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January 28, 2008 4:01 pm
The city of big shoulders has a long legacy as a music town, but it’s nevertheless safe to say that Chicago has produced something new in Kid Sister. Her first single, “Pro Nails Happy Funtime Hour,” sounds a bit like vintage Salt-N-Pepa remixed by Les Rhythmes Digitales, after a dozen or so Red Bulls, and yeah, it’s about getting a manicure. Which is to say that Kid Sister, a.k.a. Melissa Young, is pretty much doing her own thing. And the music industry’s canary-in-the-mine types are paying close attention: Steve Aoki snapped up Kid Sister’s “Shake and Pop” for a quickie release on his Dim Mak label, French hipster rappers TTC lent themselves to her song “Telephone,” and Kanye West was so impressed by “Pro Nails” that he cut a new verse for the track and volunteered his services for the video. West’s DJ A-Trak happens to be Kid Sister’s boyfriend, and he’ll be spinning alongside her when she opens two sold-out dates for Chromeo in New York City tonight. After that, the irrepressible couple heads to Australia with Kanye in tow, to play the touring Good Vibrations Festival. A record deal is on the way. In the meantime, Kid Sister spared a moment to send Style.com some good vibes of her own.
Your music fuses influences that don’t get mixed together too often, e.g., old-school techno, grime, French electropop… How do you describe the Kid Sister sound?
Fun, fun, fun! I make party music people can chug—or sip—PBRs to. But I also try to keep an air of sophistication to everything. It’s a total balancing act. But I come from a multiracial background, and I have a pretty ethnically ambiguous look, and outlook, so I’m used to that, ha.
Kanye’s really thrown his weight behind Kid Sister. Do you have any idea how he got exposed to your music?
So, my boyfriend, Alain, otherwise known as A-Trak, is Kanye’s DJ and good friend. As you may recall, at last year’s MTV Europe Video Awards, Kanye got a little, um, pissed off when a group he’d never heard of, Justice, wound up with the award for best video. After that storm blew over, Alain sat down with Kanye and played him some Justice songs, my stuff, and other new music. Apparently, he was really excited about “Pro Nails,” but at the time I knew nothing.
And then when you found out he was a fan, you went ahead and asked him to add a verse to “Pro Nails”?
As a matter of fact, I didn’t know one single detail until Alain called me and played the verse for me over the phone. I was at a movie theater and apparently, he’d been trying to reach me the whole time I was watching the movie. When I finally heard Kanye’s “Pro Nails” verse, I fell to my knees and started crying, right then and there. The concession kids were like, um, do you need some assistance? Best surprise ever, pretty much.
And then, après Kanye, le déluge?
Man, it’s all happened insanely fast, and the whole experience has been nothing but highlights. My first interview was with MTV—and that was before Kanye got involved. Now I’m hearing that Quincy Jones likes my stuff and wants to work with me, which is just loco, you know? I don’t like to talk too much about it, though; I hate to brag and anyway, I’m pretty superstitious. All I really have to say is, basically, thank you to everyone who’s shown me love over the past two years. I love y’all back!
Normally, your brother deejays for you, hence the “Kid Sister” moniker. But at these upcoming gigs, you’re collaborating with A-Trak. How does that change the show?
When we play together, it’s just like Lucy and Desi up there. People should expect lots of energy, a little stank attitude, and at least a few corny jokes. That’s our specialty!
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