A Chance At Success (Editorial)

Written by Nick(@RealRadioBlog)

Chicago has long served as the music headquarters for real hip hop lovers everywhere. Put on the map by legendary lyricists like Kanye West, Common, and Lupe Fiasco, Chi-town has been the premier breeding ground for hip hop’s finest. Therefore, it is only natural to look to the Windy City for the future of the industry. Who will be next to blow up and carry the torch? I’d put my money on 19 year old up and comer Chance the Rapper. An air of honesty saturates every line providing a refreshing tone to all his music. A truly distinctive voice and flow coupled with a uniquely creative mind that shines through on tracks like “Brain Cells” and “Long Time” provides a one of a kind experience for the listener. Chance began getting some well-deserved recognition after releasing his debut mixtape, 10 Day, a concept album that sprung from a 10 day high school suspension for ‘weed related’ activities, during which time he began work on the album.

 The tape was eye opening for a lot of people who had been sleeping on Chance. In the wake of his budding success, Chance began working with the likes Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino, a move that proved to be very beneficial to the young emcee’s career.  Through the new found connection, Chance has had the opportunity to tour the country as an opener for Glover. His energetic on-stage presence blends perfectly with Gambino’s high-octane style which resonates with the mostly young fan base at Childish shows. The relationship began when Chance had the opportunity to be featured in “They Don’t Like Me” on Gambino’s Royalty, a mixtape that exploded onto the scene nearly four months ago and has already accumulated over a quarter million downloads on Dat Piff alone. Chance received an email out of the blue saying that Glover wanted to do a song with him. When all was said and done, the track featured a brief introduction from Gambino followed by Chance’s original 16 bars. Chance explained it as “kind of like a dope ass cosign where he just let me have the track.” In an interview with XXL magazine, Chance describes Donald as a mentor and big brother figure. According the Chance, they have continued working together since the tour.

So what’s next for the Chicago native? He says that a major label signing and a debut studio album are in the not-so-distant future. To keep the hungry fans satisfied, however, a sophomore mixtape is on its way, set to drop sometime in November, entitled Acid Rap. So, could Chance the Rapper be the future in a long line of talent and prestige that represent Chicago’s hip hop legacy? He certainly has all the tools to do so. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

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