By Jake Dagit
Chicago native Chance the Rapper’s second self-released album/mix tape was released on April 30, 2013—the same date three men were killed and sixteen were wounded in a shooting spree that marked the first warm day in the city of Chicago. Tragically, the warmer weather brings out more violence across the city, and “Acid Rap” is a beautifully tragic documentation of what it’s like for the violence of South Side Chicago to become such an ordinary occurrence. The album is an emotional rollercoaster that vividly paints the bittersweet life of a young black man growing up in one of the most violent places in America.
The song “Pusha Man” exposes the hidden parallels of different drug dealers, one of whom is a fun, bouncy, “pimp-slappin” goon that everyone loves. The Pusha Man represents the happy and exciting feeling that the first warm day of the year gives to any Chicagoan who just endured the long and brutal winter. The song ends with a silence that cleanses the emotional palate in preparation for the hidden track “Paranoia,” an ugly reflection of the Pusha Man that tells the story of a paranoid drifter who sells his drugs armed with a handgun. The hard-hitting chorus loops, “I’ve been riding around with my blunt on my lips/With the sun in my eyes and my gun on my hip/ Paranoia on my mind, got my mind on the fritz/But a lotta niggas dyin’, so my 9 with the shits.”
As a white man who grew up in suburban Kansas, I was subjected to a harsh reality check realizing that “[hating] crowded beaches” and “[hating] the sound of fireworks” is a real concern for those living on the South Side. Safety is a privilege that is taken for granted. Fortunately, most people don’t know what it’s like for mundane things like walking down the street to be lethal.
However Chance’s emotional dynamic doesn’t sit idle on heavy and sad. The emotions climb to a high with “Juice,” a choppy but fun song that satirizes binge-drinking and alcoholism, giving shout-outs to Jack Daniels and Lindsay Lohan. “Favorite Song” brings in Chance’s close friend Childish Gambino to rap about the ritual of singing your favorite song with friends who “hang with you, sip drank with you as long as you like/This shit my favorite song.” The notion of bonding over a good song, even if you “don’t know the words” is extremely relatable and a sure-fire sing-along at house parties.
The mellow beats and feel-good hook of “Everybody’s Something” underscore the importance of community to each individual in our interconnecting stories. “Everybody’s somebody’s everything, I know you right/Nobody’s nothing. That’s right.” Everyone wants to feel special and Chance knows it.
By the end of the album, the artist creates a satisfying symmetry by maintaining the themes from the exciting “Good Ass Intro” in the sentimental “Everything’s Good(Good Ass Outro).” The return of the piano, strings, and bright horns give closure after the enlightening journey through the perspectives he shared with us. The heartfelt conversation between him and his dad on “Everything’s Good” leaves the listener with feelings of hope and affection.
The range of emotions on “Acid Rap” is amplified by the likability of Chicago underdog Chance the Rapper, which leaves him curiously relatable to all of us. While at first his rapping style feels sloppy and annoying, with the signature yelp and persistent “na na na’s,” by the end of the album it’s understood that those quirks are just a part of his personality. The album is organic and authentic, a joy to listen to, even if you wind up shedding a few tears along the way.