Spring '08 LPs From Madonna, Coldplay, The Roots, Mudcrutch, Elvis Costello : Rolling Stone

Kid Sister

Koko B. Ware July

For a rapper with rapid-fire flow, Kid Sister has a very drawn-out writing process. "I sit down with a legal tablet, two pens, my iPod and a Thesaurus," admits the Chicago native (a.k.a. Melissa Young), who rolls out her polysyllabic rhymes about beepers, nail salons and "broke-ass dudes" over spacey blips and rowdy, danceable beats — some of which were supplied by her brother, Josh (a.k.a. J2K), one half of DJ duo Flosstradamus — that recall Nineties club staple "Percolator." Fortunately, familiarity with Cajmere isn't required to enjoy Kid Sister's tunes. "A lot of times when there's music that's trendsetting, you find a lot of pretension," says Young. "But everyone's invited to this party."