Busting through the stereotypical image many hardcore groups embody, Ugly Duckling takes hip-hop music back to its essence.

"Rap can be such an offensive thing. A lot of groups are too into the image of, ‘I’m big, I’m bad, I’ve got many ho’s," said Andy Cooper, rapper for the Long Beach-based trio, Ugly Duckling.

Ugly Duckling takes an old-school approach to its music. The band has been likened to rappers such as A Tribe Called Quest, the Jungle Brothers and Eric B. & Rakim.

"A big part of hip-hop is saluting the old stuff with the new," Cooper said.

Cooper, fellow emcee Dizzy Dustin, and DJ/producer Young Einstein joined forces five years ago to form Ugly Duckling. All three belonged to separate aspiring hip-hop bands at the time.

"We were all the outcasts from each of those clicks," Dustin said. When they converged and became Ugly Duckling, these "outcasts" finally found a place to belong.

"We just all had a vibe going together and we liked the stuff Einstein was doing, so it felt right," Cooper said.

Thanks to an internet chat room, Ugly Duckling recently signed with 1500 records. Executives at the label witnessed a debate between Jurassic 5 and Ugly Duckling fans, arguing over which group is better.

"The label already liked Jurassic 5, so after seeing the debate on the internet, they became interested in us," Cooper said.

The group will release its first EP entitled Fresh Mode on April 6th, in stores everywhere.

This eight-song compilation includes the band’s hit single, which is also dubbed Fresh Mode. The single has already sold more than 3,000 copies, and has been played by various radio and mix-show DJs nationwide.

"I guess it’s the ‘My Sharona’ of Uglyuckling," said Cooper.

Cooper had his phone number printed on the inside cover to the single’s release. "I got phone calls from all over the country, from places like Nebraska and even from Europe. Sometimes in the middle of the night, I would get messages in an English accent saying, ‘I love your music! Call me back at 2-730-154-6617,’" laughed Cooper.

In order to drum up publicity for their EP’s release, Ugly Duckling has recently been touring the Los Angeles club scene. The group also made a lowly-publicized appearance at The Pub at Cal State Fullerton.

"That concert was funny because only about eight people showed up. We joked that the tuition money from students goes to pay bands that only the [A.S. members] come to watch with their friends," Cooper said.

"Ugly Duckling is like an elevator on the rise. They’re the real thing. They’re like us. They were watching Spider Man when we were watching Spider Man. They’re hometown guys," fan Tony Warner said.

Ugly Duckling hopes to make a little noise in the hip-hop community, and show everyone that they don’t need to fit into some gangsta-rap package to succeed in the hip-hop scene.

"Hopefully we’re ushering in a new generation of rap," Cooper said. "And we’ll be like the ugly duckling who grows into the swan and whips everyone’s ass in the end."