Hip hop continues to gobble up the space left by receding rock. We're post-positive hip hop - you can just tell the details of your specific experience, humbly, as a lens for broader life, without it being a reactionary act.
Chance just loves music, his friends, and god, and he wants to share that with you,
and you're brought along as a side effect, not as an act of evangelism. The only enemy is the record label, an obstacle to Chance's love, a detail of his lived experience that comes to light.
There's no call to arms, no show of bravado, no earthmoving message. Subjectmatterwise, it has almost nothing to do with the traditions of hip hop. But it works, as folk music, as sharing through song, as a woven glimpse into what is humbly on the man's mind and in his heart.
The small moments (Summer Friends, Smoke Break) are transportive and soothing. The big moments are thrilling (Blessings, Finish Line / Drown / Blessings). Even the more traditional chorus-driven bangers (No Problems, All Night) are important.
I tried to make a mix of all of Chance's awesome gospel tinged work and it didn't work. This album knows what it's doing, stacking hooks against softness against memory against release, flowing downriver and upwards.
It's beautiful record, full of small details, majestic gestures, and perfect pacing. Dude's one of the best going 4.5/5
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