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he intro to Hov’s American Gangster declares that swagger is a liability. I think Chip Tha Ripper would beg to differ. The 21 year-old Cleveland newjack has been swaggin’ out tracks left and right with his own brand of Midwest braggadocio. Having caught the ears of a new wave of hungry Hip Hop fans with tracks like “Get It Girl” and his ode to the fresh brim “Fitted,” Chip recently released his second full fleged mixtape Can’t Stop Me on S.L.A.B. Entertainment. Now carrying the torch for his town, Chip is ready to start getting it in. “With my generation, it’s totally different. Cleveland was wide open. Nobody was doing nothin’,” he explains. “ Bone [Thugs N Harmony] had been left. They left it naked. We had to make it rock.” Growing up on the same infamous St. Clair street as the fast-rapping group (Chip grew up on 120th while Bone came up on 99th), the young rhyme sayer has seen his share of tough times on his city’s blocks. For that reason, Chip says that he always makes his lyrics crystal clear for those he tries to reach most. “I always make sure my verses talk to the hood, no matter what I’m talking about. The hood always understands,” he explains. “I’m not one of those rappers where you gotta figure out what I’m trying to say. The 10th time listening you’re not going to hear something new. I want you to hear everything, the first time.”
His get-to-the-point approach has won him a growing legion of fans, including Cincinnati super producer Hi-Tek, who dug the youngster’s style so much that he allowed him to rip bars on the track “Ohio All-Stars” off his 2007 disc Hi-Teknology 3: Underground. The two have also begun working on an as-yet-untitled collaborative disc with Tek behind the boards and Chip on the mic. He also recently inked a deal to become sponsored by DC Shoes, so when he speaks about his shoe game you know the kid’s not lying. And with Hi-Tek lending his official stamp of approval along with collabs with Hip Hop’s new school leaders including Naledge of Kidz In The Hall, Mic Terror and Kid Cudi, the future is looking bright for Tha Ripper. “In the midst of all this music confusion, during my time, people are gonna say Chip came with the real. I’m setting a new standard as far as this Hip Hop goes.” Words by Anthony Roberts
OZONE MAG // 81