With a genre-bending brand of hip-hop remixes of indie songs, an upbeat tempo and thoughtful lyrics, the rap group Chiddy Bang is an up-and-coming band that appeals to a wide audience base, one that hopefully will turn out for their appearance at NMU on Thursday, April 7, said Stacy Milbourn, president of Northern Arts and Entertainment (NAE).

“We didn’t want to keep doing the same kind of music style. I don’t think we’ve done hip-hop since Ludacris came here,” Milbourn said.

Chiddy Bang, a Philadelphia-based band comprised of producer and disc jockey Xaphoon Jones and emcee Chiddy, gained significant radio play recently with the single “Opposite of Adults,” a remix of the popular MGMT song “Kids.” Because of the band’s growing popularity, this concert gives students a chance to see a band on campus before it becomes big, Milbourn said.

“This is an up-and-coming group that could be really big. Since the band is on the rise, it will be interesting to see them,” she said.

The opportunity to see a new band that is gaining popularity as opposed to an older band that is out of the spotlight is a nice change, said Jeremy Johnson, hip-hop director of Radio X. Johnson has been following Chiddy Bang since he first heard the single “Opposite of Adults,” featured in a TV show.

“This is the best decision NAE has ever made. Chiddy Bang appeals to the most broad audience range out of anyone they could have brought here,” Johnson said.

An energetic indie sound and solid danceable beats set Chiddy Bang apart from their peers, appealing to the casual hip-hop listeners as well as more serious ones, Johnson said. Lyrically, while they have written serious songs, the band is mostly just about having a good time, Johnson said.

“A lot of hip-hop people get angry that their lyrics aren’t as serious as other rappers, but if you get into their original mix tapes it’s a lot deeper,” he said.

Opening for the band will be DJ Rockwell, an artist out of Houston,  preceded by two rap groups from the Marquette area. Marquette’s Finest, one of the groups opening, is a fledgling project by NMU students Brian Williams (Dubs), Torin Tredeau (T-10) and Jacob Durant (JD). While the band has a fair sized local following, Durant hopes that performing on campus will give the band an opportunity to reach out and garner some fans from the NMU community.

“We started out doing little shows. We got a good following doing house parties in Marquette. We’re strong locally, but not too strong on campus,” he said.

Durant has followed Chiddy Bang since the band’s beginnings, and is a fan of their musical style. The opportunity to perform with a band that had the possibility of making it big is a huge opportunity for their own group, Durant said.

“I’ve known about Chiddy Bang for a long time. I’m never going to forget this concert. If we come out of it even with only two new fans, it’s great,” he said.

Also opening will be Cody Stephenson (Codeman), another local hip-hop artist. Stephenson offered part of his slot to Marquette’s Finest, a gesture that characterizes the network of hip-hop musicians in the Upper Peninsula.

“Being a Yooper and a rapper is one of the biggest stereotypes that we can try to break. Everyone in the U.P. is so open to work with each other on music,” Durant said.

Chiddy Bang will be performing in the Vandament Arena. The price of admission is $3 for NMU students and $10 for the general public for standing room and bleacher seating. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.