When someone hands you a record that has not only been endorsed by the likes of Blues & Soul or Rolling Stone you can’t help but take a little notice. When a single has managed more than 500,000 downloads alone in the United States you can’t help but look a little closer. It’s these factors that led me to Jibbs debut single ‘Chain Hang Low’ out on the 22nd January.
At only fifteen years old it looks like this is another would be prodigy for the crown of freestyle rap. Already opening for the likes of Chris Brown, Bow Wow it seems Jibbs is looking to make inroads into the Auk market as well.
The track itself is one of those that get under your skin with a melody and remain fastened there with the tenacity of a fishhook. Not always a good thing (and in the case of a fish hook, probably never). However if the song hits the charts you can be sure its one of those that isn’t going to go away in a hurry courtesy of a nursery rhyme hook laid across a relatively chunky beat. There’s no question that Jibbs can drop lines and make them work, however it’s the backdrop against which they sit which make this something of an abrasive little number. Perhaps the release of the acapella and a quick remix could do something to make this a little more palatable and less sugary. Still those factors aside Jibbs himself might have potential to go further with a little more work behind him and his debut album could possibly worth a look ‘Jibbs feat Jibbs’.
‘Chain Hang Low’ is released through Geffen on 22nd Jan 2007.
