It is my pleasure to review the debut album of hip-hop's own, Chiddy Bang. Breakfast hit stores today and is the first course in Chiddy Bang's soon to be five star rated career. This two man team from Philadelphia, comprised of a lyricist/vocalist named Chiddy and a producer/DJ named Xaphoon, have been a part of the underground hip-hop scene since 2008 and have gained a respectable following throughout the years. The band's musical style infuses hip-hop, electronica, and indie influences to create an energetic, futuristic sound. Chiddy (rapper) and Xaphoon Jones (producer) traditionally bring together two unique styles of musical perspective. Breakfast is another example of their catchy creativity.
Chiddy rhymes with a quick flow when rapping and while his topics rarely stray from girls, success, and aspirations, the way in which he pieces lyrics together is what makes Chiddy so special. Towards the end of the second track, entitled "Breakfast," Chiddy showcases his quick witted and creatively fast paced style, proclaiming, "Yeah, I'm just swellin' on em/ I don't hear em, I'm about to go Helen on em/ Get the based god, call Ellen on em/ We give a tour for cheaper, we wholesalin' on em." There are not many rappers I know who can use references to Helen Keller, Lil B (The Based God), Ellen DeGeneres, and inexpensive ticket sales in four lines to describe their talent on the microphone, but Chiddy rips through the lines with ease. Another track off of the album that Chiddy takes total control of is "Ray Charles." In the second single released off of the album, Chiddy takes music legend Ray Charles' blindness and uses it as a metaphor for rising above "the haters," as many lyricists commonly say. These are aspects of Chiddy's lyrics that have been evident since song one, so I was not surprised the songs off Breakfast were his finest stories yet. There is undeniable originality when it comes to the rapper of the group and the producer of the group, Xaphoon Jones, is breaking down musical boundaries of his own.
Xaphoon has garnered popularity of his own by producing the music for Chiddy Bang. Known for using live instrumentation, original electronic beats, and obscure indie samples ranging from Passion Pit to MGMT on past mix tapes, Xaphoon was at it again on Chiddy Bang's Breakfast. Musically, each song on the album is very involved. Tackling Chiddy's lyrical style is one thing, but capturing each aspect of a Xaphoon Jones beat is an entirely different monster. These are some of the most creativity produced beats I have heard. The foundations of each song range from containing guitars, pianos, electronic rhythms, synthesizers, drums, and samples of other artists' songs. The first single for the album, "Mind Your Manners," is my personal favorite Xaphoon production. In the beat, the listener hears a beautiful combination of snare drums, electronic synths and sounds, and a perfectly placed sample of Incona Pop's song "Manners." Like I said, each song on the album has such quality production and I cannot sit here and easily pick my favorite one. Right now, it's "Mind Your Manners." Tomorrow it could be "Run It Back." Thursday it could be "Happening." Each song is that good.
I went into this album thinking I was going to have another Wale record on my hands. If you recall, Wale, another famous East Coast-based rapper, grew a huge following by way of releasing several successful mix tapes, but when it came time to release a label album, Wale's Attention Deficit brought changes to Wale's sound and, in turn, effected his credibility. Thankfully, Chiddy Bang's Breakfast stayed true to their previous mix tapes such as The Swelly Express and Peanut Butter and Swelly. Combining hip-hop and an electronic based sound, Chiddy Bang have the potential to step into a league of their own with the release of their first album. I heard about these guys when a was a freshman at Santa Clara University from my buddy Miller and I am so thankful I gave them a listen. I have continued to listen to Chiddy Bang for the last four years, seen them live in San Francisco once, and am so stoked they are going to experience mainstream express through the release of Breakfast. Go buy the album in stores or on iTunes to support a new style of hip-hop and a group who truly loves what they do.
Key Album Tracks: "Breakfast," "Ray Charles," "4th Quarter"
Chiddy Bang's "Mind Your Manners:"
2 comments:
Yee! Thanks for the shoutout bud. I can't stop playing this album.
I found out Xaph produced 13/14 songs and sent out a tweet challenging listeners to figure out which one he didnt produce. I'm sure I could look it up but its kind of fun going through and figuring it out on my own. What's your guess?
Damn, that's going to be a tough one to figure out. If I had to guess after the three or four listens I've had my guess would be "Out 2 Space." But how could I ever tell? Each one is super Xaph-y haha.
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