At a recent party a friend played songs from Acid Rap and a rush of emotions came flooding back to me. Acid Rap is Chance the Rapper's second mixtape, and was the music that defined my senior year of high school. After discovering this album during winter break I listened to songs from it almost everyday. Despite having a lifelong love of hip-hop I barely explored the indie side of the genre before listening to Chance. Since then my rap horizons have been greatly expanded for the better. Since this blog is meant to explore my personal passions, why not do a track by track breakdown and analysis of one of my most beloved albums of all time.
(If you want to listen to the mixtape as I am discussing it you can find it on Youtube or Soundcloud. Also can be referring to the Genius pages for many of the songs so you can read those here.)
Track 1: Good Ass Intro (ft. BJ The Chicago Kid, Lili K., Kiara Lanier)
The title of the song speaks for itself. It does a great job at introducing the listener to the artist and what is in store in the rest of the album. The immediate punch and energy of the hook hits hard with the lyrics featuring some good wordplay and rhymes that are fun to pick up on, with one of my favorite lines being, "Replay the replays; Green Bay the Packers. Cremate your teammates and freebase the actors." There is also a clever Community reference that I didn't learn about until looking at the song's Genius page. Chance does a great job on the verses as he exudes confidence and joy that is pretty infectious.
Track 2: Pusha Man/Paranoia (ft Nate Fox & Lili K.)
"Pusha Man" is fascinating to examine since it is really two songs-in-one. The first part has Chance talking about the stresses of his life and how he took and sold drugs to get by, but expresses them with a flow and style that is so fast paced that the gravity of it is purposefully not allowed to sink in. The next verse then transitions into talking about how great his sex life is and touts his success in the same way many rappers do. The quick pace of this first half is a natural followup to the mood set by "Good Ass Intro" and touches on some deeper issues, but brushes by them in the pursuit of fun. Then their is silence that signals the transition into the second part, "Paranoia".
Chance comes down off his high and acknowledges the harsh reality surrounding him, with the rampant gun and drug violence that plagues Chicago. Here the beat gets far slower and more intimidating, making the listener uncomfortable. "Paranoia" shows that Chance is capable of being darker and more impactful than he initially presents himself as being. The haunting breakdown and final verse is an amazing showcase of the artist's range and what emotional lows he is willing to explore.
Track 3: Cocoa Butter Kisses (ft. Vic Mensa & Twista)
Warmly reminiscing about the past and realizing that you will not get those days back is a subject matter that can be quite somber, but "Cocoa Butter Kisses" decides to takes a warmer route with a beat that's welcoming and comforts the listener as the rappers express nostalgia for their youth. Songs with multiple guest verses can often lack cohesion as the additional artists tend to not explore the subject matter set up by the lead. However Vic Mensa and Twista's verses stay on topic while also showcasing their own styles. While Chance emphasizes whimsy, Mensa chooses to go harsher with his part and introduces a bridge and alteration on the chorus that adds a nice edge to the piece, and Twista's status as an OG gives his musings about the past a nice bit of weight that sets him apart from the younger artists on the track.
Track 4: Juice
As the first track on the album that features no guest artists "Juice" sets the stage for Chance to show what he can do independently and he leans into it. His flow is tight and he spits some good rhymes, though he relies too heavily on repetition in the second verse. The most interesting aspect lyrically is how often he shouts out his friends, family, fans, and fellow rappers. Though he is proud of his success Chance's active effort to stay humble is a constant theme throughout his work and it makes him pretty likeable. Not an especially deep song but always a fun listen.
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| Chance and Noname Gypsy performing on SNL. |
"Lost" is the most underappreciated track on the mixtape. Chance's choice to portray an unlikable man who feeds his girlfriend's addiction and knowingly takes advantage of her vulnerable emotional state is an surprising move, especially considering how much his likeability was emphasized in previous tracks. Yet he plays the role well with lines like, "Ooh your mama hate me, daddy wouldn't let you. If he ever met me, if he ever met you." and, "So dance for daddy like Gator. Ain't no partner on this trip. And lose yourself in my room. And find yourself in my grip." showcasing just how knowingly destructive he is, yet seemingly remorseless for his words and actions. Noname Gypsy's verse elevates the track as her voice commands such presence while also having vulnerability in her tone and cadence that sells her performance. Its a beautifully dark song that improves with every replay.
Track 6: Everybody's Something (ft. Saba & BJ the Chicago Kid)
Stylistically this track has many similarities to Chance's first mixtape, 10 Day, which emphasized psychedelic,distorted beats and slower flows. This causes it to stand out from the more high energy emphasis most of the album has. This song is beloved by many and I understand why but it left less of an impression on me. It has some quality lyrics but the hopeful of the song doesn't fully land to the coldness of the beat. A hopeful,comforting message is nice but no warmth in its composition leaves an odd impression. It is not bad but fails to be a must listen for me.
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