Sir Michael Rocks, for those unfamiliar with the name, is also known as Mikey Rocks but better known as one half of the Cool Kids along with Chuck Inglish. Sir Michael has chosen to grace his listeners with this newest mixtape, entitled Premier Politics, that is sure to pull at least a few more intelligent listeners into the Cool Kids’ bandwagon.

The music contained within Premier Politics is about exactly what you’d expect from someone in a group called “the Cool Kids.” The beats are defined by an I-drive-real-slow-cause-I’m-so-chilled-out atmosphere, and the lyrics possess an even more laidback swagger. In fact, the easiest and best description one could label the tape with would be “Wiz Khalifa with more mic skills.” When Michael raps, “we only do the designer drugs” on “Thank God,” he sums up the similarity pretty well. Both emcee’s are all about their mind-altering substances, but Mike’s are more sophisticated than what the freshman at your high school’s smoker’s corner are messing around with.

Sir Michael Rocks also has quite the sense of humor, at least to the knowledgeable listener. I don’t quite know why he chose to de-thug Maybach Music’s “Tupac Back,” fit it with a more smoked-out beat, and rededicate it to Too Short. But I find it funny and just as enjoyable as its inspiration. Maybe I’m just crazy, but if you’ve seen the way the Cool Kids dress, it’s not like we’re dealing with the sanest duo on a judging-craziness-on-fashion-choices basis anyway.

However, while Rocks is no doubt a better lyricist than Wiz Khalifa, by the second half of Premier Politics, we really start to feel like we’re listening to a blatant attempt at re-making Kush & OJ. Fans of the 2010 XXL mixtape of the year may not see this as a negative, but there’s only a certain level of enjoyment I can take away from a tape that’s seemingly entirely based on one previous work. If Rocks’ flow wasn’t so relaxingly charismatic, I definitely would have been tempted to do just that after the very Kush-y vocal samples that define “Stop the Show.” Still, when sounding too much like another, extremely well received mixtape is the main knock against your own tape, you’ve earned at least one listen from anyone who stumbles across a download link.

3.5/5 bars

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