Chicago-Based performer Chance The Rapper has recently been displaying why he is so unique from many of today’s rappers: He continues to give back. Dating back to February, Chance has been hosting regular open-mic events sponsored by Young Chicago Authors for high school students to display their lyrical skills. A more recent open-mic night featured guest performances by Chi-town legend Kanye West, along with Vic Mensa. Just yesterday, Chance visited with elementary school students from Chicago’s John Fiske Elementary School and Scammon Elementary School to honor them for receiving the greatest number of points in Chicago’s, “Get Schooled, Get Connected Spring Challenge,” a measure of academic achievement.
Chance has countlessly displayed that he is a man of the people. More recently, fans were expecting him to give back in a different way. For weeks, fans had been eagerly awaiting the release of one of Chance’s newest projects, Surf, produced by Donnie Trumpet, along with Chance’s band, The Social Experiment. After weeks of countless rumors and speculation, the group decided to drop the album late Thursday night on iTunes, and, as if he wasn’t generous enough, for free.
The album, spearheaded by the group’s highly-talented trumpeter Donnie Trumpet, certainly does not disappoint. The album features guest appearances from many notable artists of today, among them Busta Rhymes, Big Sean, Jeremiah, J. Cole, and legendary Erykah Badu.
Most of Chance’s appearances in recent months have been on songs full of life and happiness; Take a listen to his verse on Tokyo’s newest single, “Heaven Only Knows.” His music has been full of passion and excitement, complimented by jazzy live instruments, and smooth, soulful vocals.
Surf is no exception to this. “Slip Slide” welcomes you to the album with strong trumpeting by Donnie, along with a wonderful verse by old-timer Busta Rhymes. Just like all of Chance’s new music, this bright track is sure to be a party favorite, and the repeated line of, “Slip, Slip, Slip, SLIDE!” is quite catchy. “Wanna Be Cool” is Chance’s soulful shout-out to all of those kids who just want to fit-in. This glamorous track, featuring an energetic verse from Big Sean, not only succeeds in its musical craft, but in its message. Chance sings as if he is just one of those aspiring kids sitting in at his open-mic nights.
Donnie shows us just how skilled he can be on “Just Wait,” with upbeat trumpeting patterns. Solo moments on the album such as this truly explain why this is Donnie Trumpet’s album in name. “Warm Enough” is smooth and, as the title suggests, not as hot and heavy as the other tracks on the album. Noname Gypsy teams up once again on a track with Chance, providing her incredibly subtle vocals, and J. Cole cleans it up. “Sunday Candy,” the album’s high point, is full of soul and love. This track, already blowing up, is perfectly balanced between reliable Chance rap verses, and beautiful vocals from the Social Experiment ladies. The song feels magical, and the balance of melodic piano and horns make this track hit deep inside.
Overall, this project is impressive. It’s a truly heartfelt album that brings out the true talents of all of those involved in the Social Experiment. In a time where the rap scene has been heavily dominated by soul-less beats, and obscene and, quite frankly, meaningless lyrics, Chance has shown his willingness to provide the people with music. Music that you can sing to, dance to. Music that speaks of messages of love, self-acceptance, and happiness.
On this project, Donnie Trumpet, Chance The Rapper, and The Social Experiment took out their boogyboards, and surfed on top of the waves of the rap scene’s lacking diversity. Chance continues to amaze with his absolute continuous showing of creativity, and one can only hope that we see more of the Social Experiment.