Chiddy Bang, made up of rapper/MC Chidera ‘Chiddy’ Anamage and studio partner Noah ‘Xaphoon Jones’ Beresin, are a duo from Philadelphia whose sound is a mixture of rap, hip hop and alternative. They’ve had some chart success accompanying You Me At Six on their single ‘Rescue Me’ and their debut album ‘Breakfast’ has been a long time coming. It’s been three years since they released their debut mix tape ‘ The Swelly Express’ for free in 2009. Despite the fame of their previous singles ‘Opposite of Adults’ and ‘Truth’ they’ve moved away from mixes of originals and samples into a well crafted full length album featuring only one sample-based track in ‘Mind Your Manners’ (using Icona Pop‘s single ‘Manners’). They have definitely proved that not only do they have an eye for catchy hooks, they can create them too.
Chiddy Bang shine brightest with their simple rhythms that often resemble nursery rhymes. Take their latest single ‘Ray Charles’ for example. I challenge anyone to listen to that song and not have the chorus stuck in their head for the whole day. Particular highlights on the album include ‘Handclaps and Guitars’ which showcases their lyrical talent as well as being very catchy. Another personal favourite is ‘Run it Back’ (feat. Shizari); the almost sci-fi techno sounds compliment Chiddy’s passionate rap and Shizari‘s gentle tones in the chorus. ‘Out to Space’ has a similar vibe and is genuinely a great hip-hop track. ‘Happening’ is enhanced by the incredibly talented VV Brown featuring on the chorus, making it another infectious track from the album.
However, Chiddy Bang’s downfall comes when they’re moving away from adolescence and attempting to act their age. Songs such as ‘Talking to Myself’ and ‘Baby Roulette’ are boring in comparison to some of the other catchy tracks. With lyrics such as “my love is super size / ain’t no happy meal”, the song is stripped of any respectable credibility.
Overall, Chiddy Bang have created a successful debut album in Breakfast that showcases both Chiddy‘s MC talent as well as highlighting Noah‘s studio abilities. In my eyes they’ve certainly proved that they are, in those infamous words from ‘The Opposite of Adults’, “pretty much amazing”.
7/10
