Has “Acid Rap” Corroded Over a Decade?

Myles Williams

A decade really has gone by that quickly. As time passes, music gets better with age and Chance the Rapper is no exception to it.

On April 30, 2013, Chance releasedhis highly acclaimed second mixtape “Acid Rap.” The mixtape was released independently as a free digital download and debuted at number 63 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums. The album debuted low due to the fact that the album was downloaded illegally from unofficial websites, but on the mixtape site Datpiff, it’s certified diamond, garnering over 1 million downloads. The mixtape was re-released on June 21, 2019, on listening platforms such as Apple music, Spotify and YouTube music.

The mixtape had 14 songs, which featured a plethora of artists like Noname, Childish Gambino, BJ The Chicago Kid, Vic Mensa, Ab-Soul and others. It infused R&B and rap but with a happy and soothing theme and message.

A few songs that helped bring significance to the mixtape were “Cocoa Butter Kisses”, “Good A** Intro”, “Juice”, “Pusha Man”, “Interlude (That’s Love)” and “Lost”. Each brought a unique beat and flow to each song. Chance is able to rap to such an upbeat tempo despite talking about depressing situations he went through in his youth.

In 2013, the Chicago drill rap movement was on the rise. To drop a mixtape during this movement and for it to do well during this era was truly impressive. It was something new that caught people’s attention.

As years progressed, Chance added two more pieces of work to his discography. He dropped his first official debut album “Coloring Book” on May 13, 2016 exclusively on Apple Music, before making it available to other streaming services on May 27. The album peaked at number eight on US Billboard 200 solely on streams. The album received a lot of praise for being an uplifting gospel rap album that Chance won a grammy for Best Rap Album in 2017. It was the first independent, streaming-only album ever to win a grammy. 

“Coloring Book” had 14 songs that featured Kanye West, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Jamila Woods, Young Thug, Lil Yachty, Future and many other talented artists. Songs Like “No problem,” “Mixtape,” “How Great,” “Juke Jam,” “Blessing” and “Same Drugs” have a methodical melody and when you add on Chance’s rapping, you can feel that. It seemed Chance had grown from his “Acid Rap” days and found peace as he’s gotten older.

Chance’s most recent album “The Big Day” was released on July 26, 2019. This album was based on his marriage in March 2019 and even though the album debuted at number 2 on the US Billboard 200 and was Chance’s highest debut to date, it did not impress fans and critics. The album felt like a regression of all the work that Chance put into his career over the years. It felt like a Pop Rap album more than anything, with features such as Nicki Minaj, DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, Gucci Mane, Lil Durk and Calboy. However, most of these features did not add much to the album. The beats are remedial and generic in a few songs. Even Chance’s wordplay felt childish and simple. “Hot shower” and “Handsome” were decent songs but this album is one that has somewhat blemished his career.

As of right now “Acid Rap” is still one of Chance’s best albums. Although it doesn’t haveany awards, it still holds weight even after a decade, with fans continuing to listen to this timeless classic.

According to a recent Instagram post Chance the Rapper said, “Who wants a show,” in reference to an upcoming 10-year anniversary of “Acid Rap.” The post received over 29 thousand likes and over 1 thousand comments. Even though it’s just a teaser post, fans are excited for when he’ll officially drop the date of the show. It’s safe to assume that listeners will continue to love this album no matter how many years go by. “Acid Rap” will still be considered his best body of work.