Home Team • Chandy

Age: Timeless • Neighborhood: Pilsen • Follow: Twitter // SoundCloud

If you've been keeping score of the Chicago rap scene in the last five years in any capacity, then you've probably seen Chandler London's name pop up. Or at least a variation of his name. Previously known as Chando and now going by the moniker Chandy, he is an artist who first appeared on my radar after providing drunk freestyles over Netherfriends production. A member of LOD (with ShowYouSuck, Supa Bwe, and so many others), Chandy grabbed significant attention with his debut solo release, Science of Sleep, which came fully produced by Stefan Ponce.

From there, he went on to release a slew of singles, as well as Ritchie: A Space Odyssey, where he rhymed over Kid Cudi's instrumentals from Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon. Ritchie is yet another moniker that Chandy has crafted, one that turns him into a science fiction space voyager, hovering near Planet Dank in search of love and escape.

On top of the solo material, Chandy gained a great deal of traction within the last year as a member of the quartet Beach Jesus. Releasing an album, an EP, and a fine assortment of singles, the group created a unique element within Chicago that hadn't fully been heard before.

Now, Chandy is stepping back out into the solo limelight. Like how Jaro his Beach brother did yesterday with his La Rouge EP, today Chandy delivers with ULTRAFRAGOLA, a four song EP crafted with help from his friends. With production assistance from Walkingshoe (who produced the lead single “SMURF”) as well as Jaro (of Beach Jesus), SEER (of Beach Jesus), and Chicago producer VZN, the four song EP is a portfolio of Chandy's new sound, new style, new approach to the music scene. Although he's still obsessing over love, loss, and every emotion in between, he's been experimenting with new flows and new production backdrops. Just listen to "SMURF" and you will shake your head in agreement.

With the release of ULTRAFRAGOLA on his birthday, it's only right that we induct Chandy into our Home Team category, as he's someone we've been paying close attention to for quite some time and that won't change any time soon.