Chance The Rapper's "Acid Rap"

Track-by-Track Review:

Chicago should be excited because it has a lot of talent coming up these days.  Chance The Rapper has seen an unimaginable increase in popularity in the last few months because of the positive feedback from his second mixtape entitled Acid Rap.  In addition to this, he has collaborated with the likes of Lil Wayne and James Blake, gotten a visit from Madonna at a tour stop in Cali, and garnered interest from practically every major record label.

Good *ss Intro- Chance The Rapper begins this mixtape by talking about drugs such as marijuana and LSD, which fits perfectly with the mixtape name.  He displays a boatload of confidence in his rapping and rightfully so.  The piano chords and overall instrumentation here is quite appealing to the ear.

Pusha Man/Paranoia- At first, when you hear Chance whining over the beat with a plethora of “n-n-nahs”, it is easy to become extremely annoyed.  However, when you look past this, you realize that the guy is superbly talented.  The catchy hook before the beat switches up makes the first part of the song very enjoyable.  The song then becomes mellowed as Chance analyzes the negative sides of Chicago.

Cocoa Butter Kisses- In this song, Chance reflects on the times when his mom would kiss him because it gave him a certain comfort and made him feel safe.  This nostalgic song compares his life now to how it used to be.

JUICE- “Juice” represents power and respect, which is what Chance is now attaining.  His status as a rapper is on a steady incline.  He deserves to brag on this track because he is solely responsible for his incredible come-up in the game.

Lost- This is one of those joints that switches the mood up because of its slow feel.  The synthetic hi-hats go crazy in this song while the rest of the percussion is super chill.  This is a soulful masterpiece because of elements such as the piano and the jazz flute.

Everybody’s Something- “Everybody’s Something” is somewhat of an anthem.  This feel-good tune is meant to make people feel like they have something unique to offer and that someone cares for them, even when it does not seem like it.

Interlude (That’s Love)- This interlude is one of the most compelling songs on the mixtape.  Chance The Rapper downplays the significance of things like fame and fortune, and stresses that nothing is more important than family and falling in love.

Favorite Song- “Favorite Song” features a clever verse from Chance’s rap buddy and fellow talent, Childish Gambino.  A straight jam (as the chorus says), this song will make you move with its simplicity and repetition.

NaNa- This song is straight nuts!  Chance raps and makes a number of strange noises and Action Bronson even contributes a verse at the end of the song.  This is definitely the single most obnoxious song on Acid Rap.  It is a personal least-favorite, but I still cannot make myself skip it!

Smoke Again- This opens with a brass section, then a deep voice, and finally Chance sings in his raspy voice to begin the song.  This essentially goes on for the duration of “Smoke Again.”  Ab-Soul joins Chance on this track.

Acid Rain- Here, Chance raps about his life, friends, and his past.  This is his time for reflection as the mood of the mixtape settles and becomes calmer once again.

Chain Smoker- This song is super chill.  Soulful… but chill.  I fell in love with the beat when I checked it out for the first time and I now listen to this song tirelessly.  It is definitely one of the most satisfying jams on the mixtape and it leads smoothly into the outro track.

Everything’s Good (Good *ss Outro)- Just as the intro, the outro is no let down.  Chance talks about his life and how, as the title states, everything’s good.  The trumpets and trombones go crazy near what seems to be the very end.  Then, with the addition of hardly any words, every instrument you can think of floods in and carries the beat to the true end of the mixtape, as you have no choice but to dance.

I have bumped this mixtape more than anything else in the past couple of months and Chance The Rapper has become one of my favorite rappers in the game today.  I got to see him in concert at Miami University’s Brick Street Bar and it was one of the most exciting events because of the ever-soulful music, endless passion, and live instrumentation.  Chance is arguably hip-hop’s hottest and most sought-after young star, so be on the lookout for more great music in the coming year!