Chiddy Bang

There was a time when hip-hop bands seemed intriguing, just because.  Nowadays, new hip-hop bands have become just as ordinary as any new rapper; with many offerings, few are able to achieve a true mark of distinction.  It hasn’t been hard for Chiddy Bang to get noticed, though.  Since their inception at Drexel University in 2008, the alternative hip-hop ensemble has received a growing onslaught of reception both on and offline.  Consisting of members Chidera "Chiddy" Anamege and Noah "Xaphoon Jones" Beresin, the Philadelphian-duo produces a sound that notably fuses hip-hop and various elements of alternative.  With their buzz growing, the group has released an ambitious studio debut, Breakfast.

Breakfast is filled with melodic tracks and crisp rhymes delivered by Chiddy.  His lyrics are fun and amiable on the hard-knocking “Handclaps & Guitars”—“Cruisin’ by the ocean cause I know this is a game of sharks/ Music and money bet I never let it change my heart.” Listeners looking for a sonic boost won’t be disappointed. Chiddy Bang’s sound is booming—the roaring guitar progression on “Mind Your Matters” and the glimmering, off-kilter piano loops of “Ray Charles” stick like a resounding and delectable aftertaste. One of Chiddy Bang’s most overt attempt at integrating alternative into their sound is “Out 2 Space,” which features Chiddy solidly declaring “It’s a hard act to follow man/ Call me Apollo, man/ Things are looking up and this is what I wallow in” to listeners over a bumping beat.

Further glimpses of the band’s diverse potential are “Whatever We Want” and standout track “Breakfast” which fuses a pounding baseline with touches of trumpet and a spunky beat.  Then there’s “Talking To Myself,” which layers a smooth guitar and chiming keys into whiny chorus vocals. Overall Breakfast effectively blends alternative and hip-hop elements into an eclectic montage of fresh lyricism and bursting musical backdrops.

-Andrea D. Wilson