Kooley High

Bored and wanting more than four walls, regurgitated lectures and research papers from the classroom, Charlie Smarts, Tab-One, Foolery, Sinopsis, Rapsody and Digitz came together in 2007, at North Carolina State University, with one common thread: there has to be more to life than this. Somehow, through the streets and classrooms of Raleigh, NC, the crew stumbled upon each other and formed H20, a hip-hop organization on campus, which eventually evolved into Kooley High.

While it may seem like a storybook ending, the journey to living a creative lifestyle wasn’t as straight to the point as it seems. Charlie Smarts, one of three MCs in the group, dropped out and moved back home after deciding college wasn't for him. But after a few serious conversations with his mother, he returned with a new attitude: “If I go back, I’m gonna do it my way, and this time I’m gonna start organizations so I can meet a bunch a hip-hop people—like minded individuals.” Upon Charlie’s return to the land of higher education, he shared his ideas with Tab, Digitz and Rapsody, and “everybody else came together from people knowing people,” says Smarts.

But Charlie wasn’t the only one who felt indifferent about going to college. With a major in parks and recreation, Tab-One, another MC in the group, says, “I think I initially went to college because that’s just what you’re supposed to do after high school.” Starting his college career in textiles, and making his way to academic probation, music was always in the back of Tab’s mind. And while it was parks and recreation that helped him graduate, it was his love for true lyricism that got him through school.

Kooley High got introduced to famed producer and fellow North Carolina representative 9th Wonder via Foolery, one-half of the group’s production team, who met 9th while he was judging an on-campus rap battle. It was after meeting the producer that Foolery believed “somebody from North Carolina could do music for a living” and make it. Now, the six-member super group sits with a handful of collaborative projects with 9th Wonder, shout outs from Greensboro, NC rapper Phonte—one-third of Little Brother—and performances alongside Wale, Skyzoo, Ghostface and J. Cole.

Understanding that music was a passion no one member could live without, Kooley High released their first EP, The Summer Sessions, in 2008, and have since dropped a number of individual and group projects, including their latest LP, Kooley High Presents… David Thompson. With a put-the-convertible-top-down, Sunday music vibe, David Thompson represents the longevity the group looks to maintain in the music game. “It’s just feel-good music,” says Sinopsis. “We definitely try to make sure that we keep it honest and we keep it light…it is part of who we are…it’s longevity music.” And as Sinop, as his NC clique refers to him, looks for the best words to wholly describe Kooley High’s sound, Charlie quickly adds, “We make classical, underground hip-hop.” He continues, “We’re trying to make the classics like the De La Souls, A Tribe Called Quest…The Fugees, Digable Planets. That’s what we try to emulate in the field of the group. The greats.”

Looking to be around for the long haul, North Carolina State’s rising crew hopes to work with the likes of Kanye West, Mos Def, Rick Rubin, The Roots, ?westlove, Black Thought and DJ Premier, but in the meantime, Charlie Smarts says, “We’ll make classic music that will stand the test of time."
- Ebony Magazine

RALEIGH, N.C. — There's a little bit of something for everyone at Hopscotch Music Festival, but here our top 10 picks for hip hop fans out there.

Thursday

Well$ - Pretty sure Durham is still abuzz with Well$' performance at Moogfest, but this week Raleigh gets a piece of the action. Thursday at Deep South.

Ace Henderson - Those in the know will get a preview of Ace Henderson's latest album, Lap 143, on Wednesday night at CAM. Set your reminders for Thursday night for the live experience. Thursday at Deep South.

Zensofly - Fresh on the heels of her debut EP, Zensofly brings a unique sound from the NC rap scene to Hopscotch. Thursday at CAM.​

Friday

Erykah Badu - File this show under "no-brainer". Classic records you know alongside ones you may have missed as well. Friday night at Red Hat Amphitheater.

Young Thug - Arguably the biggest rap name on this year's schedule, Young Thug brings the current sound of Atlanta to Raleigh. Friday at Memorial Auditorium.


What's on Tap
What's on Tap
DJ Forge's top 10 bands for hip hop fans at Hopscotch
Tags: Downtown Raleigh, Music, Hopscotch, Arts, Restaurants and Bars
Posted September 7, 2016


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Kooley High
Eryka Badu (Hopscotch)
Young Thug 5
By DJ Forge

RALEIGH, N.C. — There's a little bit of something for everyone at Hopscotch Music Festival, but here our top 10 picks for hip hop fans out there.

Thursday

Well$ - Pretty sure Durham is still abuzz with Well$' performance at Moogfest, but this week Raleigh gets a piece of the action. Thursday at Deep South.

Ace Henderson - Those in the know will get a preview of Ace Henderson's latest album, Lap 143, on Wednesday night at CAM. Set your reminders for Thursday night for the live experience. Thursday at Deep South.

Zensofly - Fresh on the heels of her debut EP, Zensofly brings a unique sound from the NC rap scene to Hopscotch. Thursday at CAM.​

Friday

Erykah Badu - File this show under "no-brainer". Classic records you know alongside ones you may have missed as well. Friday night at Red Hat Amphitheater.

Young Thug - Arguably the biggest rap name on this year's schedule, Young Thug brings the current sound of Atlanta to Raleigh. Friday at Memorial Auditorium.

Anderson .Paak​ - Meteoric rise may be a cliche, but the last 365 days for Anderson .Paak have seen him grow into a household name in hip-hop and R&B. Get up to speed with his early 2016 album, Malibu. Friday at City Plaza.

Kooley High - Formed on campus at NC State in the aughts, Kooley High still maintains a consistent sound in 2016 -- despite being geographically divided. Friday at Kings.

Big Freedia - Big Freedia is a staple of the New Orleans bounce scene and has been spearheading the spread of it's sound around the country. Freedia will prove to be one of the most exciting shows you'll attend during hopscotch - with a sound you won't find anywhere else throughout the year. Friday at Lincoln Theater. - WRAL

While Nicki Minaj’s been getting all the attention and Remy Ma all the hype, Dej Loaf’s been quietly establishing herself as one of the premier female rappers in the game.

In her visuals to “Goals” the Detroit Michigan delegate dresses down in an all-white ensemble and kicks her rhyme in front of a piano a la Tupac’s “I Ain’t Mad At Cha.”
Meanwhile in her clip for “Vibes/Chase Mine” she goes the all-denim route and beasts through the streets in some fur covered kicks on her way to a band session.
Kooley High came into the game together but in the clip to “Alone” they each go their own way and explain why sometimes they just need to run for delf sometimes.
Check out the rest of today’s visuals which include work from The Outfit, TX, Offsite & Wontu, and more.
- See more at: http://hiphopwired.com/507313/dej-loaf-goals-vibeschase-mine-kooley-high-alone-daily-visuals-6-15-16/#sthash.302IduE7.dpuf - HipHop Wired

The Raleigh-based hip-hop group Kooley High started nearly a decade ago after its members had spent years trading rhymes with each other on campus at North Carolina State University. In 2004, some of Kooley High's members started a hip-hop club on campus called "H2O" and helped spark a grassroots rap scene in the city.

The collective eventually decided to create Kooley High and started working with local producer 9th Wonder. Throughout the years, most members of Kooley High either moved to New York City or left the group to pursue a solo career. But despite changes in lineup or location, Kooley High has maintained pride in its Raleigh rap roots.

Host Frank Stasio talks with members of the group Tab-One, Charlie Smarts, Foolery, DJ Ill Digitz and Sinopsis about the group's origins and working with 9th Wonder. The group also performs live in the studio. Kooley High plays at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22 on the Kitchen Craft Waterfall Stage at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. - WUNC 91.5 NC Public Radio

Charlie Smarts is feeling very confident these days.

Friday evening, the Greensboro-born, Brooklyn-based MC will hit the stage with Raleigh hip-hop collective Kooley High – fellow rapper Tab-One, producers Sinopsis & Foolery and DJ Ill Digitz – over at downtown Raleigh establishment Kings, celebrating the release of their latest project, the nine-song EP “Heights.”

Although the EP (their first project as a group since “Kooley High Presents ... David Thompson” in 2011) came out last October, this release party will celebrate the album’s release on vinyl. And the 30-something Smarts is quite sure he and his crew will be able to properly “rock faces off,” as he would say. “We’re very confident in our ability to rock faithfully, if you put us at a live show,” says Smarts (real name: Alex Thompson), calling from Brooklyn.

As evidenced by the tracks on “Heights,” Kooley High is still a finely tuned unit. With Foolery and Sinopsis producing six of the nine tracks and minimal guest appearances (the only two people who appear on “Heights” are Chicago rapper Add-2 and Greensboro vocalist – and Smarts’ mom – Sandra Gell), “Heights” has Kooley High continuing to join forces and be proudly old-school with their hip-hop compositions.

“The main point was to maybe make somebody get nostalgic, but also make people think that we make good music at the end of the day,” admits Smarts. “But we just wanted to have our own style. And if we just continually change it and try to just, I don’t know, make something trap-based, then who are we if we’re trying to – I’m not saying that’s bad. Because, I mean, the trap thing has been going on for years now. Even the R&B guys are doing it. That’s the top music now. But if were to do that, we kind of lose what we are.”

One thing the group lost on “Heights” is the voice of female MC Rapsody. Since signing with Triangle hip-hop producer 9th Wonder’s Jamla label a few years back, Rapsody has been making some major solo moves lately. Last year, she was featured on a track (on which Wonder was an engineer) from Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly,” which won the Best Rap Album Grammy this week.

Although Rapsody is on her own these days, Smarts still has love for his hip-hop sister. “Before we were doing music, she was a friend of mine,” he says. “I mean, we worked at Footaction together in Crabtree Valley Mall, dog … I’m just happy for her. Like, every time I see a bit of new stuff – she was on Jimmy Fallon and (expletive), bruh. I mean, she just did her thing so crazy, and she’s really putting on for the area. She’s putting on for women in general and, then, women rappers too.”

Rapsody may not have made any vocal contributions on “Heights,” but Smarts says she started the ball rolling on the project. “I was in Brooklyn, chilling,” he remembers. “Got a call from Rapsody and she was like, ‘Do you wanna work?’ So, that’s basically that.” He and his Kooley partners went on to record “Heights” at 9th Wonder’s Bright Lady Studios in Raleigh. “He gave us permission to work at his lab, which is really a huge blessing that he bestowed on us.” (Smarts says Kooley High will be working with Wonder on a future project.)

Recording “Heights” reminded Smarts that, no matter how long he and the rest of Kooley High have been apart, no matter how rusty their skills might be when they return to the studio, once they get together and do the work, Kooley High becomes a hip-hop crew that flows with beats, rhymes and confidence. “It’s been so long that we’re trying to kind of rebrand ourselves and let people know that we’re still one of the freshest out there, we feel,” he says. “We’re still fresh. We’re still dope.”

Recording “Heights” reminded Smarts that, no matter how long he and the rest of Kooley High have been apart, no matter how rusty their skills might be when they return to the studio, once they get together and do the work, Kooley High becomes a hip-hop crew that flows with beats, rhymes and confidence. “It’s been so long that we’re trying to kind of rebrand ourselves and let people know that we’re still one of the freshest out there, we feel,” he says. “We’re still fresh. We’re still dope.” - The News & Observer

HipHopDX Exclusive Premiere: Kooley High drop visuals for “Alone”, the most critically acclaimed track off their recently released Heights EP. The Barrett Phillips directed video explores the complexities of being “Alone,” whether in solitude or a group. Produced by Teknowledgy, the track helped propel Kooley High’s Heights to #1 on CMJ’s Hip Hop radio charts.

Thoughts? - Hip Hop DX

It’s been about 258 years since Kooley High’s eternally forthcoming 9th Wonder-helmed album was first floated over social media. Last year, sensing that the fans needed something to hold them over, Kooley released Heights, a fantastic seven-track EP that represented, even in the wake of Rapsody's massive departure, some of the group’s strongest work. Now, with a new album release still unannounced, they’re stretching the lifespan of Heights with a string of music videos that are nearly as good. Now, Kooley has offered a new clip for "Alone."

I’ve said it before, but Heights offered some of the most well rounded writing from Charlie Smarts ever, and “Alone,” among other tracks, put that on full display. From the opening, Charlie’s first verse sets the tone for a song that could give “Days Passed Me By” a run for consideration as the most reflective, measured song in K-High’s catalog:

“Celebration is allowed with the faces in the crowd,
But what you think about when champagne is fizzled out/
Is the one that got away, every day they missing now,
Now I’m drinking Guinness Stout, the weight of infinite doubt/ on my shoulders…”

The shooting from Barrett Phillips here is visually beautiful—a given for Kooley High at this point, a testament to the care the crew puts into its presentation and music. On “Alone,” Phillips’ decision to lean on shots of low-lit alleys and street lamps perfectly matches the song’s pensive tone, as does the choice to subtly (or not-so-subtly, for those paying attention) insert the letters “A-L-O-N-E” throughout the video.

But there were some edits that simply left me scratching my head. As the track closes with Charlie somberly reflecting on an American history of slaves, wealthy inheritances, and guns, it seems a bit jarring to cut to Foolery smirking on a rooftop in broad daylight, for example. Some of those trademark moments of Kooley light-heartedness, while fun in their own right, detract from the video’s otherwise apropos content—dark, moody, and intimate footage that, considering the song’s message, would have been better left, well, alone. - Independent Weekly

September 3rd, 2009 | Author: Edwin Ortiz

For every rapper that equates success by the dollar amount in their bank account, there’s another who sees the bigger picture. With Kooley High, it just so happened that six individuals from North Carolina all shared this same common trait. Formed while they attended N.C. State University, Kooley High includes three emcees (Charlie Smarts, Tab-One, Rapsody), two producers (Foolery, The Sinopsis) and a deejay (DJ Ill Digits). Together, they have worked their way up the Hip Hop food chain, starting out initially as an on-campus club, to forming their own independent record label, and now sharing studio sessions with veteran producer 9th Wonder.


Dropping their latest mixtape this past spring, entitled Kooley Is High, this crew is on the path to releasing their debut album The High Life in early 2010. DXnext had the opportunity to catch up with Kooley High, who spoke on the album, their growth as artists, and some solo projects.


North Carolina Is Outside Of The Box: Rapsody explains, “I would say the North Carolina sound is a melting pot. It’s like a mixture of the north, south, a little bit of the west too. Also, it’s influenced by a lot of places, like Atlanta, Florida, etc. It’s just fun music.” Charlie Smarts adds, “It’s a state in the Hip Hop world that doesn’t have an identity, because it takes from everywhere else. There’s a bunch of different sounds; there’s still dirty south elements, and then you got upbeat soul, and then everything in between.” Tab-One concludes, “There’s a lot of different flavors.”


Growing As A Group: Tab-One says, “There’s a lot of things we’ve been through as a group as well as a lot of different experiences of just working with music more and figuring out our song writing process, which is the best way to translate our ideas. We keep getting better at it, and we keep striving to do more. We’re not trying to get comfortable, we’re trying to keep progressing.” The Sinopsis explains, “Like for instance, Rapsody. Her style has changed about 20 times. [Laughs] But it’s her work ethic; she’s honed in on the ability of making music. It’s about quality control.”


Their Documentary, One Day: Rapsody states, “Napoleon came to us about the idea. He wanted people to see us outside of music. How do these six people come to be a group? Because you know, we’re different races, religions, and we all like to do different things, but we’re all connected through Hip Hop. And I guess that was the central focus.” Napoleon Wright, II (director/producer of One Day) adds, “It kind of speaks to how we were all involved in the process. I feel like it was a success, and it was a great look for Raleigh because we told a story from that perspective.”


On Their Debut, The High Life: The Sinopsis explains, “We have a good chunk of it done, we’re just waiting for the right moment. We might be looking for somebody to help us put that out. We’re waiting on a situation that would be perfect for us. In the meantime we’ll keep hitting listeners with free music to keep them satisfied until we drop The High Life.” Charlie Smarts continues, “When the situation is perfect, then we’ll release the album. You ain’t gonna get no Detox and be waiting like, ‘Yo they ain’t gonna put out the album!’ Naw, we gonna put it out soon, but we feel like we should get distribution.” Tab-One adds, “We got one label that’s interested. They got the demo in their hands and their listening to it. So right now we’re waiting to hear their response. If that doesn’t work out, we’re just gonna keep on grinding and see if we can find a situation. We’d love to have that bump from distribution. We in this to make music, but we’d love to sell some music too.”


Solo Projects: Charlie Smarts says, “I released a joint called f’alex. If you look at it, it says ‘f’ Alex.’ So in a girl’s mind, they’re like, ‘I wanna f’ Alex,’ while in a dudes mind they’re thinking, ‘F’ Alex!’ The project is based upon relationships, loving, and lusting, and it’s just a fun album. If you listen to this album, I guarantee you will smile.” Tab-One says of Tabloids, “I got Napoleon on Tabloids producing and singing, as well as Foolery. With this project I just wanted to do something that reminded me of the Hip Hop that I grew up listening to, like Black Star [click to read], The Roots [click to read], and A Tribe Called Quest. It’s a real personal record. It’s about me as an emcee, as well as a person.” Rapsody states, “My tape is called Prelude To The Return Of The B-Girl. I’m thinking it may be out by October. Basically, it’s taking it back to the fun B-girl, like the MC Lyte [click to read], Lauryn Hill, Queen Latifah-type [click to read] female rappers. Today I see a lot of the more sexual female rappers who do the ‘bang bang shoot em up’ records, but I’m really not that hard of a female emcee. It will have a few original tracks, but I also take records from like Foxy Brown, Lil Kim, Lauryn Hill an - HipHopDX.com

Since Kooley High leading lady Rapsody began her solo crusade as the ace of 9th Wonder's Jamla Records, her involvement with her original Raleigh crew has been, at best, spotty. During the past few years, she's gone missing from the group's flyers, performances and appearances, causing a stubborn minority of Kooley High fans to suggest she's a saboteur for having abandoned emcees Charlie Smarts and Tab-One, producers Sinopsis and Foolery, and DJ Ill Digitz. Actually, there still seems to be debate within the group as to whether Rapody remains a member, but outside forces have sometimes suggested the guys cannot survive without her. Only time and rhymes will tell. For now, Kooley High—sans Rapsody—has re-emerged four years after the release of Kooley High Presents...David Thompson with Heights, a relaxed nine-song EP far removed from the fray of group politics.

In the interim, much has changed in local hip-hop. Newcomers like Drique London, Well$ and Ace Henderson have all availed themselves of the grassroots groundwork Kooley High helped cultivate. "My town, it's so crowded, that we out of spaces," raps Charlie Smarts on opener "Automatic." With that line, he returns Kooley High to square one and sets up the rest of the EP's quick ride.

As is often the case with Kooley High, the trip can be both conceptually splintered and musically centered. On "Alone," Smarts is concerned with isolating himself from love affairs, while Tab-One wants to isolate himself to nurture his love of penning rap lines. It's a telling tension between the two rappers. Charlie Smarts emotes in style, while, without Rapsody, Tab-One must carry the sharp lyrical weight. When the two match wits, as they do with double-time rhyming during "Under the Sun," who needs a third lyrical leg, anyway? "On the beat like Ringo/gringo with the lingo, bingo/everybody wanna front with the ego," Tab-One raps, hurrying over Sinopsis' sauntering beat. Smarts picks up the meter: "And we in this beginning to end/and my single should be up on Huffington Post/You would swear I'm Bill Murray, I bust and I'm ghost."

As if Kooley High worried they would need more emcee ammo without Rapsody, they drafted Jamla's Chicago spitter, Add-2, as the EP's only rhyming guest for the hopeful "Where I'm Going." Here, Synopsis plays with wind chime effects over driving bass, while Add-2 packs in his hometown picture of endless gun violence.

For Kooley High, that reality may be hard to relate to, but if all activism and awareness are intersectional, then Charlie Smarts' work in the fight for a living wage for fast-food workers gives the group's social awareness actual heft. You can hear pieces of that spirit on the blues guitar-licked "Carry On," featuring Greensboro vocalist (and Charlie Smarts' mother) Sandra Gell doing her best Sharon Jones. Again, Kooley High dips into the Jamla bucket for producer Eric G, who turns in a funked-down beat of his own.

Tab-One ends the song and album with a strong declaration of his crew's staying power, getting back to the raps where Kooley High belongs: "Earnin' tokens in this so-called game with no-bar lames/who didn't have the heart to carve it in this lane we claim/Remain the same/Stay sane/Know what I'm sayin'?"

Indeed, sanity is what's kept Kooley High from falling apart, even after a key member has moved on to late-night television and marquee guest verses. It's what now takes their rap challenge to new heights. - Independent Weekly

The influence of the hip-hop culture is a unique experience to behold. From its infancy, rapping has been an avenue for artists to express a dominating ideology of their city or home.

Kooley High is a group of rappers that are known to promote the classic Hip-Hop scene in Raleigh, but bring a cool swoop of current up-to-date quality.

The group is comprised of six Raleigh natives who met at N.C . State. In an area where rapping wasn't a common thing to see at a music venue, the members of Kooley High originally began by hanging out at events hosted by the former N.C . State student group H2O .

The group brought awareness to the small hip-hop community, which was underground at the time, through rap shows that would fill the Bragaw Residential Hall student lounge.

"We had some pretty epic parties," Thomas Kevin, known as Foolery, said. "When we started performing there wasn't a whole lot of live Hip-Hop going on," Kevin said. "We just kept doing shows and creating a fan-base, but a lot of talent coming from young cats was showing up."

From the beginning they had seen friends succeed in music, like producers 9th Wonder and Khrysis .

Seeing this success made dreams of having a place in the music industry seem more possible.

"I used to just make music in the dorms all the time man," Alexander Thompson, also known as Charlie Smarts, said, "but actually doing it and seeing people around me do it made it so much easier."

Thompson, like all the other members of Kooley High, is originally from North Carolina and an N.C . State alum. They all graduated from different colleges within the University and do not regret their experience. Like most other artists out of Raleigh, all of the members of Kooley High attained college degrees. The degrees are coming in handy; James Meyer, the DJ for Kooley High, also known as DJ Ill Digitz , runs the online store and helps with funds, band production and marketing.

"A lot of people who are out and have graduated from college lament that they aren't using their degree," Meyer said, "but I use it everyday in the day to day operations in networking, and with the business managment degree you learn about accounting, inventory and business planning, forecasting and all that."

Meyer helped run the Kooley High's blog as well, which has been getting so popular that other artists started requesting if they can put their own stuff on the blog, almost as a stamp of approval from Kooley High to help promote them.

The gang has reached new heights, being one of the few hip-hop collective groups whose members have diverse backgrounds making them more relatable to fans.

"We've created a balance and another outlet for hip hop," Marlana Evans, also known as Rapsody , said. Evans is the only female member of the group. "You know we're different; we have boys and girls, different races," Evans said. "We just make fun music so people can actually have fun."

Meyer, Thompson, and other band members Thomas Kevin, also known as Foolery O'Kooley , and artist Tab-One, moved to Brooklyn as a result of Kooley High's rapid growth. After a year, Kevin and Tab-One moved back to North Carolina. The move to New York will allow the artists to work in music, with Kooley High as their main project, giving their following a boost. From being seen on television in the U.S ., to being debuted on Canada's MuchMusic channel, this group is on the rise.
- The Technician (North Carolina State University)

It's a party whenever local band, Kooley High is around, and yesterday the party was at Duke Gardens.

On a humid evening, a diverse crowd of about 300 people came out to enjoy food, drinks and Kooley High's hip-hop music. In its third year, the Duke Performances-sponsored Music in the Gardens series features local music artists in a striking outdoor setting behind the Doris Duke Center.

"It's great. It has good music and good people," said Solomon Burnette, an NCCU graduate. "It's kind of hot, but the music is good enough that people don't seem to mind."

Sue Edelberg said she has been coming to almost every one of the concerts this season. "What caught my eye were the local bands on the flyers," Edelberg said. "They have the illest line up I have ever seen from any outdoor series."

"This is a great space to have something like this," said Napolieon Wright. "It's intimate and small, but it's outside."

The concert attracted a large number of Durham community members. The crowd was lively, with people bobbing their heads, waving their arms in the air and even some getting up to dance by stage.

Ken Rumble, marketing director of Duke Performances, said the concert series has been effective in reaching out to different audiences in Durham.

"We thought they (Music in the Gardens) would be fun and popular." He said the event has exceeded his expectations and it keeps bringing in larger audiences.

Area resident Helen Shaffer said she loved the diversity, with a large number of people being from NCCU.

"Such an eclectic mix of people out here, for one thing, is really special," she said. "Durham is such a big melting pot."

In addition, the show attracted a number of Kooley High regulars. Lindsey Lecroy, a Kooley High fan, came with two friends. "The audience really got into the show," Lecroy said.

"It's great to see the band live," Wright said. "They have great live performances."

And Kooley High member responded in kind. "It was great with the kids up dancing and having fun," said Rapsody, the only female performer in Kooley High. "It was like a party on stage and I love playing outdoors." - Duke Today (Duke University)

Whether up in Brooklyn or hanging around the Triangle, Kooley High still has North Carolina on its mind and doesn’t want you to forget it. On its latest release, David Thompson, the Raleigh hip-hop outfit pays homage to NC State basketball and its home state, while presenting a cool and chilled out album complete with slowed down tracks, full beats and a smattering of different collaborators.

Beginning with the title track, Kooley High enters a softer tone that channels the work of fellow North Carolina outfit Little Brother. Charlie Smarts and Tab-One churn out catchy wordplay over new, edgy production courtesy of DJ Prince and Napoleon.

However, songs such as the Skyzoo-featured track “For the Record” embody the typical energy Kooley brings to the table. Although there is an increased level of smooth on David Thompson, the group demonstrates that it’s still got its trademark tight hooks and popping beats.

“Skyview,” featuring fellow Raleighite King Mez, is one of the record’s standout tracks and effectively separates the album’s easier latter half. The hooks are fluid and the youthful energy is bounding, as Tab, Charlie and Mez all enthusiastically spit back and forth throughout the hard drum-oriented beat.

Yet the album seems to be lacking all of Kooley High. Half of the crew hardly makes an appearance, an apparent result of the group being split between Brooklyn and Raleigh. MC Rapsody briefly dashes in and out on “Dear Raleigh” and producers Foolery’s and Sinopsis absence is especially noted. Although DJ Prince’s prominence on the album is undoubtedly fresh, it feels like something distinctly Kooley is missing.

Overall, the North Carolina representin’ is something that will always come naturally for Kooley High, because for them, home is where the heart and the hip-hop has always been. They present a creative take on nostalgia, but recalling the past can sometimes drag on for a little too long.

Without a doubt, David Thompson represents a move towards a new, sexier sound, and it’s clear Kooley High isn’t done exploring this new direction. - Daily Tarheel (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Since hitting the local hip-hop scene in 2006, Kooley High has been pegged as the rising star of Raleigh's rap universe. After building its local reputation with energetic shows and stoking the fire with a steady release of MP3s, mixtapes and an EP, Kooley—save producer Sinopsis and emcee Rapsody—moved to New York City in early March, hoping to expand its reach and fan base while making good on its promise with the release of debut full-length, Eastern Standard Time. We spoke to the group about the reasons for, and complications of, the relocation.

INDEPENDENT WEEKLY: What prompted your move to New York City, and what advantages do you hope it might bring your career?

CHARLIE SMARTS: We love North Carolina, but we wanted to make our network bigger. This is the media capital of the nation, and we just need more media [exposure]. Everybody that's heard us [here] said that they dig it. This is where hip-hop started, so we really want to get that seal of approval from the place where it started. We feel like if we get that, then we can reach another level, both artistically as well as in terms of notoriety.

TOM FOOLERY: There are also so many people up here that aren't connected but love music, so it gives us access to a much bigger target demographic. There's just a lot going on up here in terms of the arts and artistic people, so it's a good place to try to get more fans and more friends.

Without the full trio of MCs always together, has performing or recording been difficult?

RAPSODY: It really hasn't been too much of a problem. I think there've been two shows they've done without me because I wasn't able to make it. Since we finished with Eastern Standard Time and we're not working on anything new, it hasn't been a problem as far as making music. Even if we were, with the technology to e-mail verses back and forth, we would still be able to make music.

TAB-ONE: [Producers] Foolery and Sinopsis both have pretty much identical studio set-ups, so we can record down in North Carolina and up here, and most of the time it can be seamlessly spliced together.

Has it been hard to stick out in a crowded New York scene without all the connections that you have here at home?

TAB-ONE: Maybe a little bit, but fortunately, we had a good Internet following thanks to [hip-hop sites] okayplayer and 2dopeboyz, so there were a lot of cats up here that had already heard of us. But I mean, it's kind of like starting over. We had to build our name in Raleigh for three or four years, and now we're up in New York in a bigger market. Fortunately, we know cats up here, too, like some of the dudes from the AOK Collective, so we have ways of at least getting our foot in the door. We've got momentum on our side as well. It's definitely a challenge, but it's a constant reminder that it's not going to happen overnight. You gotta keep working, and you gotta do something different every day.

Why did you decide to release Eastern Standard Time for free?

SMARTS: We just want to be heard. With the current music climate, especially in hip-hop, it's best to release the music and let it spread. See what it did for Drake and the like. If people want it for free, they will get it for free anyways. If they want to pay, they'll pay.

Rapsody, was there a reason in particular you decided to stay in North Carolina?

RAPSODY: Because I'm working with 9th [Wonder] on an album and a mixtape, I didn't think it was a good choice for me to leave, because it would set me back a little bit. And, you know, it's New York: You can drive there, you can take the bus, you can fly. We can make it work so that everybody benefits.

You're only on nine of these 15 tracks. Is that because you had so much other work going on or did those just happen to be the tracks that were chosen?

RAPSODY: Some of the songs are new and some of the songs are old ones that we had in the catalogue but we wanted to pick the best songs for the project. It didn't matter if I wasn't on all of them—and the group felt the same way—as long as the project as a whole was a strong project.

What do you miss the most about North Carolina?

RAPSODY: They miss me!

SMARTS: It's like a baby's cradle, you know? When you leave, you always want to go back to the crib. I miss my mama and my family. I don't have much of a support system up here and it's a lot easier when you have that, but if you want to do bigger and better shit, you've gotta leave home. My mama always told me that people won't respect you sometimes until you leave and come back, so we're doing our little leave and come back thing because we're definitely coming back. We're always from there, and we'll always be there.
- The Independent Weekly

" The N.C. State alums Kooley High, hip hop specialists, lend experience to the group with two great producers who go by the names Foolery and Synopsis and three nice mc’s: Charlie Smarts, Tab-One, and the first lady Rapsody.

The members were drawn to one another because they all saw each other’s greatness.

Each one’s love for music and desire to be great emcees keeps them moving forward as a unit.

They are currently working on several independent projects and, collectively, a mixtape.

The music I heard within this experience was feel-good music. "



- Campus Echo (North Carolina Central University)

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 - Hopscotch Music Festival

We caught up with Tab-One, Charlie Smarts, Foolery, Ill Digitz, and The Sinopsis – aka 5/6ths of Kooley High one early February morning after they rocked Public Assembly in Williamsburg to talk places and spaces (word to Donald Byrd). The guys regaled us with stories about some of their favorite cities and venues to perform in, as well as what it was like coming up in North Carolina after Little Brother and the Justus League made everyone sit up and take notice of the Tar Heel State.

Okayplayspace Interview part I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq5Rqgj62m4

Okayplayspace Interview part II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhmiviXAhwM - Okayplayer & McDonalds

Taylor Burgess grew up with NC State in his blood. His sister went to school here, and his father, Peter, played football at State in the late 1960s. So it was natural that Burgess’ childhood consisted of Wolfpack fandom and that NC State was a natural choice when he chose where to attend college.

But when Burgess got to the university, he found something more than sports. He found a burgeoning hip-hop community that would lead Burgess and five of his friends to form the group Kooley High.

The hip-hop group performs tonight at Kings Barcade in Raleigh.

Burgess, who graduated from NC State in 2006 and is known in Kooley High as Tab-One, says he met fellow Kooley High member Charlie Smarts at a party, where the two hit it off freestyling with one another.

They started talking with other acquaintances at NC State and who shared their hunger to promote the positive aspects of hip-hop music. That included Kooley High members Rapsody, Foolery, The Sinopsis and DJ Ill Digitz. In the early days, they would meet through NC State’s hip-hop organization, H2O.

“A lot of us were freshmen and sophomores,” Tab-One says. “It was a way to meet like-minded people. You know those people are out there, but you don’t know how to get in touch with them.”

With the success of some of the tapes they made, the friends realized they had a following in the Triangle. So they officially formed Kooley High in 2007 and worked shows at the Pour House and Kings. Music blogs were kind to them and helped sustain their momentum. And today, the group has released numerous mixed tapes, one EP and two full-length albums, one of which proudly touts their allegiance to the Wolfpack.

Earlier this year, Kooley High released David Thompson, a salute to the man many consider to be NC State’s greatest athlete (check out the video for title track here). Tab-One says using Thompson’s name is an allusion to the band’s progression.

“The whole idea was to use his name as a metaphor to take it to a higher level,” Tab-One says. “He has almost a mythical mystique about his name. It does seem like it’s more than just basketball.” - NC State Alumni Association

What's the recipe for kool? Take a bit of Outkast and Lupe Fiasco, add a dash of old school R&B, a Grammy-winning producer, throw in some home-grown Raleigh funk and stand back: Kooley High (a reference to the 1975 film, Cooley High) is on the scene and ready to make some noise with its new EP, Summer Sessions. The EP sports an eclectic mix of beats (think a little MF Doom) and soulful lyrics to chronicle the group's imminent rise.

The EP starts with "Too Late," a forceful declaration of the band's presence on the music scene. With its easy beats, the song grooves nicely along to the graceful backdrop of Carole King's 1971 hit, "It's Too Late."

Kooley High then kicks out "Kool with It" a love song reminiscent of Andre 3000. Using the same laid back beats and funky vocals, this song is a duet between two of the groups three "rhyme spitters." In addition to the three vocalists Kooley High has two producers who add to both its depth and repertoire.

Perhaps the most notable song on the EP is its sixth track, "Water" It is one of two produced by 9th Wonder, the local, Grammy-winning producer who has worked with the likes of Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige. The experience shows in the both the background music and the lyrics, which contain references ranging from Dr. Martin Luther King to Finding Nemo.

It isn't surprising to find such a quality group on the up and up from the Triangle area-this is a rich region for creative art of all kinds. With such successful local acts like Stella by Starlight hitting the rock scene, Kooley High will make sure the hip-hop vibe doesn't lack behind.


http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2008/01/17/Recess/Kooley.High-3156384.shtml - The Chronicle Online - Duke University

"Also N.C. State’s own, Kooley High, took the stage bringing a nice sound of familiarity to the stage. Hip-hop in the Triangle is definitely up and coming, and with influences from 9th Wonder, Median, and the Justus League local hip-hop’s future is looking oh so bright"


http://www.ncsu.edu/nubian/Oct_03_07/A&E/9th%20wonder.html - The Nubian Message

Address:
http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A354870


If hip-hop is dead in the Triangle, Raleigh's Kooley High might just be the grave robbers that can shake the corpse back into life. The criminality doesn't stop there, though: Given the strength of the six-member Kooley High crew, there's a little bit of con-artistry involved. Indeed, while Kooley High has been picking up the slack in the area lately, are they cheating? Do they have too many unfair upperhands in a place that was once a battleground for lots of local rap acts but now offers a bleak measure of competition and variety?

After all, DJ Ill Digitz spins at one of the largest radio stations in the state. Emcee Rapsody is already signed to world-renowned producer 9th Wonder's new JamLa record label. Tab-One and Charlie Smarts have enjoyed regional success in their prior act, Inflowential, which hit stages big enough to make The News & Observer's Great 8 in January (maybe one January too late). And now Kooley High's bringing one of music's most blogged-about, talked-about new emcees, Blu—who, with producer Exile, released the 2007 classic Below the Heaven—from Los Angeles to headline its mixtape release show just to pique more interest. Other area crews might need a handicap...

Sure, it's cheating, but cheating can be fun, and it can pay off. So far, for Kooley High, it has: Whether on last year's ebullient Summer Sessions EP, while explaining the tough work it takes to be heard in recent documentary One Day, or during one of the sporty freestyle ciphers into which emcees Tab-One, Charlie Smarts and Rapsody often lapse live, Kooley High always looks to be enjoying itself. In the process, the sextet's reminded us of what hip-hop in the area can be.

With the new Q-Tip-approved project, Kooley Is High, though, Kooley High proves that it can actually have too much fun by tripping through the industry's most overpackaged, shortsighted and superficial obligation—the mixtape. It's the plentiful anti-LP where rappers and producers waste their time rapping over and remixing other artists' popular material, ultimately leaving the original song scarred with second-class sterility. Kooley High's efforts don't swing that low here, but Tab-One's take on Elzhi and Royce da 5'9'''s "Glow" will have neither of the Detroit word-splurgers tweeting about hoping to collaborate with dude. The Lone Catalysts likely won't be amazed with the injustice done to their 2002 gem "Due Process," either. But let's give the kids a break and a pat on the backpack for tackling such titans.

All this reaching could just be a case of Kooley High being scared of becoming tagged as the latest jam-band rap pack (which, in a way, happened to the live band Inflowential) and not being taken for the hard-line rap crew that sacrifices sweat, punchlines and its EPMD posters to make the area's hip-hop scene fun again. Charlie Smarts reels the mirth in on "Jacques Cousteau," where everything but the horridly sung hook is a minty trip through his liquid dream, in which he does everything but get frisky with a mermaid. But at last, on the De La Soul-sampled title track "Kooley Is High," we hear the cohesive, effortless Kooley High that we loved on the Summer Sessions EP and who we'd love to hear sooner than later on the upcoming The High Life LP. Rapsody ends her verse with the repeated line "Got you addicted like a bad drug habit." She's normally not one to resort to such a tired, overused simile, but it works here because she's right: At its best, Kooley High can have us totally addicted. Kooley High's only worry should be that, in the meantime, we addicts find another rap peddler that keeps its product more pure by not wasting time and talent on one of these mixtapes.

Blu & Exile headline Kooley High's mixtape release show Friday, April 3, at The Pour House. Durham's M1 Platoon joins the show, which begins at 10 p.m. and costs $8-$10. - Indy Weekly

With samples of Samuel L. Jackson in all his Pulp Fiction glory and production courtesy of 9th Wonder, Kooley High’s jazz flavored EP, The Summer Sessions: Gold Tooth Edition is the epitome of cool.
Together, Kooley High—Charlie Smarts, Rapsody, Tab-One, Sinopsis (MCs), Foolery and DJ Ill Digitz (producers/DJs) bring their soulful sound and refreshing carelessness on this summer inspired album. This album holds nothing innovative or revolutionary, but these kiddos are simply having a great time, and you can hear it track after track. They bring the best out of one another all while securing dope beats and slick anecdotes.

The first half of Summer Sessions is fun and amusing. “Too Late,� “Kool With It� and the lovey dovey track, “There You Go� shows that the North Cack emcees doesn’t care about being too demanding or trite. However, they do get nitty-gritty in the album’s hottest track; the 9th Wonder blessed, “Water� which showcases Kooley High’s super duper ill flow. “We Be That� is where Rapsody aka RapDiddy, though surrounded by major testosterone, holds it down.

If the EP is this “K-O-O-L� we definitely can’t wait to hear a full length real soon. You can never go wrong with soulful boom-banging hip hop that makes you feel good.

http://www.urb.com/reviews/cd/feature.php?ReviewId=756 - URB

Also, while I'm working on part IV for the '91 series, I received an email from a group coming out out of NC that dropped an EP this week. Kooley High dropped their EP "Summer Sessions". It kind flew under the radar, but it's got two songs produced by 9th Wonder. I know there are some big fans of 9th out there, so check the release on Itunes. Judging from the stuff I heard on their Myspace page, some more NC bangers. You can also check (read: Download) "Water" produced by 9th Wonder on their myspace page as well.

http://wakeyourdaughterup.blogspot.com/2008/02/j-zone-gator-fur-feb-08.html
- WakeYourDaughterUp.com

In the early '80s, a group called Funky Four Plus One surfaced as one of the first hip-hop groups to include a female emcee surrounded by a group of guys. Nearly three decades later, the same thing happens at N.C. State: This time, they call themselves Kooley High, a crew with three emcees—Tab-One and Charlie Smarts (both of Inflowential) with Rapsody (the "Plus One")—and two producers—Foolery and The Sinopsis. With this debut, Kooley High sounds less like a hip-hop contrivance with a stately objective and more like a few hip-hop fans who decided to get together one night, goof-off and rap to some beats. Thing is, they can actually make good songs.

Summer Sessions has no real direction, but it's not supposed to. On tracks like "We Be That," "Back Home" and "I Wanna," Kooley High's production team decorates the song with utility snares, stringing together the emcees' sportive anecdotes about life, love and fun, hardly acknowledging that such a thing barely exists in today's pissing-contest hip hop. The meanest moment of the EP lands when 9th Wonder produces "Water" and brings along fellow Justus League member Edgar Allen Floe (pun intended?). Rapsody and Charlie Smarts are at their finest here, capturing the devilish nature of 9th's drums with their words and ultimately matching a behemoth final verse by E.A. Floe.

Kooley High isn't groundbreaking here, but it is a relief to hear a hip-hop group that doesn't take themselves so damn seriously, and, ultimately, this EP could better serve as a springboard for its members' solo efforts. But until that graduation, Kooley High sounds like a fine school for some fresh edutainment.

Kooley High throws a release party for the Summer Sessions EP March 27 at The Pour House with Skyzoo.

http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A194785 - Indy Weekly

Like a powder keg, hip-hop quintet Kooley High has exploded out of the Raleigh, N.C. underground with its latest release, The Summer Sessions. Comprised of five former N.C. State University students, Kooley High combines traditional hip-hop and R&B with a modern freestyle that traverses effortlessly between not only genres, but also generations. The result is a three-dimensional concoction that envelops listeners in a sound that is as smooth as The Fugees and Common, as passionate as Mary J. Blige and as intelligent as Hieroglyphics. With three MCs and two producers of its own, Kooley High recruited Grammy Award-winning producer 9th Wonder for collaboration.

The team proved to be a strong one giving The Summer Sessions a laid back yet soulful vibe that’s as old school as it is progressive. Softer tracks like “There You Go” and “Back Home” have been receiving the most radio play, but Kooley High’s strongest musical showing lies in more energetic and melodic tracks like “Kool With It” and “Water.” There is a refreshing intelligence and positivity flowing through every beat and every lyric of this true hip-hop five-piece on the rise. Kooley High is the latest eruption from the volcanic hip-hop underground proving that real hip-hop has received a new warrior in the battle between hip-hop and mainstream rap. (M.E.C.C.A Records)

-Matt Godbey


http://www.performermag.com/sep.recordedreviews.0810.php - Southeast Performer Magazine

Like a powder keg, hip-hop quintet Kooley High has exploded out of the Raleigh, N.C. underground with its latest release, The Summer Sessions. Comprised of five former N.C. State University students, Kooley High combines traditional hip-hop and R&B with a modern freestyle that traverses effortlessly between not only genres, but also generations. The result is a three-dimensional concoction that envelops listeners in a sound that is as smooth as The Fugees and Common, as passionate as Mary J. Blige and as intelligent as Hieroglyphics. With three MCs and two producers of its own, Kooley High recruited Grammy Award-winning producer 9th Wonder for collaboration.

The team proved to be a strong one giving The Summer Sessions a laid back yet soulful vibe that’s as old school as it is progressive. Softer tracks like “There You Go” and “Back Home” have been receiving the most radio play, but Kooley High’s strongest musical showing lies in more energetic and melodic tracks like “Kool With It” and “Water.” There is a refreshing intelligence and positivity flowing through every beat and every lyric of this true hip-hop five-piece on the rise. Kooley High is the latest eruption from the volcanic hip-hop underground proving that real hip-hop has received a new warrior in the battle between hip-hop and mainstream rap. (M.E.C.C.A Records)

-Matt Godbey


http://www.performermag.com/sep.recordedreviews.0810.php - Southeast Performer Magazine