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Chip Tha Ripper, Tell Ya Friends

Cleveland native Chip Tha Ripper delivered his Tell Ya Friends mixtape last week, making sure his fans do just that as his fanbase continues to grow…

  • January 30, 2012 - 2:00 PM
  • 21 Comments
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Cleveland, Ohio’s Chip Tha Ripper has been quietly carving a niche for himself in hip-hop in recent years. From touring with Kid Cudi to memorable mixtapes like The Cleveland Show, he has steadily been building a following. With the release of his latest mixtape, Tell Ya Friends, already boasting impressive download numbers in the week since its release, the laid back rhymer inches closer to becoming a household name.

Throughout Tell Ya Friends, many of the topics are expected (women, weed), but a combination of catchy beats and hooks elevate the release from being a quick throwaway. Songs like “Passin Out Money” and “Pocket Full” would easily be avoidable if left to another artist’s creation, but Chip chisels them into memorable moments that hold up beyond the first spin. Other cuts like “Boomshakalaka” featuring Bun-B and “Stay Sleep” featuring Krayzie Bone benefit from Chip’s ability to pair up with legends and still have the songs come across as his own. Sometimes younger MCs cater their music to the guests that they’re with, but the Cleveland native remains his own and his guests blend in perfectly.

There are still some drawbacks to the mixtape. The majority of the beats on the 22 tracks are down tempo, and could be passed over by a listener unfamiliar with the catchiness that is embedded within the songs as they build. With a greater variety and more up-tempo beats, it would be nearly impossible to not listen to Tell Ya Friends from start to finish. Plus, the nearly two dozen songs prove to make the tape a bit too lengthy.

With Tell Ya Friends, Chip Tha Ripper is inching closer to being part of rap’s mainstream. From a flow akin to pouring maple syrup, to catchy hooks that rival most of the songs dominating the pop charts today, Chip has the talent to get to where he dreams of being. If he can vary his production a little more and jump on some more up-tempo tracks, he’ll continue to grow. —Matt Wright

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    Northbest  | January 30, 2012 2:11 pm

    I stopped giving a fuck about your reviews when u gave the R.E.D. Album an L. DJ premier listed that as album of the year and its not like that motherfucker doesnt know hip hop or anything

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      coonsoupsuit  | January 30, 2012 3:01 pm

      Sure Dj Premier knows hip hop…but his top 25 of 2011 is really not a solid list, and R.E.D. did not deserve album of the year whatsoever. But again, these are Reviews which mean they are OPINIONATED, so Northbest I don’t think anybody gives a fuck about how you stopped giving a fuck.

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    mulletarse  | January 30, 2012 3:08 pm

    Not sure why you would jump in here with a negative, all-encompassing comment about reviews. The reviews are written by different individuals, as every other site and publication has been doing for eons. By the way, the R.E.D. Album was universally panned as the piece of shit that it was. The Game has been shit since his second album. Premier knows hip-hop, but the only good beat on R.E.D. was his own one. He probably blocked out the rest of the album and only remembered “Born In The Trap.” An L, the Game should have had an S.

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    Northbest  | January 30, 2012 3:08 pm

    It’s just inconsistent, they give gucci mane, future, and 2chainz XL’s. but when an up and coming rapper with an actually good project and actual talent an L. it pisses me off a bit. im just stating my opinion too, thats what the comment section is for

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    mulletarse  | January 30, 2012 3:15 pm

    The problem is that ratings have been a little lax. XXL should do what the Source did back in the early 90′s and be really strict with passing out high ones unless a project deserves them. Is anyone going to check for any of the albums that you mentioned in the future? Probably not, which means none of them deserve XL’s.

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    Rob Forte  | January 30, 2012 3:32 pm

    How in the world did this tape get an L? This tape was fiya

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    Slab juice  | January 30, 2012 5:58 pm

    XXL don’t know shit this was one of the best mixtapes this year

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      Samej Rekoob  | January 31, 2012 12:53 pm

      Hahahaha damn yo for real the “BEST” mixtape!!

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        Samej Rekoob  | January 31, 2012 12:55 pm

        Haven’t listen to it, but i will LMAO since its the “BEST ” out
        #swag @FlyPeopleOnly

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    yeah  | January 31, 2012 11:11 am

    I could give a fuck about R.E.D., that album was garbage, but tape deserves an XL at the least.I love how you retards were guys were on a roll of giving every album an XL even if they were garbage, and now all of a sudden you stop?

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    mulletarse  | January 31, 2012 11:26 am

    I love how people say something deserves an XL at the least. So, this mixtape could possibly deserve a XXL? It deserves to be held as a classic along the lines of Illmatic, Ready to Die, etc.? Stop smoking crack. People won’t check for this tape a month from now.

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      opinions  | January 31, 2012 11:37 am

      That’s why REVIEWS and COMMENTS are OPINIONATED. For some people this is an easy XXL that’s gonna get multiple plays a lot. For others this is a tape you could scan through once and not find much. Personally, this tape was not better then Gift Raps for me even though it is longer. Chip with Features is great but he’s actually in a whole different element on tracks by himself. This tape has some tracks like Soothing and Cactus and Cut it Out that’ll get some heavy plays but nothing on the lines of Jumanji or Plural. I’d give it an XL if I was being NICE, but an L is fairly fitting. Maybe a level higher on the beats OR originality, prob beats doe.

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      alright  | January 31, 2012 7:44 pm

      so i guess you think that 2Chainz True Realigion is along the lines of those classics. They gave it a XL.

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      oh yeah  | January 31, 2012 7:46 pm

      You probably also think Future is the second coming then, you retard, like dude said below, Future received an XL also.

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    Greg  | January 31, 2012 2:06 pm

    If Future got an XL and this got an L… need I say more. #Bullshit

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    Sandra O  | January 31, 2012 10:02 pm

    he’s not inching to be of the mainstream rap, He’s in his own league.

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      Sandra O  | January 31, 2012 10:03 pm

      *****inching closer to be part of mainstream

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