Pion-Ear: Chance the Rapper

Chance the Rapper, or “Chano,” an out-of-the-ordinary rapper from Chicago, is foregoing the traditional route of a mainstream rapper by teaming up with his buds to establish a unique sound in the rap scene that includes a hodgepodge of jazz, soul and rap influences.

Chance represents the lighter side of  the rap game. He’s not the “thug” often associated with rappers these days. Instead, he comes from a household where love was a priority. He attended Jones College Prep High School in suburban Chicago, where he excelled in music classes.

However, he is Chance the Rapper, and a famous rapper at that. He’s not Lil’ Wayne-famous, but he is popular enough to have recorded a song on Lil’ Wayne’s latest mixtape, Dedication 6.

The 21-year-old has held this fame since 2013, when his freebie album Acid Rap exploded across the internet. It was his break-out album, and it got him where he is today.

Acid Rap is an outstanding album with great beats and endless lines of brilliance from Chance. You can hear the eagerness enriched within the smooth beats. Chance was influenced by the ambitiousness of early Kanye West, the syllable-mashing of Eminem and the jazz cadences of West Coast tongue-twisters. Chance was also inspired by the pop legend Michael Jackson, which he told Complex Magazine in a 2013 cover story on the up-and-coming rapper.

As for his new album Surf, which released in October of 2014, his influences are of the Chicago jazz and blues age that swept across the nation in the ‘20s and ‘30s and the positive beats of West. They produce a warm, nostalgic beat that people can chill and relax to. One track on Surf that stood out to me was Home Studio. Lyrics such as, “On a spare with a wax finish, theres a lot of metaphors, you just lack vision,” convey the new upbeat, relaxed sound of Chance the Rapper and The Social Experiment.

With Surf, the listening experience may loop in the opposite direction of Acid Rap. Surf is the sprawling debut by Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, the four-member songwriting and production band that began as Chance’s backup band on his 2013 Acid Rap tour.

What makes Chance special is that he is a part of the band. He is a member just like his drummer or guitarist. He has buried himself into the group setting and has forgone the solo title of Chance the Rapper, now going by Chance the Rapper and The Social Experiment or “Sox” for short.

Chance the Rapper is unique. He doesn’t want to be just another famous rapper and chase riches and fame. He wants to make music for the people. But most importantly, he wants to have fun while doing so and he feels the best route to reach this is by indulging in a group setting.

Chance and his group want to forget about his past fame with Acid Rap. He told Billboard, that he’s “definitely tired of playing Acid Rap.”  He is embarking on a new journey that will intrigue new listeners from all backgrounds. Chance made the right decision here. He did what his heart told him and did what he loves. For that I applaud him and wish him the best of luck in his Social Experiment.