Let’s Call It A Movement: Heartbreak Kids Gang

Kool John-Rapper/$hmoplife

Major Projects: ChillDrinkF*ckSmoke; Peace, Love & Shmoplife

Notable Songs: “Supa High (Feat. Lil Debbie)”; “Grown Ups (Feat. Jay Ant)”; “Shmoplife Thang (Feat. F.L.I.P. & ST Spittin)”; “Holla At Me (Feat. Problem & HBK Skipper)”; “5 Panel (Feat. IAMSU! & F.L.I.P)”; “RNS (Feat. Show Banga)”

It seems every crew now has its resident stoner or druggie. Odd Future has Domo Genesis, Black Hippy has Schoolboy Q, and even Wu Tang Clan has Method Man.  Well, HBK has its own lean sipping, weed smoking, b***h f**king emcee: Kool John.

John balances a heavy affinity for Southern/ Houston hip hop sensibilities with Bay Area styles. The “Intro” to his first project—ChillDrinkF*ckSmoke—has an Outkast sample, slowed down to a Chop and Screwed pace, with Kool John purple drank laced rhymes layered on top. It’s interesting to hear really chopped and screwed vocals with Bay Area slang—“Always have thowow plus”—it produces such a unique sound.

It would be wrong to only place Kool John in the stoner/trippy category though. His second project-Peace, Love & Shmoplife—has Martin Luther King Jr. on the cover, representing his commitment to preaching positivity and social justice. While he isn’t going to be explicit with his ideas on social problems, he is very aware of the world that is around him. He includes a telephone message from his Mom, where she asks him and his ‘friends to perform at a local school. Presumably, he does and even performs the songs clean. It shows that he understands his role as a leader in his community and wants to be a positive influence in it.