'The Preview’ is exactly that, it is a preview of the forthcoming 2011 album from Chiddy Bang and it promises to be an excellent album. The duo from Philadelphia are releasing ‘The Preview’ on the back of the success from single ‘Opposite Of Adults’, which saw them go from one of the most hyped hip-hop acts around to challenging the charts.
Chiddy Bang have already been championed from the likes of big stars Kanye West, Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg to name just a few. They have also supported rising super rapper Kid Cudi and 3 Six Mafia leading to a hectic schedule of worldwide tours and heavy promoting which, in turn, led to them not quite completing the album that they wanted to in time so ‘The Preview’ is a sample of what we can expect.
It starts with ‘Good Life’, a track that indicaties clearly of what the rest of the album is going to be like. Clever production from Xaphoon Jones and accomplished rapping from Chiddy make it a fresh sound that brings something new to the hip-hop scene as it is today.
‘Good Life’ is followed up by track ‘Truth’ which sees a collaboration from UK band Passion Pit, an unlikely combination. This shows how diverse the duo is and this diversifies the fan base for them. The song starts with vocals that Passion Pit fans will be familiar with the verses from Chiddy following in an eclectic mix of hip-hop rap with indie pop. This track would light up any indie club and yet wouldn’t look out of place in-between Snoop or Kanye. The track is produced by superstar Pharrell which is another great example of the wide fan base that the duo already have and the Pharrell influence is definitely evident throughout the track.
Track 3 is the hit ‘Opposite of Adults’ which essentially is a remix of MGMT’s ‘Kids’. However it does give off a fresh vibe into which if you hadn’t heard the MGMT track, you wouldn’t think that it was a remix. It again displays the diverse nature of the duo as they are primarily a hip-hop group which is evident within the rap vocals from Chiddy but the production and regular sampling from Xaphoon Jones moulds them into more of an indie sound. This is used throughout the whole album and this track was perfect for release and ended up selling over 120,000 copies in the UK alone and the video had over 6 million views on youtube.
‘Here We Go’ displays a more traditional hip-hop sound from the Philadelphians with a more urban feel. The track features Q-Tip who collaborated with Mark Ronson and The Business International in their hit ‘Bang Bang Bang’ and sees another good collaboration for the duo with an accomplished hip-hop track with a more classic style to it.
The next track sees Chiddy Bang go back to the indie infused hip-hop which is evident in ‘Truth’ with song ‘All Things Go’. The chorus gives off the impression that it is sung by a little child with a strangely hypnotic high pitched vocal. The verses are what you become oh too familiar with as Chiddy’s rap verses are what stay the same throughout the album creating a sound that is recognizable.
‘Nothing on We’ sees Chiddy singing on the chorus for the first time on the album. This again creates a more classic hip-hop track along the same vibe as ‘Here We Go’ and it displays the diverse talents of the duo that they can write pretty much within any style. It is more of a ballad than any other tracks on the album which will have you swaying from side to side and would sound good in any convertible driving down the freeway in the Californian sun.
Track 7 sees a collaboration with indie star Darwin Deez in ‘Bad Day’ which is a collaboration that is perfect. The whiny vocals that the Darwin Deez fans will adore combine with the typical flow that Chiddy displays on the verses creates a electro-indie hit that would be welcome on any radio station. A definite highlight from the album which could easily be used as single and no doubt it would be successful as the production from Xaphoon is so on the money with the vibe that Darwin brings and also the rap that Chiddy contributes.
The final track gives off that very feel with ‘Old Ways’. It feels like the album is unwinding down with a more laid-back chilled out hip-hop track. It sees Chiddy doing more singing on the chorus and more piano from Xaphoon which definitely adds a nostalgic feel to the song and therefore the album, a worthy end to a great album.
Well as it being ‘The Preview’ we can only expect more to come from the Philadelphian duo as this effort is more than worthy of filling the void until the album comes out. Watch out for it, it could be big.
Stereoboard Album Rating: 9/10
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
.jpg "Chiddy Bang - The Preview (Album Review)")
‘Good Life’ is followed up by track ‘Truth’ which sees a collaboration from UK band Passion Pit, an unlikely combination. This shows how diverse the duo is and this diversifies the fan base for them. The song starts with vocals that Passion Pit fans will be familiar with the verses from Chiddy following in an eclectic mix of hip-hop rap with indie pop. This track would light up any indie club and yet wouldn’t look out of place in-between Snoop or Kanye. The track is produced by superstar Pharrell which is another great example of the wide fan base that the duo already have and the Pharrell influence is definitely evident throughout the track.
