Chance the Rapper Review

Chance the Rapper Review

By Dylan Farrell

Sometimes in rap, it seems like everyone becomes complacent about the state the game’s in. I mean, moshing around to some French Montana or A$AP Ferg is fun and all, but it does make one yearn for the days when hip hop was much more scholarly, artistic and, truthfully, just more real. Thankfully for us, 19 year old Chicagoan Chance the Rapper has worked to fill this void. In April of 2013, Chance released the critically acclaimed mixtape Acid Rap and has been busy since then. From collaborating with British producer James Blake to opening for Mac Miller and Earl Sweatshirt, Chance has come a long way in a remarkably short period of time.

On November 6^th, Chance and his crew ventured to Syracuse University as part of his first headlining tour, which was titled the “Social Experiment Tour”. This was not the first time I’ve seen Chance perform live. In 2012, I was able to catch him open for both MMG’s Stalley and Childish Gambino. Both sets were certainly enjoyable, but neither compared to the performance he put on in Cuse.

When Chance literally ran onto the stage at the beginning of his set, it was immediately apparent that we were dealing with a much more mature and confident artist up on stage. Starting off the hour long show was “Good Ass Intro”. One of my personal favorites off Acid Rap, the songs juke and soul oriented beat was the perfect way to get the crowd pumped.

Next up was “Brain Cells”, the only song performed off 10 Day. As a long time Chance fan, it was exciting to hear this live since this was a cut off 10 Day that proved Chance was destined to be not just another rapper. It’s one of his most introspective tracks, hitting on topics such as drug abuse, Chicago violence, and racism in a hauntingly beautiful and honest manner.

About four songs in, Chance left the stage and the lights dimmed. Soon, a full band took the stage. This was the “Experiment” part of the tour, Chance told the crowd. Personally, I’m biased to love rappers who perform with a full band (i.e. Childish Gambino and Nas) so I immediately knew that the crowd and I were in for a treat.

Since the majority of production on Acid Rap has elements of jazz and R&B, there was no doubt that the sound of a live band jamming along with the raps would be anything but a success. “Everybody’s Something” was the first song performed with a band in tow and, for me, it was the highlight of the evening. Definitely one of the more cathartic and relaxing songs off Acid Rap, it was the song in which Chance seemed the most invested into making sure the audience truly felt an emotional impact.

One of the most unique moments however, and one that hipster music mecca Pitchfork would write about the next day, was Chance’s cover of Coldplay’s “Fix You”. While I may not be the biggest of Coldplay fans, I can honestly say that Chris Martin himself would have been proud of Chance’s stripped down version of this song. Not only did it highlight his vocal abilities, but showed that Chance wasn’t afraid to experiment and push the boundaries of a rap show.

The rest of the set was a showcase of Acid Rap songs and also Chance’s ability to quickly transition from slower songs (such as Lost and Paranoia) to club bangers (Smoke Again and Favorite Song) seamlessly.

It will be interesting to see where Chance goes from here. Whether or not he gets signed to a major label is still to be determined, but there is one thing I think all of us fans can count on. Chance will keep on growing and making music that is honest, relatable, and straight up fun. It’s what hip hop needs right now and there’s no doubt Chance will work tirelessly to give it to us.

 

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Chance the rapper, Music, rap, review, Reviews