Chiddy Bang, Peanut Butter & Swelly

A month after breaking the Guinness World Record for longest freestyle rap set, rapper Chiddy gets back together with group-mate Xaphoon Jones to keep building up the Chiddy Bang buzz with the release of Peanut Butter & Swelly. With a summer night party feel throughout, the mixtape proves to be just what Chiddy Bang and their growing fan base were looking for: an impressive prequel to the duo’s debut LP due later this year.

While Chiddy is the face most casual fans associate Chiddy Bang with, it is Xaphoon’s production that really gives the group its distinct and quirky hip-hop/electro/indie sound. On “Baby Roulette,” Chiddy covers the issue of safe sex over a thumping Xaphoon beat riddled with samples from Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. Other noteworthy tracks include “Cameras” and “All Over,” as well as “Heatwave,” which boasts features from up and coming acts Mac Miller, Trae the Truth and Casey Veggies.

While PB&S showcases a big step up in production value for Chiddy Bang, it does lack the narrative feel of their first mixtape The Swelly Express, which chronicled the story of these two young talents from Philly heading up to New York City to meet the big label executives. Nevertheless, Chiddy Bang certainly have the attention of these executives now, and Peanut Butter & Swelly offers a delicious snack to hold listeners over while they prep the release of Breakfast, their debut studio album. —NMB