Oakland rapper and Sick Wid It Records artist Chippass releases a brand new freestyle video, titled “YangStyle.” In the visual Chippass delivers airtight verses and bulletproof bars, showcasing his verbal prowess over a track produced by acclaimed Bay Area producer DJ Fresh.
“Instead of calling it ‘Freestyle’, I put the ‘Yang’ in front of it, because that’s my clique I represent,” Chippass explains. “We don’t rap regularly. There are punchlines and metaphors. We talk shit. I roast a lot. ‘Yang’ means loyalty, respect, balance, focus, and all of that good shit.”
The new video launches the pre-order for his upcoming Original Yangster 3 EP releasing on June 29th.
Pre-Order Here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/original-yangster-3/1387681997
ABOUT CHIPPASS:
Bay Area rappers speak their own language. For as much as it embraces the slang of the area (a la “Hella”), Oakland hip-hop traditionally relies on wordplay, mic skills, and bars—and it always will. Chippass proudly upholds those three hometown tenants on his 2018 debut EP for Sick Wid It Records, Original Yangster III. He punctuates vivid verses with clever quips, unpredictable rhyme schemes, and hard-hitting hooks that practically explode on impact.
It’s best described as his own, “Yang Style.”
“It’s not trendy, but it’s witty,” he explains. “A lot of things influence me. I grew up listening to battle rap. I read a lot. I love movies and sports. I observe the world. I’m rapping about what I see and experience.”
That experience carries through a big screen-worthy story. The son of Oakland “Crack King” Darryl “Lil D” Reed, he hadn’t seen pops in 25 years until President Obama commuted the elder Reed’s sentence as part of a 2015 Presidential Pardon. However, dad’s spirit and love for the music scene rubbed off on Chippass from afar. He went from listening to local favorites like Too $hort, Keak da Sneak, Yukmouth, and 3X Krazy to Big L., Lil Wayne, and Juelz Santana. Along the way, he subconsciously studied the art form.
Attending high school alongside Lil B, he can recall critiquing early rhymes from “The BasedGod” before picking up a mic himself in NHT Boyz. The buzzing group made an impact in Northern California and landed national acclaim from The FADER but disbanded as “friends started getting sent to jail, quitting, or dying.”
“Even when it ended, I wasn’t going to stop though,” he continues. “I went crazy and full-fledged into rap solo in 2013.”
Among a prolific series of mixtapes, he dropped the frequently downloaded Original Yangster and Original Yangster II, joined IamSu! on tour, collaborated with everyone from Marc E. Bassy to Mozzy, and caught the attention of E-40 who signed him to Sick Wid It during 2017.
The rap icon recognized a shared work ethic and code of honor.
“I always said, ‘The only guys I’d sign to would be E-40 or Jay-Z’,” he smiles. “My dream came true. I don’t pat myself on the back until the mission is done. 40 liked that. My father’s background, what I was taught, the rules I live by, and how I push myself were something we had in common. Sick Wid It is the perfect home for me.”
In the end, Chippass does Oakland proud by simply being who he is through and through. “My message is, ‘Don’t be a follower’,” he leaves off. “You can watch a person and learn from them—just be yourself. Don’t do sucker shit to get to where you need to go. Respect yourself. Be real, but being real isn’t guns and going to jail. Being real is being yourself.”
