by Danitha Jones

Emerging hip-hop duo Chiddy Bang, consisting of rapper Chiddy and producer Xaphoon, are set to digitally release The Preview on October 12th. The eight-track album is the prequel to the group’s debut album, The Swelly Life.

“The main purpose of this release is to give our fans some new music while we finish recording our debut album, The Swelly Life. It’s called The Preview because it gives listeners a glimpse of what’s to come on The Swelly Life,” Xaphoon explains.

The former Drexel University students gained popularity in 2008 with the release of their debut mixtape, The Swelly Express. After signing with Parlaphone/Virgin Records, Chiddy Bang experienced success via the release of the MGMT (“Kids”) sampled single “Opposite Of Adults.”

Recorded over the last six months, The Preview contains co-production from Pharell (“The Good Life”) and a feature from Q-Tip (“Here We Go”).

The Swelly Life is set for release in early 2011.

Tracklisting as follows:

The Good Life (co-produced by Pharrell)

Truth

Opposite Of Adults

Here We Go (ft Q-Tip)

All Things Go

Nothing On We

Bad Boy (ft Darwin Deez)

Old Ways

The legendary Motown Records and Universal Music Enterprises are celebrating the famed label’s 50th anniversary with year-long promotions and releases, including a series of online podcasts featuring rare and intimate conversations by many of label’s acclaimed singers, producers, and songwriters.

The first podcast episode featuring Smokey Robinson aired January, 12 2009. New episodes will debut bi-weekly, with segments including: label founder Berry Gordy; Nick Cannon; the late Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops; The New York Times columnist Frank Rich; the Temptations’ Otis Williams and the late Melvin Franklin; Stevie Wonder; Levi Stubbs and Lamont Dozier (of H-D-H fame); KCRW’s Garth Trinidad; Diana Ross; songwriters Pam Sawyer and Marilyn McLeod; hip-hop pioneer and Universal Motown artist Q-Tip; and songwriter/producer Dozier.

Other upcoming segments will include Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, the Commodores, film director Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill), and songwriter Diane Warren.

As part of the year-long celebration, Motown released a 10-CD box set, “Motown: The Complete No. 1’s,” this past December, which included more than 200 classic songs from 50 Motown artists, plus a 100-page photo booklet with rare images and an introduction by Smokey Robinson. 

In addition, the label just released “NOW That’s What I Call Motown!” (January 13, 2009), the latest compilation in the hugely successful “NOW That’s What I Call Music!” series.