Several months ago, I heard perhaps the best MGMT Kids Remix available and began to wonder if there was more to a group named Chiddy Bang than a millisecond of humor. Since then, the group has released multiple tracks that have made me ashamed of my initial inclination. Most recently, the band’s drop of “The Swelly Express” adds credulity to The Cool Kids Postulate: Suburban youths with a good education in rap history and a beat machine can flow with the best of them. With the artful production of Xaphoon Jones, who may be best known for his breathtaking Kanye/Radiohead/Lupe, Passion Pit/Beyonce/Biggie, MGMT/Bob Marley mash-ups, and the lyrical mastery of Chidera “Proto” Anamege, the Philly group fills that niche of talented, well-swaggered, and youthful rap.
Hear “The Swelly Express”:
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