The “Hip-Hop group” seems to be an endangered species in today’s landscape. There are plenty of collectives comprised of loosely-associated solo MCs, or super-group side projects. However, acts with more than two members are becoming rarer and rarer.

Enter Kooley High, a North Carolina Hip-Hop crew who are driven by art and culture. Having been on the scene for more than a decade now, Heads may recognize Kooley as the group that once included Rapsody. She, of course, went on to sign with 9th Wonder’s Jamla and subsequently Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. Rap’ has since built a critically-acclaimed, Grammy-nominated solo discography.

Kooley High Are Retro In Name, Sound & Visuals (Video)

Kooley High have consistently released the kind of Hip-Hop that carries on tradition but also drives the art form forward. With two MCs (Tab-One and Charlie Smarts), two producers (Foolery and The Sinopsis), and a DJ (Ill Digitz), this clique has all bases covered. Nonetheless, 9th Wonder has jumped on board to executive produce their upcoming album, Never Come Down (March 30) to pilot Kooley to higher ground.

The crew’s latest video single is “Ceiling.” The high production value and ill concept of this vid’ speak volumes about this team’s experience. Heads who have heard any of their previous releases know the group has a bit of an obsession with “elevation.” For example, they named their 2015 album Heights. “Ceiling” continues that theme, while also tackling the stress and struggles of being an indie artist.

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The flavorful piano loop here is accentuated by an OutKast vocal sample, “And every day we looked up at the ceiling.” The visuals are truly a companion to the lyrics and ideas presented in the song. The guys chill in a clinically white room…on the ceiling. This scene is interspersed with footage of a woman arriving home and trying to relax, but she appears to be under a lot of strain. By the end of the video, she manages to focus on making some music, rather than stressing further.

About Ready Or Not: “Ready Or Not” is Ambrosia For Heads’s platform for showcasing new videos and having you, the people, decide whether they are ready for primetime. Each week, AFH will showcase music from artists on the verge, looking for their seat at the table among Hip-Hop’s elite.