- 12 minutes ago
The Cool Kids have been shaping culture and rap music for nearly 20 years. Now they’re ready to shed light on a new generation of “cool kids” doing just that. Join Sir Michael Rocks and Chuck Inglish as they head down to New York's Lower Eastside to highlight two spaces that have been building IRL community through music, art, fashion, food and coffee: LAAMS and Café Colmado.
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:01Get off the internet, get off the internet and grow a beard, go outside.
00:15Yo, what it do, what it do, Sir Michael Rocks, and we are the cool kids, man.
00:20We're out here kicking it in the L.E.S. with Billboard today.
00:23Why don't y'all take a walk with us, man?
00:27You know what's cool? Community.
00:29So today we're going to be taking you to a couple of spots in New York's Lower East Side
00:32where they've been building in-real-life community in the wake of a society that's becoming more and more isolated.
00:38We know this sounds ironic. Get off the internet. Come outside with us.
00:42What's up, y'all? We live in the Lower East Side at the home base, Lambs, on 74 Orchard Street.
00:48I'm with my man Scott Selvin, Stevie Scott Selv.
00:51And we're honored with the privilege to be here with the cool kids.
00:54Chuck English, Sir Michael Rocks.
00:57You know, we're going to go ahead and just bring y'all through the day with us.
01:00Yeah, man.
01:00Yeah, follow us around, man. We're going to chop it up, show y'all some gear,
01:04show y'all what we're about to do later on at the pop-up, catch a vibe.
01:07Yeah, so let's start off on the first floor right here.
01:09So on the first, well, world, how you doing today?
01:13All right, that's good.
01:13So look, so we live at Lambs and we on the first floor.
01:17Right here is where we have a bunch of, like, vintage magazines.
01:21Chef, you know what I mean?
01:23Some of the guys right there.
01:24They got my brother right here.
01:26Shout out Spitter.
01:27New Orleans Finders right there, real legendary.
01:30Some of the magazines we carry is, like, mostly for collage artists or for inspo, for graphics.
01:35That way everyone's not just on Instagram being fed the same shit
01:39and they don't realize why all their designs look the same,
01:41because they're being fed the same inspo.
01:43Then we also have a bunch of art from some renowned artists.
01:47Futura posters where they had the HTTP semicolon backslash backslash on the motherfucking...
01:55The 1997 Project Dragon.
01:58Okay.
01:59Rob Markman in the chef right there, you know what I mean?
02:01Another one.
02:02Shout out LRG, man.
02:03Remember LRG?
02:05Don't forget.
02:05When we was first opened up, we was really on the third floor just screen printing anything
02:10we could find, whether it was, like, secondhand shirts or links we would buy.
02:15We was just making screens and printing them.
02:18And as the brand has grown and evolved, you know, so have we in our skill sets.
02:22So now we're doing all cut and sew pieces right here with the little details and, you know,
02:28we're making sure we emphasize on the storytelling.
02:30Up here on the second floor, you got Rotten Island Records.
02:33Basically, they got about 5,000 curated used vinyl up here, every genre.
02:39I mean, like, I was looking at the Michael Jackson joints, you know, Off The Wall.
02:43Bad, Thriller, those was great.
02:45But then I'm like, we know Latoya and Jermaine, but I was like, who's Millie?
02:49Who is Millie?
02:49You ain't know about Millie?
02:50Who's Millie Jackson?
02:52You know, it's a whole bunch more of them people.
02:54The ones that was on stage?
02:56Yeah, and Joe got a couple love childs.
02:58I'm going to stay out with y'all family business.
03:00Come on.
03:01This right here?
03:06This is a banger right here.
03:08This one might have to come on with me.
03:09So y'all do a lot of creative work in here, man.
03:12Designing from top to bottom, man.
03:14So when y'all get in the zone, what's some of the records that y'all need to listen to
03:17to, you know, get you in that headspace?
03:19Yo, to be honest, I usually just sit by the register and when they come up, they, I'm
03:25like informed on what they got.
03:27Cause Zach's always replenishing.
03:29So there's always new stuff.
03:30Like there's new stuff that's here today that wasn't here a couple of days ago.
03:34That's the beautiful thing about the record store.
03:35It's like the library.
03:36Right.
03:37It's like an audio library.
03:39You can do a lot of discovery.
03:40Get off the internet.
03:42Yeah, get off the internet and go live your life.
03:44Like, you know, like this shit is like designed for us to keep our head down.
03:47Keep your head up and your eyes open.
03:50Yeah.
03:50You know, still on the second floor, man.
03:52Tell us the story about the second floor apparel.
03:56So the other portion of the second floor is where we showcase a lot of independent designers
04:02and emerging brands.
04:03You know, there's people that come in the store every day and they shoot in a shot.
04:07They want to get this stuff out there.
04:08They want to get known.
04:09We organized a day called Open Call where we invite different creatives to come here
04:16and present their stuff to us.
04:17It's kind of like our own Shark Tank, if you will.
04:19You know, so it's like they'll come.
04:21They'll sit down with Scotty, Joe and myself where they can have our undivided attention,
04:26you know, for a cold 15 minutes where they can show their art, their photos.
04:30And we just giving them, you know, unfiltered feedbacks, you know, all constructive criticism.
04:39Yeah, now we're live on the third floor and we're in the Noelle Noelle component of the shop.
04:47This is Noelle Noelle where she has natural cosmetics.
04:51Hi, friends.
04:52How are you doing?
04:53So I make all natural, vegan beauty care, I like to call it.
04:57And I make everything in-house.
04:58A little sheen, you know.
04:59Real beard.
05:00You know, man.
05:01Real beard.
05:02Boom.
05:02Real beard.
05:03Real beard.
05:03Real beard.
05:09Grow your beard out.
05:11Sitting at home, might as well do it.
05:14You ain't doing shit.
05:15You ain't got a job.
05:17Broke us head, might as well grow your beard out.
05:20Alright, so now we're in the back component of the store, the Rem & Ri Femme Boutique on the
05:273rd floor.
05:28This place was actually our workshop when we first opened up.
05:32This is where we were screen printing at.
05:34When we first opened up, we had our lovely friends
05:38as sales associates, Serena and Remy.
05:41They graduated and became buyers for this space.
05:45And now they have their own boutique over here.
05:47So now they're curating and picking clothes,
05:51along with Camilla.
05:52And we have something for the ladies, you know?
05:55So it's really all-inclusive.
05:58It's a world.
05:59Yeah, for sure.
06:00They talk about world building and that type of creative space.
06:05I don't like using that word for world building
06:07because world building is definitely different.
06:09You're stepping inside of something.
06:10Creative space can be on your computer.
06:12This is something you walk into.
06:14Like we said, go back outside.
06:16Get off the internet.
06:20Well, you guys know we're here with the cool kids.
06:24And this is the foundation right here.
06:26But as we continue to build, we've got to shed light
06:29on the new generation, the future.
06:31So, you know, I'd like to present what more.
06:46Yes sir, my name is Sebastiano.
06:48I'm Elijah.
06:49Yoshi TV out here.
06:51Jackson.
06:52Cisco.
06:53And we are.
06:54We are.
06:55We are.
06:55We are.
06:56We are.
06:56Cool kids.
06:57Legends, man.
06:59Y'all legends in the making.
07:02We tried.
07:03It's already on the way.
07:04Come on, bro.
07:05It's already on the way.
07:10What's the story?
07:11How did y'all come together?
07:12I about to say, this might be cliche, but how the fuck y'all
07:15know each other?
07:15Yeah, we grew up in the city, went to high school out here
07:18in LaGuardia, performing arts school.
07:20We all met there.
07:21Oh, man.
07:21So what about lambs in this area keeps y'all coming back, man?
07:26Damn, it's really like the middle ground.
07:28Like, they're from Brooklyn.
07:29Yeah.
07:30We're from, like, upper Manhattan.
07:31This is, like, the middle ground where we all meet up.
07:33It's, like, equidistant to everybody, and this shit is the
07:35lower, bro.
07:36Like, it's, like, lambs, we out here.
07:37Like, we, like, loiter here all the time.
07:39Just go get food around here.
07:40You know, got Chinese food.
07:41Average day.
07:42We're just chilling.
07:43Now there's just cameras here, bro.
07:44We're just like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
07:45That's what's beautiful about it.
07:46This ain't set up or put together fake.
07:49Like, you know, you can pull up here at any time, and it's
07:51live outside.
07:53Tell everybody about your sound and describe it
07:56yourselves.
07:56Yeah, I feel it.
07:57I've seen it live, and I like it.
07:58Oh, yeah.
07:59It's not up for me, man.
08:00It's not up for me.
08:01Yeah.
08:02Tell y'all a story, man.
08:03I appreciate that.
08:04I feel like we all definitely come from, like, different
08:06musical backgrounds and, like, different kind of,
08:08like, pockets of music.
08:09And then the idea was just kind of if we could all, like,
08:11kind of bridge the gap of all that music.
08:13Like, I feel like I live in kind of a more, like, indie rock,
08:16indie alternative kind of space.
08:17I know, like, you know, Cisco lives in, like, kind of jazz,
08:20like, hip-hop, rom, and then, like, Yoshi and Seb and the
08:23R&B hip-hop, and, like, just kind of, like, bridging all that
08:26to make something fun and cool and fresh, ideally.
08:29So with y'all all playing separate instruments and, you know,
08:32each having, like, an individual approach to this,
08:35how did y'all decide, like, who does what in the group?
08:39Is it something that just kind of fell into play or is it
08:41something y'all, like, consciously thought about?
08:43I feel like we all kind of, like, bring our personal
08:46strengths to the table.
08:47We didn't really, like, have a, we didn't really know what it
08:50was going to look like going into our first, like, session
08:52all working together.
08:53I kind of, like, tend to, like, start an idea or something.
08:57Or we'll take turns doing that, too.
08:58And then, like, we all just kind of add a little thing.
09:00And, like, in the early stages, like, nothing's off limits.
09:03Everybody puts their ideas down.
09:04And then once everything's on the computer, we, like, sit
09:07together and, like, rearrange it and try stuff and, like,
09:10move stuff around and just, like, just have fun together.
09:13That's the way to do it.
09:15Not really, like, following too much of a template,
09:17coming up with your own roadmap.
09:19Yeah, that's how you get there.
09:21Let the force be with y'all brothers, man.
09:23Let's go, man.
09:25You catch them outside.
09:26You know what I mean?
09:28Y'all going to Chicago?
09:28Really outside, though.
09:30I'll definitely be here.
09:30Not the euphemism, not the metaphor.
09:32Outside with the sunshine.
09:33Yeah, thanks for taking the time, y'all.
09:34All right, man.
09:35Appreciate you, man.
09:36Appreciate you, man.
09:36Appreciate you, y'all.
09:37And fucking good luck, man.
09:38I appreciate it.
09:39I'm excited to hear you, man.
09:40I'm really excited for y'all, man.
09:41What's up?
09:50You're very welcome.
09:55We're not going, are we?
09:57We're not going.
09:57Oh, OK.
09:59Once we turn the camera, I'm going to start yelling and cussing
10:02and slapping the table.
10:03No, you're not.
10:04No, you're not.
10:05Getting real tirade and belligerent.
10:09We got the opportunity to hang out today at Cafe Colomaro.
10:13Carla, you want to give us a little back story on how this
10:18started?
10:18How did we get here?
10:19It was an idea.
10:21It was just an idea.
10:23The people involved, we all come from being down here.
10:25We all come from different backgrounds.
10:27You know, we wanted to build a space where people feel safe.
10:30We wanted to be a coffee shop, but not like, you know,
10:34I'm a cool mom.
10:35We wanted to be like a, we're a coffee shop,
10:37but we're like a cool coffee shop.
10:48It quickly became like such a haven for people to come network
10:55and vibe and just connect with each other.
10:58And I feel like we are all so creative and we have so many
11:02friends that do amazing things.
11:03Look at what you guys are doing.
11:04And coffee is a universal language.
11:06So for us, it was very much like, I, we have this opportunity.
11:10Fine.
11:10We got a coffee shop.
11:11How do, how do we make it memorable?
11:14Like, how do we make it meaningful?
11:16How do we make it something where people in this neighborhood,
11:20this dead block, it's like a little ray of sunshine right in the middle of it.
11:24So our idea was a community hub for everyone.
11:28Um, we get the whole, y'all Puerto Rican coffee shop.
11:31We never denied the allegations, but you know, we are a hub where this is for everybody.
11:36What would you say those special things were that?
11:38Hola.
11:39Dia.
11:40Oh, look.
11:41The food.
11:42Oh, we got a little.
11:43The food, the food.
11:44A little eat has arrived.
11:46Ooh.
11:46As soon as I said, it seems like the special showed up.
11:49You know what I mean?
11:50Most coffee shops don't have.
11:52No, because you know, humble winner over here, we need to leave this for him.
11:56Yeah.
11:56We're going to leave it frozen in time right there.
11:58What, you going to leave the domino game for you?
12:00Yeah, we're going to leave it right here.
12:01Y'all see what's going on.
12:02Freeze that in time right there.
12:03You know what I'm saying?
12:04I play dominoes every single day.
12:06As I was asking the question, it seems like the special came out and y'all serve different types
12:11of foods at maybe coffee shops.
12:13I ain't never seen this at no coffee shop.
12:14Of course not.
12:17We really are touching the roots of it all.
12:21So a tres golpe, that's salami, queso, huevo.
12:25We got a little bit of plantains in there.
12:27A tres golpe is like our traditional breakfast plate.
12:29Yeah.
12:29And we're like, well, how do we make this easy and grab and go and put it in a burrito,
12:34man?
12:34Everybody loves a burrito.
12:36Like, I don't want to complicate it.
12:37It's just like a traditional Dominican breakfast.
12:40We stuffed it in a burrito to make it more convenient for us.
12:43And it just works.
12:44You can't, you know?
12:45That's a clean cut right there too.
12:46That's a clean cut right there.
12:47Got a little avocado, some cheese, a little razzle dazzle.
12:50It got a little queso frito.
12:52It got a little bit of everything.
12:53Pickled onions.
12:55So you get a little bit of everything.
12:57This is the first time I ate today.
12:58I love that reaction.
12:59Because I'm like those moms, is it good?
13:01Did they do a good job?
13:02He was gonna do it.
13:03He was gonna do it.
13:04He was gonna do it.
13:04He was gonna do it.
13:05He was gonna do it.
13:05He was gonna do it.
13:06Yeah.
13:07My first bite.
13:08It's like a burrito type.
13:08But even things like this, like bringing this to my friends, to my creatives, to people
13:13that do all these cool shit throughout their day.
13:14Like, yo, try what my grandma used to make for me for breakfast.
13:17No, I saw that.
13:18I saw that.
13:18And then this.
13:19Yeah, let's talk about it.
13:20Let's talk about this biste sandwich.
13:22Yeah.
13:23Which is funny because somebody on your team was talking about the loisaita.
13:26They was like, that's not a real word.
13:28And I'm like, we were like, right.
13:29Like the steak sandwich, biste.
13:31We don't, it's not really biste.
13:32It's a beef steak sandwich.
13:34Right.
13:35But someone tells you a biste sandwich, you know what you about to have.
13:39That's language.
13:40Like every word don't have to be a word.
13:42It's communication.
13:43You feel me?
13:43Slang, slang, certain culture slang and the words they use make it complete.
13:50All right, so let me, uh.
13:51Come on, I'm being the mom watching you.
13:53Let me get the, uh, you want the bite first?
13:55I want the bite.
13:55You don't want me to tell me what's in it?
13:57Okay, biste.
13:58I know.
13:58You got pickled onions.
14:00Yeah.
14:00You have a garlic aioli meal.
14:02All right.
14:03And you have a thick layer of chimichurri.
14:07That is it.
14:07And I love chimichurri.
14:08I think it's real gangsta when a sandwich can taste really good and not have any cheese.
14:12Cause I'm like, if a sandwich don't got no cheese, is it even really a sandwich?
14:15All right.
14:16You tell me.
14:17I'm about to tell you right now the way this bread feel, feel like I'm gripping on a Cadillac.
14:20You tell me.
14:23Oh yeah.
14:26Playboy.
14:28What you got?
14:29I put this in my pocket.
14:31Right.
14:31Right.
14:32This is my favorite thing to do.
14:33No napkins.
14:34This is my favorite thing.
14:35I love watching people.
14:36I'm not even about to wipe my hands.
14:37We gonna go through it.
14:38I got white pants on.
14:39Like a real one.
14:39Yep.
14:40Get my boy some napkins.
14:42Please.
14:42Get my boys some napkins.
14:47All right guys.
14:48The cortaditos.
14:50All right.
14:50I got one for you.
14:52I know you're not really a coffee dude.
14:54Take a little sip.
14:55Little baby sips at a time.
14:56It's like.
14:57Has no sugar, but that's how grown men have their coffee.
14:59Exactly.
15:00So you're gonna just.
15:01A little hair on your chest.
15:02A little hair on your chest.
15:03All you need is a little sippy sip.
15:04Yeah.
15:04I'm through there.
15:05You know.
15:06Take me through that.
15:08I'm a coffee lover.
15:10Well this has been a beautiful experience.
15:12This sandwich got me feeling the type of way.
15:14It's my birthday.
15:15I don't even need a cake.
15:16Wow.
15:16I'm getting jazzed up off of this right now.
15:18I'm turnt.
15:18I'm getting real turnt off this right now.
15:20Thank you for everything.
15:22Now make your move.
15:23Oh man.
15:24Here we go.
15:25Oh you knocked.
15:25I'm not.
15:26You're not.
15:27I'm not.
15:27What you got for him man?
15:28Is this me and you?
15:29I'm gonna finish this off the right way.
15:31As for now, yeah.
15:32It's just you and him.
15:33You ain't wanna go to the.
15:35Let me see what we got here.
15:36Don't do that to me.
15:37Go to the.
15:38Don't do that to me.
15:38Let me see what we got here.
15:41I'm too much in my bag.
15:42It's a jacket over there.
15:43It's cold out.
15:52We live in Lower East Side with the cool kids.
15:56I think it's only right that we literally get into who are the new cool kids on the block.
16:02Outside.
16:03We just outside.
16:04We doing the things New Yorkers we are.
16:07We everything that is everything.
16:09And we everything and y'all nothing without us.
16:13I just graduated high school in September.
16:15I've been showing since I was 17.
16:17My son got me my prom suit yo.
16:19I was like yo.
16:20Yo if you graduate.
16:21I'll get you a prom suit.
16:22There's no point in getting you a prom suit if you're not gonna graduate.
16:26And I graduated.
16:27I got that diploma.
16:28I came straight here.
16:28You know it's your boy Bloody O'Hare man.
16:30We live at LAMS for the cool kids event.
16:32It's good to have things like LAMS in the community.
16:35So you know kids can come showcase their art, clothes.
16:38You know.
16:38It's a movement you heard.
16:40You need to be in tune with.
16:41Hunt around half shine half the billion self man.
16:43We hear live in front of LAMS.
16:45You know I'm saying.
16:45The cool kids shout out to the bros.
16:47You know I'm saying.
16:48We trying to bridge the gap.
16:49The original OGs and the young boys.
16:51And just bring everything together for the culture.
16:53The vibes and the energy and shit like that.
16:55You know.
16:55We're in front of LAMS.
16:56You know it's a movement.
16:57Every time.
16:58Maybe.
16:59Happy Birthday to you.
17:05Happy Birthday to you.
17:09Happy Birthday to you.
17:11Alright man.
17:13Alright.
17:13Go all of us everybody away.
17:15Go with it.
17:15Yo, yo, yo.
17:16What's going on y'all.
17:17This is Michael Rox.
17:19My brother Chuck English in here.
17:21The legendary A track in here.
17:23It's been a crazy day.
17:24And it's Chuck's birthday, by the way.
17:26Happy birthday to Chuck.
17:26You brought me a cake.
17:27You know what I mean?
17:29You ain't brought me no cake.
17:30As a New York resident now, A-Track, I would have to ask you, do you think that there is
17:37something special about community here in New York and different artists and brands
17:43are learning how to mesh together and raise each other up and kind of like, you know,
17:48improve the scenario for everybody involved?
17:50Would you say that that's a New York thing, strictly, or are we dealing with something
17:55else here?
17:56It's a city where everybody is, like, out with each other many nights a week.
18:02You know what I mean?
18:03So I think that has always fostered the creative community that even that we've all been in
18:07for the last, like, damn near 20 years now.
18:10It is so easy to, like, elaborate with friends and run into people.
18:14You know what I mean?
18:14Just like, yo, did you come to this shop?
18:17My friend's doing this.
18:17Yo, my friend's restaurant's there.
18:19Yo, the barber shop is doing this.
18:20Yeah, it's a barber shop right here.
18:21Shout out to Frank's Chop Shop.
18:22That was very poignant.
18:24All of us came and thought that this was the best idea because it's the world we built.
18:28Why not sit in it?
18:29Yeah.
18:29Like, we got, I don't need to go to Wimbledon.
18:31Them not my people.
18:33Right.
18:33You know what I'm saying?
18:34What I'm there for?
18:34You going to the...
18:35I don't need to go to Paris Specialist Week.
18:37I don't know nobody there.
18:38You don't be at the PGA Masters, man.
18:39I could be right here.
18:40Bro, I got a taper on the street.
18:42Me too.
18:43Shout out to street haircuts too, man.
18:45That's a lost art for him, but we bring it back.
18:46Man, shout out my man Pooda, bro.
18:47He really came through and got crispy on the block.
18:51He playing your beat.
18:52Motherfucker.
18:53Shit.
18:54I didn't pull up on y'all, man.
18:55Hey, listen.
18:56Go grab that album.
18:58It's in the store.
18:58Go grab it.
18:59It's in the store right now.
19:00Yeah, don't play around.
19:01Hey, stop.
19:01Show a CD right there.
19:02Come here.
19:03Come here.
19:04You got to come here.
19:04You can only get it in person right now.
19:06Come by here.
19:07By the time you see this, it's already out.
19:10Yeah, it's already out by the time you see it.
19:11Right now.
19:12Anyway, man.
19:12Blow your beard.
19:13Go outside.
19:14Get off the internet.
19:15Man, check this out, bro.
19:16It's been a hell of a day out here, man.
19:19We are the Blue Kids.
19:21My Top Fade is out right now.
19:23I want y'all to sink your teeth into that.
19:25Enjoy that, man.
19:26Paws.
19:26Listen to it.
19:27It's crazy.
19:28Listen to it.
19:28Put it on that back.
19:29Top to bottom, Paws.
19:31Hey, you want to run that seat back?
19:33No, no.
19:33We letting that rock.
19:34We letting that rock.
19:36We letting that rock, man.
19:38We're at Lambs, man.
19:40LES New York, man.
19:41We done had a hell of a day.
19:42Appreciate everybody out there that has been showing love to us, man.
19:44High Top Fade out right now, man.
19:46We're going to get back to the party and enjoy the love with our people.
19:49We love y'all, and thank y'all for kicking it with us today.
19:51Give us your money.
19:52We're coming for you.
19:54We care.
19:54We outside.
19:57You know what I'm saying?
19:57I got these for you.
19:58Come on, nigga.
19:59You hurt.
20:01You hurt.
20:01This is helpless.
20:03Helpless.
Comments