Who is the best-known hip-hop artist in the fictional land of Chub City? Chub C of course. At least that's what it says on the box. Just don't tell Hype. He's the white version of Chub C (a la Eminem). What the hell am I talking about? That's a good question.

Both Chub C and Hype are interactive toy characters called i-Playaz from a company called Jada Toys. i-Playaz connect to any music source including your iPod, CD player, computer or even an old school Sony Walkman. Just plug in an i-Playaz character and play some music. The i-Playaz characters will then dance to the beat and even play your music through a built-in speaker in their heads. There's also an audio output if you want to connect better speakers to your i-Playaz character.

The Bar Test
When I first got Hype in the mail, I was already on my way out and brought the box along with me to a bar down the street. I figured I'd just test him out for this review when I got home. But while I was waiting for some friends to show up, the people at the bar kept asking me what was in the box. I was curious to see what my i-Playaz could do anyway so I took Hype out and set him up on the bar. With his sideways hat and flashy bling, it's no wonder that everyone at the bar started calling him K-Fed, after Britney Spears wannabe hip-hop ex-husband.

So Hype is sitting on the bar and everyone is looking at him and waiting to see what he can do. There's only one problem, the i-Playaz characters require batteries. So after borrowing a screwdriver from the store next door (to open the battery compartment) and buying some AA batteries across the street, Hype was finally functional. Now all we needed was some music. The bartender was kind enough to let me borrow her iPod Mini and we began testing out K-Fed's dance moves. The first couple songs were Nina Simone. Too slow. Then I queued up "Know Your Enemy" by Rage Against the Machine. Perfect. K-Fed, I mean Hype, went crazy to the beat. If you are unfamiliar with the song, it has lots of fast parts as well as some pauses and slower sections. Seeing Hype go crazy during the fast parts and then get dramatically slow for the mellow parts was very funny... especially for a bunch of drunks.

Overall, I found the dancing of the i-Playaz surprisingly sophisticated and well-coordinated. Jada Toys obviously spent a lot of time and research on getting the i-Playaz characters to react well to music.

No Music Source? No Problem.
If you don't have access to an iPod or music source, you can still make Chub C (black) or Hype (white) dance. Just use the beat/scratch buttons in their bling, hat and feet to mix your own jams. If you want to see your i-Playaz character show off some moves, just press the little crystal emblem on his hat and he will enter demo mode.

In this video, Hype is dancing in demo mode on my desk at work (video).

Sound Quality
Don't expect much from the built-in speaker in the heads of the i-Playaz characters. It's a small speaker that's only powered by a few AA batteries. But each i-Playaz characters has audio in and out jacks located behind their legs. Just loop your i-Playaz character through your computer speakers or sound system for a more robust auditory experience.

Other Models
If you don't like Chub C or Hype, Jada Toys also makes a Volkswagen Beetle, called i-Ridez, with similar interaction and functionality as the i-Playaz. Adults will probably prefer the cars over the i-Playaz.

Final Thoughts
Overall, the i-Playaz and i-Ridez are a cute and inexpensive addition to an otherwise boring desk. Young teens will probably find these toys the most fun. Adults will probably opt to keep their i-Playaz and i-Ridez in "lights only" mode. Both the i-Playaz characters have a three-position switch that toggles between the two playback modes (with or without motion) and off. I usually play music all day in my office with iTunes and keep Hype looped through my JBL Encounter speakers [read review] with his motion turned off. Just like in the bar, everyone in my office likes to call Hype, K-Fed, and push his buttons to make him dance. If you know someone who is trying to pull off the K-Fed white hip-hop thing, Hype will bring you and your friends hours of entertainment.

Hype is sitting on top of my PowerMac G5 right now with the motion off and doing a light show to "Ice Ice Baby." Honestly... I think Hype is more talented than K-Fed.

This item is available for purchase from Amazon.com A company called Jada Toys manufactures the i-Playaz. Brainchild of leading die-cast and radio control manufacturer Jada Toys, Chub City was launched in July of 2005 to great fanfare and is currently supported by Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Target , Kmart, and Kay Bee Toys, among others, and is on 11,000 shelves globally. For more information, check out: http://www.jadatoys.com Rating: Requirements: 4 AA batteries, any music source Manufacturer: Jada Toys