installment 1 #6

Positive Rap

In my last presentation my group and I spoke about rap music and why it was ethically okay to listen to it. We talked about rappers from different decades such as Biggie, from the 90s, Eminem, from the early 2000s, and XXXTentacion, from 2016. Some people were wondering why rap music had to be so negative and angry. I can see where they were coming from with that especially with the artists that we had chosen to speak about. Our argument was that that was the only way they knew how to express it due to their upbringing and being from low SES neighborhoods. But I am here to tell you that there is definitely a thing such as positive rap and rappers. There are many rappers that I would consider to be positive such as Logic, Atlas, Chance the rapper, and many more I am sure. The purpose of this blog is to speak about the evolution of Chance the Rapper and the meaning behind some of his songs from his three different albums.

Chancelor Jonathon Bennett, otherwise known as Chance the Rapper was born in the Southside of Chicago, therefore not the richest part of town. Despite that, Chance has turned himself into being a more positive rapper. In his first album, 10 Day, you can see that he is looking up to the sky. In an interview he had, he spoke about this album cover and what it meant to him. He said that this first album was just about discovery. As in he was excited about fame and fortune and seeing his name in the stars and how his destiny is before him. He was looking up to the rap game and was ready to see what may be lying in store for him. 10 Day was his first mixtape and he wrote it during his 10 day suspension in high school for smoking weed. He spent that time learning how to run concerts, record music, and also market his own album. After all, he is still an unsigned artist and has made it this far. 

You can see how the style and content has changed since growing up. In this 10 Day mixtape, there is a song called “Fuck you Tahm Bout” which translates into “the fuck are you talking about”. And the chorus is basically just him saying that phrase. The whole song is about him talking about his school and being suspended. “Nigga fuck this whole school and everything you tahm bout. Don’t ask me for no id bitch I already signed out. Bitch I been suspended. Bitch I been on timeout”. So you see in this album he is really conforming into the rap game with the explicit verses and seemingly ignorance. But throughout his three albums, you can see him slowly changing.

            In his second mixtape, Acid Rap, he is looking forward.  

He is looking at the rap game. He said that it was a mix of anxiousness, excitement, and fear when you enter the world. He also said that he just liked the title Acid Rap. Supposedly, he did a lot of acid while writing this mixtape.  He has a song on Acid Rap called “Good Ass Intro” and there is a line that says “better than I was the last time baby” so he is gradually getting better and acknowledging that. There is a different song on there called Sunday Candy that is really good. He starts to speak a little about Jesus and praying. So there is a small step into where he is now. But in this mixtape along with the last, he speaks about drugs and whatnot more.

            His newest mixtape is called The Coloring Book and it is by far my favorite. It is so beyond good and he speaks about how he has found God and it is the most admirable thing to see his progress from the first mixtape to the newest one released. The album cover he is looking down so therefore he is basically looking down on the rap game and the future in itself. He was looking down at his daughter when the picture was taken for the mixtape so it is supposed to represent that his priorities now are his family, not just himself anymore.  It is said that it is to represent the future being bigger than just himself. This mixtape is showing that he is more mature now. There are several songs that I want to speak about on this album just because I love them and because they just show the progress he has made as not only as a positive artist but also as person. There is a song on this mixtape called “Blessings”. There are actually two songs on this mixtape called blessings but I am going to speak about the second one. He states “Are you ready for your blessings, are you ready for your miracle”. The feel is really gospel-y as a whole. It just makes me really happy to see and hear that he is so gladly talking about God and his blessings so openly. And in the

 second song that I wanted to speak about is called “Finish Line/Drown”. He says a line, “Last year I got addicted to Xans, started forgetting my name, and started missing my chance”. So he speaks about his addiction and how he was aware of what was happening but later in the song it goes into the other part, Drown. Drown is sort of an excerpt of Finish Line but it is so great. It says thing like “All that was left was his love. Never drown. Where can else can I go but you? I may cry a river but you take each drop and make it new”.

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            It honestly brings me to tears to listen to the mixtape, The Coloring Book, just because you can see his transformation from the beginning so vividly and it is amazing. So from this you should be able to recognize that there is a thing such as positive rap and Chance is one of the best examples to show why.