Notes on the late Chino XL
And a bunch of tangents
Chino XL has two of my favorite verses of all time. They are both on Sway and Tech’s 1999 compilation This Or That, one on the album’s deep lead single “The Anthem”, and the other on “Three To The Dome” with Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane. It was the backpack era, and all my favorite rap was punchlines about how other dudes suck at rapping. So while This Or That is a well-curated trip through eras and regions, the rando KRS-One verses and an “Ego Tripping” sequel were less exciting to me than Chino saying “you’re a worthless waste of flesh like a fat ass on a nun”. But even 25 years later, he stands out on an album full of classics like “ReWork The Angles” and the “1.9.8.6.” remix1.
I want to talk about “The Anthem” and its ridiculous, CGI-laden video. The pitch for this video was probably “yo I know some dudes that do ill special effects on the computer”, and it was a good pitch. Tech N9ne glows in the dark? Pharoahe Monch is a levitating wizard? Chino is trapped in ice, then can teleport? Eminem goes full Parappa The Rappa? There is a someone breakdancing in every scene. You have to assume every rapper had their own concept. Xzibit may have misunderstood the assignment, as you would think the man who did this steadicam madness would have thought bigger than “it’s me in a big bubble jacket with some brolic dogs”. Kool G. Rap just wanted to show off his many many leather jackets. Regardless, keep in mind rappers were doing “Money For Nothing”-level animated videos into the 2000’s. This did not need to go this hard.
Anyways, Chino had a long strange career, which began with some frustrating years plagued by label fuckery, but eventually saw him carve his own lane. I’m mostly familiar with the early stuff, but that era was eventful. He started out in a rapper/producer duo called Art of Origin with New Jersey house legend Kerri Chandler of all people! Rick Rubin signed them! My favorite rap writer of all time A&R’d Here To Save You All, his first album! He beefed with Tupac over a punchline, and it almost got him killed! Prince maybe got him kicked off his label? Bernie Worrell of P-Funk is his uncle?
I am the wrong one to write an extensively remembrance of Chino XL, as I tapped out when he linked up with Immortal Technique2. This was entirely because I was getting less into anything “underground rap,” and way more into old E-40. But it was cool to see him continue to be a factor as the years passed, linking up with the likes of Bun B and Tech N9ne and eventually signing with an imprint of Universal Latino3. I’m never surprised when rappers become actors, but I would not have expected Chino to show up on Reno 911.
Chino XL passed this weekend at the young age of 50, of undisclosed causes. In 2001, Poetic of proto-Wu-Tang affiliates Gravediggaz died of colon cancer, and I remember someone cheekily pointing out that “at least rappers are living long enough to get cancer instead of getting shot”. That wasn’t cute, but it was also an inaccurate read of the situation: rappers (and their friends, relatives and neighbors) never stopped getting shot4, but hip-hop is 50 years old, and most of its luminaries are in the danger zone for chronic illness. Phife Dawg died from diabetes complications. Ghostface has long struggled with diabetes as well (although his search for treatment did kind of lead to the making of Supreme Clientele) Boosie (also diabetic) beat cancer. Trick Daddy has lupus, while a rare lupus-adjacent disease took J. Dilla. Krayze Bone struggles with sarcoidosis. Freeway needed a kidney transplant. DJ Polo (of Kool G. Rap and DJ Polo) also passed this weekend from an undisclosed illness. Rappin 4-Tay is fighting multiple myeloma, and you can donate to a GoFundMe supporting his treatment. Hip-hop has never come with health insurance or a retirement plan, and membership at the playaz club is small change compared to a full regimen of chemo.
When Poetic died, I considered a wave of rappers with serious health problems. I had this idea that this could be a demonstrable example of how people of color were more susceptible to chronic disease, if those people had a critical mass of fame. I really thought this could be effectively leveraged for messaging about health care disparities. I was younger, dumber and optimistic: 20 years ago we still believed a better world was possible. Now I am older and wiser, and it’s almost funny how naive this was. The purpose of a system is what it does.
We are lucky to still have Rakim, even if he has been ambivalent about putting out music for some two decades now. The father of modern lyricism put out a new album this weekend. It’s about what you would expect, but the sheer breadth of features make it worth a spin. The biggest surprise is B.G., yes “Cash Money Is An Army” B.G., who spent the last 14 years in jail over gun charges5. He sounds triumphant on some ol’ boom-bap in a way that works better than you would have expected. More random but no less notable is the inclusion of X-Raided, a Sacramento legend who spent 26 years locked up for a specious murder6 (for which he still maintains his innocence). But the other thing that stands out about the guest list is the number of rappers who are no longer with us. This isn’t a huge surprise, given how long this has probably been incubating, but it’s still eerie to hear new7 Nipsey, Prodigy, DMX and Fred Da Godson in one place in 2024. The vibe is pretty straight-ahead True School, but there is something “and now they run together, what up son whatever” about it that holds the album together. Rakim broke out in 1986, after all.
That list of features includes Chino XL, who shows up on “Pendulum Swing” along side KXNG Crooked, Canibus and La The Darkman. You don’t need to listen to all 7 minutes8, but his verse is as sharp as ever, making bars/Jon Taffer punchlines and talking about metal airbags. RIP.
I know none of yall have heard either of those songs.
No word on whether he ever put Lin Manuel Miranda in a trash can.
Dude also did a EP with Balthazar Getty?
And, probably more importantly, doing harder drugs (and more of them).
And still legally liable for his lyrics?!?!?
He recorded his second album over the phone from jail, and his third while locked up on a smuggled DAT recorder!
To be fair, some of these might be recycled mixtape joints or something, I do not know!
Canibus is also in vintage form, rapping his ass off about ForEx trading. Somewhere on the album someone says “what’s a piece of metal to a magnet?” but I don’t think it’s here.