Ever since Hugo beat Jay-Z’s ’99 Problems’ over the head with a bottle of bourbon and a banjo, I’ve been a sucker for clean covers of dirty RNB songs. So you can imagine my delight when I came across CHET FAKER’s cover of Blackstreet's ‘No Diggity’. ‘No Diggity’ is such a cheeky song that DJ’s were banned from playing it at any of my school dances (oddly enough they were allowed to play Monifah's ‘Touch It’).
CHET FAKER’s crisp cover feels so delicious, where the Blackstreet version is a sweaty grind fest on a packed dance floor, CHET FAKER’s version has a more poolside chillin’ vibe.
It’s no shock that his ingenious cover created an internet whirlwind; bloggers around the world went nuts for the Melbournian's ambient, post-dubstep tunes and punned up name (Chet Faker is a homage to the superbly radical jazz musician Chet Baker; so it’s no surprise when you hear hints of jazz that seep through the electronica).
You can download all of his slick tunes off Soundcloud and I highly recommend jumping on the bandwagon while his music is still free. Ultimately all you really need to know about Mr. Faker is that the boy can sing, produce great beats and most importantly, he knows how to grow a damn decent beard.
His debut EP Thinking In Textures is due out late March, with the first single 'Terms And Conditions' premiering early this week. Check it out (above) 'cos it's freakin' sweet.
Words by Keya Muk.
