Kooley High, a fresh new hip-hop group that hails from North Carolina, is back and this time they have taken on the big screen. The group that brought soulful sounds, enlightened lyrics, and positive energy with their first album, Summer Sessions EP, wants to reintroduce themselves to the hip-hop community as they premiere their movie “One Day: Introducing Kooley High”. M.E.C.C.A Records presents the documentary that was produced by BECAUSEUS, and filmed in Raleigh-Durham NC. “One Day: Introducing Kooley High,” is a 40-minute documentary that chronicles a day in the life of Triangle-based rap group Kooley High and their desire to be heard. The trailer for the film, available on the group’s MySpace page, declares that the movie is “one group’s story about life and the journey to be heard”. It was directed/produced by Napoleon Wright, who is from the Raleigh-Durham area as well. He is the founder of BECAUSEUS. A movie premiere for “One Day, featuring Kooley High” will be held on January 24th from 7-9 p.m at the Galaxy Theater in the Village Square Shopping Center of Cary, N.C.Named after the Chicago film Cooley High, this group was formed in 2005 by a group of students from North Carolina State University who created a hip hop organization on campus called H2O. The organization put on hip hop events for the students on campus and through their love of the music, gave birth to their own hip hop creation. This eclectic group, made up of six guys and one girl and having both black and white, it’s not just another Myspace music group.  They are showing the world that hip hop has a universal sound. The members, Tab-One, Charlie Smarts Rapsody, Foolery, Sinopsis, J Sol and DJ Ill Digitz are another branch of Raleigh’s hip-hop group Inflowential. BECAUSEUS, a Triangle-based design collective dedicated to the betterment of humankind, specializes in film production, experimental design, sound design, motion graphics, brand identity, photography and interactive work. “One Day, featuring Kooley High” is Becauseus’ first documentary.Kooley High is all about bringing the soul back into hip hop music. They are crazy about hip hop and stay true to themselves with music that represents free expression.  The current condition of hip-hop drives Kooley High to continue doing music for the people who are looking for an outlet from radio hip hop that lacks substance. The underground rap group, inspired by many hip hop artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, conveys a message that comes across in the movie for all its listeners.  “This movie is about a young hip hop group from North Carolina who is making music for the love of it. Most of the music today is superficial and shiny; we are just real people with a real passion making real music” group member Charlie Smarts said. One of the messages that they convey is to focus on being yourself, regardless of your looks, car, money or gender. Another message they express is that life is too short, might as well make it fun.

• Laporsha lowry Scene Editor