Being from Chicago, other residents of the city and I have a certain pride for anyone who comes from our city. We go on about the Obamas; we support Kanye West even through his ridiculous shenanigans. Our love for Chicago-born artists has few limits. Anticipation in Chicago was high after Chance the Rapper’s powerful verse on “Ultralight Beam” on Kanye’s album ‘The Life of Pablo’.
On May 12, Chance released ‘Coloring Book’, which he had previously marketed under the guise of ‘Chance 3’. The first song, ‘All We Got’, is prolific, opening with a strident trumpet line by Nico Segal, a.k.a. Donnie Trumpet, who grew up in Chicago and attended Whitney Young. It also features the talented Chicago Children’s Choir–by featuring artists from his city, Chance expresses his Chicago pride and love for the up-and-coming artists here. Throughout the work, Chance uses Chicago slang like “merch” and references the infamous 79th street and juke joints, giving it a vide unique to the city.
Another theme of the mix tape is love for God and establishing a closer relationship with Him. This is made apparent in the lyrics “I get my word from the sermon/I do not talk to the serpent/That’s the holistic discernment.”(All We Got); songs entitled “Blessings” appear twice on the tape, signifying Chance’s deep feelings of gratitude. This work from Chance is as much about his city roots as about his journey closer to God. This shift was apparent to Chance fans in earlier works. In “Sunday Candy”, he talks of religious journey being heavily influenced by his grandmother.
Chance’s version of church is a decidedly Black one; he talks about moving choirs and samples old school gospel songs. This is a central thread in Chance the Rapper’s recent work, too: he talks about his experience as a young Black man coming up in the city. His plight is a familiar one to boys from Chicago, which is another reason his music is so relatable to Chicago youth and so indicative to our struggle. He says “Clean up the streets, so my daughter could have somewhere to play…It’s too many young angels on the South side/Got us scared to take our grandmamas outside” (Angels). He speaks to the senseless violence in Chicago with a personal touch, a compassionate touch. He does not use harsh rhetoric; instead, he speaks gently of the fear that permeates Chicago neighborhoods, and how he wishes that everyone and their loved ones could live peacefully in his beloved city.
Chance the Rapper’s new mix tape is nuanced, personal, and uplifting. To the many Chicago teens listening, it is a project full of good music that talks about their experience; it is art that imitates their life. It draws on Chance’s experience as a Black man, a Chicagoan, and his deepening relationship with God. It is fantastic;I suggest you give it a listen here . It has a great message.
