonte of Little Brother to the legendary rap duo Camp Lo turn out to show their support.

The result is not only a proud display of old-school battle-rap enthusiasm (very few guns are pulled or mentioned, but it is noted that “rookies” will get crushed “like a bag filled with pink cookies”) but also a refreshingly loose indie-rap party album. Producer Double-O is equally adept at breezy Chicago soul (“Paper Trail” and “Mr. Alladatshit”), boom-bap formalism (“Black Out”), sleek… read more »