- Mon, 2010-10-11 17:47
Having come to prominence off the back of their tunes The Opposite Of Adults and Truth, both of which the duo built around samples of indie bands (MGMT & Passion Pit respectively), The Good Life represents something of a change of direction for Chiddy Bang. Xaphoon Jones, usually in charge of the duo’s beat-making duties, steps to one side to allow production super-star Pharrell to take the reins, and the result is a very different flavour to that which fans might be used to from Chiddy and Xaphoon.
Pharrell’s beat carries a laid-back ‘90s vibe that instantly calls to mind open-top lowriders popping on street corners, but updates the Tupac/Biggie blueprint with his own inimitable sonic fingerprint. Chiddy celebrates his recent improvement in fortunes with one eye on his past and the other on where he’d like to be (“I’m in the elevator and I’m on the way up”) in a rap that implicitly name-checks Wu-Tang Clan with the line “cash rules everything around me; get cream.”
Much like the sentiments expressed by Chiddy on the track, The Good Life has one foot in the past and one in the future, incorporating a healthy respect for hip hop heritage into a highly enjoyable modern cut.
