Chiddy Bang

‘Breakfast’

Music Label: I.R.S.

Feb. 21

5 out of 5 decibels

Top Track: ‘Mind Your Manners’

Sounds Like: Outkast meets Foster the People

Breakfast is not just the most important meal of the day anymore — it’s the name of an innovative collection of eccentric yet radio-friendly tunes that rap duo Chiddy Bang dishes up in its debut album. The duo says it best in its single of the same name: ‘Get your plate, get your fork, get your spoon / Yeah, it’s time to have breakfast.’

It’s been almost two years since the hip-hop duo swore it would never grow up in its hit ‘Opposite of Adults.’ But the two Philadelphia natives have created two mixtapes since then. Now that their debut album just hit shelves, the two show that they did not grow out of their one-of-a-kind sound. Chiddy Bang is not your typical pair of rappers — they don’t claim to be hard or boast that they’re killing everyone else in the game. Instead, they prove their credibility with interesting beats and pop-rock-inspired anthems.

Bubble gum rap gets little respect, but what Chiddy Bang does on its album is simple hip-hop mixed with pop, rock and electronic influences. Thus, ‘Breakfast‘ is packed with one joyful tune after another. The group offers uplifting and catchy songs through excellent production, impressive performances and exciting collaborations that makes the album an absolute hit.

The Chiddy in Chiddy Bang is Chidera Anamege, an emcee who proves his skills in the duo’s latest album. He’s not a gangster, but he deserves credit for rapping about what he knows —mainly, enjoying life and women. The majority of his content may be a bit dense, but his delivery makes up for it. Chiddy delivers hard-hitting rhymes in ‘4th Quarter’ when he spits: ‘I finish strong, they don’t call me no more / Be the star they adore if you go hard in the four.’

However, he also provides danceable lyrics in more upbeat tunes like ‘Ray Charles,’ using piano samples from the legend himself, for which the other half of the pair is responsible.

Noah ‘Xaphoon Jones’ Beresinis the man behind the beats. He uses hip-hop-based tracks and infuses them with piano accents, syncopated drums or even video game sounds. However, his best work is when he uses samples. Beresin borrows Icona Pop’s ‘Manners’ in ‘Mind Your Manners’ for the song’s upbeat and children’s choir-like chorus.

In ‘Handclaps & Guitars,’ Beresin borrows from Walk the Moon’s ‘Quesadilla.’ In the mid-tempo jam, Chiddy makes a mention of the sampling: ‘Yo, Xaph, it’s crazy how we sample on that handclap.’

The only thing better than a sample is collaboration. For that, Chiddy Bang partnered with a diverse group of artists that makes the record appealing to a variety of audiences. In ‘Happening,’English indie-pop singer VV Brown lends herbubbly yet soulful vocals in the chorus, giving the duo one of its more pop-inspired tracks. With pop-rock band Train in ‘Baby Roulette’ and British rock band You Me at Six in ‘Rescue Me,’ Chiddy Bang gives the album a dose of rock influence and strikes mainstream appeal. Chiddy collaborations not only show that the duo has an eclectic group of friends, but emphasizes that its sound is one of many genres and voices.

After Chiddy Bang’s performance at Juice Jam 2011, most Syracuse University students knew they were a group to watch. Chiddy Bang’s latest creation should prove to the world that it is a musical force to be reckoned with. ‘Breakfast’ is a triumph because of its unique production, melding of multiple genres and content of overall feel-good music. Two years in the making, ‘Breakfast’ is finally served.

ieinyang@syr.edu

Published on March 5, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Ibet: ieinyang@syr.edu