The emcee Chance The Rapper once called “the greatest of our generation”
Chance The Rapper has been fairly quiet recently and has left many wondering where he is. That said, he is still releasing music and is very much present in hip-hop albeit as an independent artist with a cult following.
Although he was one of the most exciting new artists in the early 2010s, the sudden surge in SoundCloud rappers that began in 2015 drowned out a lot of high-quality music and swept aside many of hip-hop’s finest young creatives.
That said, many of those MCs have been purged from the culture, and fans remember the fantastic projects that Chance The Rapper blessed hip-hop with. Whether it’s Acid Rap or Colouring Book, the Chicago lyricist hasn’t gone anywhere and in fact, has matured and ascended in his music-making.
This year, Chance promised the release of his sophomore project Star Line, but it is yet to be released. However, he blessed fans with many things during the SoundCloud rap era, including the international Black Star Line Festival which he launched alongside his Chicago counterpart Vic Mensa.
As such, it is safe to say he hasn’t gone anywhere, and his cult following still holds strong. That said, during an interview, he once spoke about all the figures who influenced his timeless bodies of work, including Acid Rap, Colouring Book and 10 Day.
During the in-depth discussion alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda who also appeared on the magazine’s front cover, Chance was asked about lyricism and whether MCs should boast about their accomplishments.
Chance admitted that he didn’t think it was necessary for rhymers to seek validation from critics by constantly referencing and highlighting their achievements but insisted no musician should be held responsible for boasting on themselves.
However, he said that in the case of Kanye West it was completely necessary due to his impact on hip-hop culture. As a Black American who grew up in Chicago during the early 2000s, Chance The Rapper detailed how much he loved West and how much he idolised him.
Responding to the initial question, Chance responded, “There’s not really a responsibility at all to tell people of your accomplishments, but I think in Kanye’s situation, it’s Kanye West.”
He continued, “If I was the greatest artist of this generation and a few past generations and a few generations going forward, I would probably say it all the time. Especially if I was black and people didn’t really like me.
He labelled West the “greatest artist of our generation” then continued, “I’d be like ‘Let me remind you all the fuckin’ time’…I think it’s about being a polarising figure. So that 200 years from now when nobody really remembers any of our names, people will talk about him being an asshole and also being great.”
Acid Rap was seen as a trailblazing, iconic project when it was released in 2013, but while speaking with Complex, the Chicago lyricist insisted he doesn’t consider himself anything special, detailing, “I don’t really consider myself a trailblazer. I’m more of just a product of the music versus music industry fight that’s been going on forever…I definitely feel liking I’m racing to write everything that I possibly can. Like Alexander. Talking about hip-hop, it is very much so about the Eminem, 8 Mile, ‘you only got one shot.’”
He finished, “I think everything’s about that because we kind of have been conditioned to understand music as a field where you get discovered or put on…Every shot, when you’re a rapper–You kinda look at every shot as one you’re supposed to take.”