On March 9th, Kidz In The Hall saw the release of their third album, The Land of Make Believe. The duo of Naledge and Double O are at an interesting place in Hip Hop music, as well as their career. They entered with School Was My Hustle, a Rawkus release that signified the rebirth of the underground label made famous by their razor blade logo and introducing the likes of Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Company Flow, and others. The album set the Kidz up to be viewed as the heir apparent of backpack Hip Hop, which, as Naledge and Double O have said, wasn’t really the goal.
When Rawkus folded, the Kidz hit Duck Down and continued growing as a group, expanding their sound with their second album, The In Crowd. That album, released at the beginning of what’s been deemed “hipster rap”, confused some, and again saw Kidz In The Hall lumped in with a bunch of other acts. The album was also admittedly a fresh start for the crew, and Naledge has said that The In Crowd is really like their first LP.
With their third album in stores, Kidz In The Hall hope to get over the hump and really establish themselves as, well, themselves. This is their most personal album to date, and in their eyes, it is also their best. We talked openly and honestly with Naledge of Kidz In The Hall before the album’s release. In this interview with DJ RTC, Naledge speaks on the importance of The Land of Make Believe, the space Kidz In The Hall occupy in Hip Hop, the various classifications, and more. You’ve seen other interviews with Naledge, but not quite this one.