Chiddy Bang Interview

Published on November 8th, 2009 by Seamus.

The MuSiK Box got a chance to ask Chiddy Bang, one of The MuSiK Box’s “Bound To Blow: 2010″ artists, about their recently released mixtape The Swelly Express, future plans for the duo, and more. The group is made up of lyricist Proto and DJ/Producer Xaphoon Jones. They are quickly proving themselves to be one of the best upcoming duos in the business, so keep an eye on them. Check out “All Things Go” from their new mixtape for a nice example of Proto’s creative lyrics and flow and Xaphoon’s producing skills. The song is just one of many great songs on the mixtape, so be sure to visit their myspace page to download the entire album.

Chiddy Bang- All Things Go

1. First off, what has Chiddy Bang been up to lately? The last we heard from you was a while ago.

  • P- We been grinding man, tryna make some things happen. Just dropped “The Swelly Express” mixtape and it’s doing real well out there. Look out for more stuff coming soon.
  • XJ – Finished a tape, and now we’re playing lots of shows. Also got some super-secret projects in the works.

2. To start off with some general questions, how was Chiddy Bang first formed? And where exactly did the name come from?

  • XJ – Chiddy Bang was our logical extension of Chidera’s first name. It started when we were freshman in college and we found we had a mutual desire to not let school get in the way of making music.
  • P- Chiddy Bang has extensive origins. Back in high school I started a label called Chiddy Bang Entertainment…We put out mixtapes and made some money. Fast forward to Drexel University….We linked up with the help of some wonderful people and were able to create magic…. When I started working with Xaphoon we decided to call ourselves Chiddy Chiddy Bang Bang. We shortened that for obvious reasons and just decided to go by Chiddy Bang. It worked out.

3. Xaphoon Jones, your solo work is great stuff. We especially like “I Wanna Know Now” and “Testify.” How long have you been producing?

  • XJ – Muchos gracias. I have been making recordings since I was 10 and producing hip hop since I was 14.

4. How exactly did you get the names “Proto” and “Xaphoon Jones”?

  • P- Proto is just an alias that I’ve had since high school….It was short for “Prototype.” One of the definitions of prototype is an original copy….I felt my rap style was influenced by a lot of people but at the same time delivered in a very original way…It stuck, and people been calling me Pro since then.
  • XJ – Xaphoon Jones is just one character, one alias, of many. The name was created by my good friend Tennis Brown, who named me this when we were playing many open mic nights in South Philadelphia. If you open up the Malstrom synthesizer in the software program called Reason, you will understand the name. A Xaphoon is also another word for a bamboo Saxophone.

5. Now, about your new mixtape that came out on October 29. How would you describe the immediate feedback?

6. Have you guys worked with any high-profile artists or producers lately? And Xaphoon, did you produce the whole album yourself?

  • XJ – Yes. I produced the whole album myself. I’m currently producing a mixtape for an artist that I can’t say his name in this article, but if you’re familiar with DJ Premier and M.O.P. and the golden era Brooklyn stuff, you will know him.

7. How would you guys describe this mixtape, The Swelly Express? How does it compare to the stuff you guys have done in the past?

  • P- The Swelly Express is really a documentary of the day in and day out ordeals of two kids following their dreams in an effort to make an impact in a industry that is ever changing…It’s really conceptual compared to our previous work…We wanted to give people a clear image of what we’ve been up to and I think we accomplished that.
  • XJ – The swelly express is a pretty cinematic mixtape. It tells a story. This would be the first time I’ve worked on anything like that.

8. Who are some of your favorite artists and producers? Who would you consider your major inspirations? Who are you listening to most right now?

  • XJ – I really like Tony Baritone, Dr. Lukasz Gottwald, and Theodore Grams.

A message from Proto: “We are on the grind….Got a wonderful team behind us, and the sky is really the limit. Big shout to our management and everybody that has invested time into making Chiddy Bang music easily accessible to the public. Stay tuned!”

The Opposite of Adults (MGMT “Kids” Remix)

http://www.myspace.com/chiddybang

http://www.myspace.com/xaphoonjones