Chiddy Bang - Paper & Plastic

This is a little old, but I'm still playing catch up on sharing some great tunes.  Chiddy Bang was one of those groups that was super exciting when they first popped.  Xaphoon Jones helped push the boundaries of hip-hop sampling by digging up indie rock music as opposed to traditional soul and R&B records.  He also adds his signature 'bleeps' and 'bloops' to most of his tracks.  His partner, Chiddy, is well known for his freestyle skills and clever delivery and word play.  That's why they're good.

In my opinion, they kind of fell off after all that initial hype.  After the brilliance of The Swelly Express, their subsequent mixtapes and EP's were a noticeable step down in quality.  Their debut album, Breakfast, also left much to be desired.  It may have had a little to do with the novelty of their style wearing off with time, but I feel that their energy level was decreased.  It seemed like they were going through the motions of what worked before, but with less fervor.

A few months ago they collaborated with Champs Sports and Converse on a project to produce an exclusive new track.  They involved fans by starting with a little audience participation:

Basically, they held a contest where people sent in refrigerator magnet poems and they based the writing process for the new song off the winner, "Ladies like the sandwich party captain".  Alright. There's still nothing new for them here.  It's the same style of production and the same style of rapping, except I really like it.  Using outside inspiration could have sparked a new energy level.  Or maybe since all their mediocre releases have food themes, looking outside the fridge was a step in the right direction.

Xaphoon Jones Mixtape Vol. 2

The second Xaphoon Jones mixtape just came out!

Don't be a fool, download it at illRoots.

If you missed the first one, it's alright, here it is.  It gave us the original remix to Darwin Deez's 'Bad Day' that was later reworked with some lines from Chiddy.  It also had the monstrously incredible tracks 'I Wanna Know Now' and 'Radar Detector'.  If you don't know who Xaphoon Jones is... then you need to get your act together buster.  He's the producer half of the Philly duo, Chiddy Bang.  You should know who they are by now or you're old.

Anyways, for as fresh as Chiddy's rhymes are, Xaphoon's beats are equally dope.  They've been pioneers for the college hip-hop sound, and with an album due out this year, they're certainly poised to make a bang in 2011.  Xaphoon was one of the earlier DJs to sample indie music artists for hip-hop beats, and since then it has become a rapidly rising trend.  Hipsters and hip-hop heads alike have set their differences aside to rave about this exciting new blend of genres.  I got really link-happy because I think the music really speaks for itself with this kid.  This is why it pays to stay on top of what music is new and cool; there are definitely some serious rising stars out there.

It's April Fool's Day, but Xaphoon, you crazy.

Big Sean - Finally Famous Vol. 3 (Mixtape)

The third installment of the D-Town rapper's Finally Famous series originally came out back in August but here it is finally tagless.  I first heard Big Sean on his track 'Getcha Some'.  It was cool and he has that unique voice but I wasn't sure how long he could stick around in the game.  I'm glad I kept paying attention, though, because in the past couple years he's really grown as a rapper.  I've been really impressed with the way he can switch his flow up, and the rhymes and jokes he puts out.  He is signed with Yeezy's G.O.O.D. Music label, and will soon be releasing his debut album which should feature plenty of huge names.  It looks like 2011 is going to be a big year for Big Sean.

Get the whole tape from illroots.