Kidz In The Hall (Naledge & Double O) School Was My Hustle

• Words: Jesse Serwer
• Label: Major League/Rawkus
• XLR8R Rating: /10

Lupe Fiasco might be pushing the everyman-rapper angle hard but, on School Was My Hustle, fellow Chicago MC Naledge gives the skateboarder a run for his money. Teamed with DJ/producer Double O as Kidz in the Hall, Naledge proves that Ivy League guys (he and Double O are Penn grads) can rock the mic too, infusing tracks like "Go Ill" and "Dumbass Tales" with a healthy dose of personality and storytelling ability. While the project at times feels a little derivative of Kanye West's College Dropout, it's also a clever inversion of Kanye's concept, extolling the virtues of formal education rather than mocking them.