Jon Stojan
Photo Credit: Ronald Charles
Chip Tha Ripper has taken pains to reinvent himself at every turn, having built a massive career and released over a dozen albums and mixtapes. On his latest album, 2023’s The Charles Worth LP, he proves that he still has plenty of creativity in the tank.
Back in 2007, Chip Tha Ripper went on a whirlwind journey of viral fame and overnight international attentionthat he’s still, to this day, trying to understand.
During an appearance on PrettyBoy Floyd’s Street Starz Radio that year, the Cleveland rapper performed a freestyle, arguably the first viral meme of the internet age.
The ‘Interior Crocodile Alligator’ freestyle, as it was later known, became one of those defining moments. The improvised freestyle was jaw-droppingly good, but it was also so surreal that it spawned the word ‘meme-worthy.’ Having grown up on the streets of Cleveland, Chip wasn’t exactly going to turn down the international attention it brought, but he still can’t quite believe it all.
In the post-2007 years, Chip Tha Ripper became one of the most prolific rap artists. He forged a formidable songwriting partnership with fellow Cleveland artist Kid Cudi (this led to the Platinum-certified single ‘Just What I Am’). He also began consistently firing albums and mixtapes.
In 2012, he changed his performing name to King Chip in honor of his music mentor, Hawk, and the fact that his middle name, Jawanzaa, means Leader Warrior’ in Swahili. Cherokee and blackhawk are tribes that form part of Chip’s family. Which is the reason why it was so important for him to change his name during this time. The name change was a significant turning point for Chip, as it gave him the freedom to release some of his best work to date, including a slew of acclaimed albums: Tell Ya Friends (2012), 44108 (2013), CleveLAfornia (2015), and Thornhill(2017).
In late 2017, he reverted to Chip Tha Ripper. And while it wasn’t clear what the exact reason was (he wrote on social media: “Chip Tha Ripper is BACK,” followed by a Cleveland show announcement and a call for his fan to bring some good weed), it’s probably no coincidence that Chip changed his name at the same time as started focusing more on getting back to his roots.
He released the 8-song album, Bonfire, in 2022. It was an excellent album, but there was a sense that fans were waiting for something more – something more extensive.
The Charles Worth LP gave the listeners what they wanted. The album, which came out in November 2023, is a comprehensive, robust, intricate, and intimate look at a man who has navigated an incredible journey over the last 17 years – and come out on the other side with plenty still to say.
The album’s title, The Charles Worth LP, is an essential choice for an artist who has changed his name several times throughout his career. He wanted to remind fans that he’d always be true to who he was and where he came from, no matter what title he adopted.
The Charles Worth LP is a vital album.
Photo Credit: Ronald Charles