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Tue, 21 May 2013 17:41:01 -0400

Kanye West - “Awesome” (live at the Roseland...

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:32:36 -0400

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J. Cole - Born Sinner Ep. 1

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:42:17 -0400

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Mixtape Review: Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:38:16 -0400

For music fanatics, one of the greatest aspects of appreciating hip-hop is listening to an artist evolve over time, song by song, mixtape by mixtape and eventually album by album. Oftentimes, an artist does not progress and their evolution as a musician plateaus, however, when the opposite happens, it can be a beautiful thing. Chance the Rapper might just be a benefactor of the latter. On April 30^th, Chance dropped his highly anticipated mixtape, Acid Rap. To say that his latest installment is highly anticipated is an understatement as the Chicago Sun Times declared that it is the most waited on project from Chicago since Kanye West’s The College Dropout.Talk about big shoes to fill, that’s like trying to play ball in a pair of Shaq’s sneakers. With all that on the line, does Acid Rap live up to the hype?

Well, let’s put it this way.

If #10Day, Chance’s first full-length mixtape, was a tab of acid for your ear, than Acid Rap is the sheet of LSD that Jimi Hendrix tucked under his bandana. Chance the Rapper, Chicago’s own self-proclaimed admirer of acid, expands tenfold on #10Day. It’s much more than a drug and tobacco filled romp over 13 tracks, it is a journey of Chancelor Bennett’s maturity as both an artist and a young man. Chance often times becomes introspective, reflective and even a little philosophical throughout Acid Rap, which adds depth to his lyrics.

From the “Good Ass Intro” to “Everything’s Good (Good Ass Outro)”, Chance constructs an acoustically cohesive project. Production for Acid Rap was handled by the likes of Peter Cottontale, Cam Osteen, Jake One, Nate Fox and Blended Babies, amongst others. Their collective work transitions well from track to track and the production fits Chance’s unconventional flow and unique sound.

“Good Ass Intro”, which was recently named by Pitchfork as “Best New Track”, makes for a welcoming introduction to the mixtape. The track, which features BJ the Chicago Kid, combines gospel-esque chords with a foot tapping beat and an upbeat section of horns that is nearly irresistible to move to. As a female voice begins by singing “even better than I was the last time, baby,” the energy of the song is positive and this feeling permeates throughout the mixtape, but for as upbeat as the intro is, Chance can quickly change the mood of this album.

The second track, “Pusha Man”, could really be split into two separate songs. The first two verses is a combination of where Chance is at in his life and some Chicago references with some drug raps sprinkled in.

“Ten damn days/ And all I got to show for it is shoes and shows and chauffeurs with road rage/ Still the same damn ad-lib: IGH!, always/ Still gotta let em in, no practice/ Still gotta burner man, no lacking/ Still lotta jams n***a, no Jackson/ No Jordan and we toe-tagging.”

It’s a mellow track and in a small amount of time, Chance covers a lot of subject material. However, as the track continues, both the beat and hook transitions from something fun and light hearted to something a little more somber; the difficulties people face in the Second City.

“They murking kids, they murder kids here/ Why you think they don’t talk about it? They deserted us here/ Where the fuck is Matt Lauer at? Somebody get Katie Couric in here/ Probably scared of all the refugees, look like we had a fucking hurricane here/ They be shooting whether it’s dark or not, I mean the days is pretty dark a lot/ Down here it’s easier to find a gun than it is to find a fucking parking spot.”

It’s a sobering reminder of just how dangerous Chicago is, or should we say, Chiraq. His words carefully craft a frightening realization and his delivery allows us to feel a small piece of his pain.

Much like an actual acid trip, Acid Rap experiences a wide range of themes to ponder and a full spectrum of emotions. For as depressing as the material in “Pusha Man” got, it’s generally a positively whimsical ride.

“Juice”, one of the most recent tracks with a music video, is in a nutshell, the Chance the Rapper experience. Chance posses an energy that flies at you like a haymaker to the face. In “Juice” he combines his quirky delivery with a handful of signature adlibs over a driving bass. “Told you I ain’t worried, I ain’t scared of the booth,” raps Chance. “All you can do is spit a verse of the truth/ Merge the mixture with the purest of the fruits/ And the thirst just the worst, it’s the curse of the juice.”

Chance does not go on a solo trip as he compiles a strong list of features. On “Cocoa Butter Kisses”, he shares his love for tobacco with fellow Chicagoans Vic Mensa and Twista. The smoking doesn’t stop with a pack of Camels as Chance the rapper links up with Ab-Soul for “Smoke Again” to share their love of the wacky tobacky. Childish Gambino is featured on “Favorite Song” and Chance the Rapper finds himself working alongside Action Bronson for “NaNa”. The combination drug enthusiasts Chance and Bam Bam gives us a little over three trippy minutes laced with some great punch lines. The features are well selected, but do not take away from the main attraction, an issue with most mixtapes, but Chance avoids that pitfall.

Youth is a sensitive subject in hip-hop because it can go one of two ways. You either get a prodigy in the making or, well, you get Lil Poopy. Chance the Rapper proves that age is just a number and his talent and potential is not bound by that. It will take quite some time before Acid Raps can be compared to The College Dropout, but in the mean time, it suffices as a great project. Acid Rap will likely end up as one of the best mixtapes to come out this year. Chance the Rapper is on the rise, do yourself a favor and pay attention. Enjoy the trip.

Production: 4/5

Writing/Lyrics: 4/5

Hooks: 3/5

Originality: 5/5

Content: 4/5

Vocals/Delivery: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

Chance The Rapper X Ab-Soul - “Smoke Again”

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:54:49 -0400

Chance The Rapper X Ab-Soul - “Smoke Again”

Chance The Rapper - “NA NA”

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:59:11 -0400

Chance The Rapper - “NA NA”

Drake - “5 AM In Toronto”

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:18:04 -0400

Drake - “5 AM In Toronto”

Tyler, The Creator - “IFHY”

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:31:20 -0400

Tyler, The Creator - “IFHY”

Earl Sweatshirt - Whoa

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 23:43:51 -0400

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A-Po - Don’t Funk Up Our Beats Contest 5 Video Vote For...

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 23:42:04 -0400

A-Po - Don’t Funk Up Our Beats Contest 5 Video

Vote For Him Here https://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/310855/voteable_entries/65462693

Jealousy - The Purist X Danny Brown

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 23:39:18 -0400

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Kendrick Lamar X Drake - “Poetic Justice”

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:07:29 -0500

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Sean Price X Pharoahe Monch - “BBQ Sauce”

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:05:24 -0500

Sean Price X Pharoahe Monch - “BBQ Sauce”

Drake - Started From The Bottom

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 11:19:58 -0500

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Pusha T X Rick Ross - “Millions”

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:31:27 -0500

Pusha T X Rick Ross - “Millions”

Juicy J - She Dancin

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:35:17 -0500

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The Black Opera - “Fxckin Problem”

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 19:20:40 -0500

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Ab-Soul X Kendrick Lamar - ILLuminate

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The Junction

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A$AP Ferg X A$AP Rocky X French Montana X Trinidad James X...

J. Cole - Born Sinner Ep. 1

Mixtape Review: Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap

Chance The Rapper X Ab-Soul - “Smoke Again”

Chance The Rapper - “NA NA”

Drake - “5 AM In Toronto”

Tyler, The Creator - “IFHY”

Earl Sweatshirt - Whoa

A-Po - Don’t Funk Up Our Beats Contest 5 Video Vote For...

Jealousy - The Purist X Danny Brown

Kendrick Lamar X Drake - “Poetic Justice”

Sean Price X Pharoahe Monch - “BBQ Sauce”

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Juicy J - She Dancin

The Black Opera - “Fxckin Problem”

Smoke DZA X Joey Bada$$ - Gotham Fucking City

Ab-Soul X Kendrick Lamar - ILLuminate