Chiddy Bang doesn’t need to “Mind [Their] Manners;” for a debut album, Breakfast is quite the start. Having already leaked “Mind Your Manners,” “Baby Roulette,” and “Ray Charles,” the rest of the songs on the album frame these pre-released tracks as the stars of the album, yet aren’t entirely outshined. The duo released their album online at midnight on Monday, and quickly reached the top 10 on iTunes.
Those who are acquainted with Chiddy Bang already understand their formula for catchy party songs – a sample of an artist with a cult-following and Chiddy’s insane flow. However, this album not only showcases the group’s talent, but also their musical intellectualism; listening to Breakfast is like changing radio stations quickly: we get a sense of American music through their variance in sampling different genres. Sampling Ray Charles is a risky feat to take on, but in the spirit of “Otis” by Kanye and Jay-Z, Chiddy Bang manages to take a retro song and make it their own.
“Mind Your Manners” is undoubtedly one of my favorite tracks from the album and also one that I’m familiar with since it was released in June of 2011. Yet listening to it merged with the rest of the songs in the album gives it a different meaning, and I appreciate the child-like, high-pitched sample of Icona Pop’s “Manners.” “Out 2 Space” gives a shout-out to Birmingham, Michigan’s elite private school, Cranbrook, so as a Michigander and a metro-Detroiter, I felt obligated to give this track a few more listens than usual.
Overall, Xaphoon and Chiddy have established their spot in American hip-hop with Breakfast, proving that they’re professionals when it comes to sampling any type of genre.
Chiddy Bang’s Breakfast is available on iTunes for $7.99!
