Chiddy Bang Takes us to Nigeria

Chiddy Bang is a very fitting name for an Electronic/Hip Hop act that has literally hit the scene with a BANG since they formed while attending Drexel University in Philly less than a year ago. The face(s) of the group include rapper Chiddy and producer Xaphoon Jones.  They also perform live with a guitarist and drummer, and are known for their sampling of Pop/Electronic artists such as MGMT and Weezer.  Their songs were showcased on some big pop music blogs earlier this year, and in a very short time the group have developed a big following in the UK, and currently have a record deal with EMI and Capitol Records.  They have already released two mixtapes to rave reviews, and they just debuted a pre-quel album titled The Preview (check it out here on  iTunes), an extended EP meant to preface their debut full-length The Swelly Life.  So why, you might ask, are we featuring this group from Philly on a site dedicated to African music? 

The answer is that front man and rapper Chiddy, whose real name is Chidera Anamege, has deep ties in Nigeria.  Chiddy has visited the country every year since he was born, going to the village of Umunumo where both of his parents are from.  He has tons of cousins and family members still living there to whom he is “very very connected and in tune with.”  He compares the village where he is from to “the country, like Alabama or Mississippi” but mentions that “on the flip side, you can go to Lagos and go to Victoria Islands and it’s very ‘Manhattanish’.”

Chiddy considers fellow Philadelphia native Black Thought of the Roots to be his closest mentor thus far in music, but he is also very connected in the Naija music scene.  He is very close to rapper and Trybe Records founder eLDee da Don, and also has relationships with M.I. and Dbanj, among other top hip-hop/afro-beat artists from Nigeria.  He makes it a point to always check out the new music that is coming out of his homeland every time he goes back to visit.  His passion for Nigerian music has rubbed off on Xaphoon, giving the group’s producer more musical influences to draw from when making beats.

During Chiddy’s last visit to his homeland, he decided that he wanted to shoot some video that he would later edit into a music video, which you can see below.  The video for the track “Sooner or Later” is meant to give the world a glimpse of what life is like in Nigeria. In this song, Chiddy brings out a political awareness in his lyrics that is not always heard in the rest of the groups’ songs.  Xaphoon Jones started the beat by replaying the basic chord progression to the classic Fela Kuti song “Water Get No Enemy,” but completely flipped it with his trademark synths and banging hip-hop drums.  It was also Xaphoon’s idea to pay homage to the late afro-beat King by including an introductory sample from the song “Let’s Start” off of Fela’s album with Ginger Baker (one of my favorite recordings of all time, by the way.)


In a country notorious for its corrupt government and religious riots, Chiddy preaches the social messages often shared by fellow Nigerian musicians.  When asked about what he feels will eventually turn Nigeria’s fortunes and reputation as a corrupt country around, he replied “That conversation really gets shady and grey because of all the civil wars, and religious riots.  But ultimately it will come down to the youth and the next generation.  Younger people in their 20’s and 30’s that are coming to America, getting proper education and then want to go back to Nigeria and make a difference.”


Though I doubt he will end up running for President as Fela did, Chiddy is very informed about Nigeria and its issues, and should help spread awareness of these issues abroad with his group’s rapid rise in the U.S. and International music industries.  Check out the video for “Sooner or Later” below, and be sure to check out more from Chiddy Bang, including their European tour schedule at www.myspace.com/chiddybang.