The Big Day’s Small Delivery
How Chance the Rapper’s growth over time has slowly but surely pushed me farther away from him
One of my first heroes in rap was Chance the Rapper. He was never my favorite rapper but he felt the most worldly, and by that I mean down to Earth. His 2013 mixtape Acid Rap is in the conversation for one of the best projects of this decade, it’s something I live by. From front to back the tape is masterful. However, the more time passes the more Chance has walked away from this creative space and entered a new one. It’s a place I’m not sure I can follow him.
If you’re reading this you probably know that Chance’s debut album The Big Day released last Friday. Today it‘s sitting atop the Billboard charts this morning and to that I say congratulations. The Big Day revolves around Chance’s current life. He poetically writes about his relationship with God, his wife and much more. Yet the album isn’t really hitting me like his old music does. I think that people are unnecessarily dragging The Big Day but I will say that I think the album is mediocre at best.
“Most of the album feels like Chance couldn’t decide whether he wanted to have a TED Talk about being faithful or if he wanted to take us to a disco party.”
For starters, the album is a bit long. The album clocks in at 1 hour and 17 minutes long. Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly is 1 hour and 19 minutes long and Drake’s Take Care is 1 hour and 27 minutes long. Both projects are widely considered to be classics. While Chance’s previous mixtapes are all under an hour long, the runtime of the album isn’t necessarily the issue I have. My problem is the music isn’t taking me anywhere. For an album to be long and to be masterful there are a couple points I believe it has to hit.
- It has to be sequenced nearly perfect so there are no dull moments throughout the listen.
- It has to take me somewhere, whether it be emotionally or through my imagination, take me on a journey.
- It has to have a good balance of songs. Every song can’t be chill and every song can’t be a banger, the mix between the two is vital.
The Big Day doesn’t hit the first two points for me. I think there’s a good balance of songs but the tempo is a bit weird. Most of the album feels like Chance couldn’t decide whether he wanted to have a TED Talk about being faithful or if he wanted to take us to a disco party. Within this, there are great moments. I think the highlight of the entire album is the 5 song stretch from Do You Remember to I Got You. Hot Shower is an acquired taste, either you love it or you hate it, but nonetheless there are no misses within songs 2 through 6. Those are only 5 songs though, which makes me wish the album was condensed to around 16 records instead of 22 (including skits).
Is it possible for my standard to be higher than most for this project? Most definitely. Let me explain why.
I’ve watched Chance go from local Chicago celebrity to hip-hop superstar, and it’s been bittersweet. The sweetness comes from watching someone I’ve followed since the beginning earn everything they deserve. The bitterness, which I still have yet to fully get over comes from him losing me along the way.
In the three year gap between Acid Rap and Coloring Book Chance gave his fans little insight into his life. The only news that we ever really received was from hip-hop outlets who don’t ever have the full story on an artist’s life. There were teases of new music, a Social Experiment Project, health concerns, his child was born, rumors about a broken relationship and so much more. It left questions, questions that he didn’t have to answer.
When we did hear from him, it was 2016, Chance was a new man. He began the year with one of the best verses of 2016 and it was followed by the critically acclaimed project Coloring Book. While the sound of Coloring Book had more gospel in it, the project still had/has Acid Rap’s soul inside it. Still, even with Acid Rap’s soul, it felt less youthful. It wasn’t anything that bothered me but it was something that all OG Chance fans noticed. In this time period he gained a massive amount of fans, toured the world and threw a music festival in the White Sox’s stadium. To cap it all off Chance was the first independent artist to win a Grammy, taking home 3 golden gramophones in 2017. It was very fun to watch.
Then, once again, Chance disappeared. This time there was more music and he never ventured too far from the public eye. He focused on impacting his home through philanthropy. Notions include fundraising for Chicago Public Schools, beginning an award show for teachers, parents, principals and students who display leadership as well as buying The Chicagoist “to run you racist b****** out of business.” Chance the Philanthropist was on full on display and his city needed it. Fortunately, the break from album to album didn’t feel as long.
Earlier this year he uploaded his first two mixtapes onto streaming services. His marketing for The Big Day is probably the second best album rollout I’ve seen all year (ROTD3 is first). The mixtapes were accompanied by uniquely designed merchandise too. It felt like we were gearing up for an epic release that would be another monumental moment in Chance’s young career.
After living with the album for a week, I can say that I may be more disappointed than some Game of Thrones fans after the show’s series finale. Does it take a week for a person to review an album? I don’t think so. I think albums are made to live with and they must pass the test of time before given a final verdict. However, it’s easy to tell what you like and what you don’t like along with your general feeling about a project upon its release.
Don’t get me wrong, the Chance I once loved is on The Big Day in spurts. I hear him on Do you Remember, We Go High, Roo and Sun Come Down. But it’s not the same, hearing his youth speak in his life is cutting. It reminds me of what used to be and how he’s moved on to a different place now.
I’ve had to come to terms with the realization that Chance has outgrown me. I can’t relate to his music anymore. I think one of the biggest if not the biggest things that fans ask of their artists is to evolve. As an artist, the task is a huge challenge but the great ones can do it. People love(d) Kanye West because he has the ability to recreate himself while staying true to who he is unlike any artist that we’ve ever seen (not lately). Chance was on a similar track. Each project leading up to The Big Day was different from the next, and The Big Day is different too. But sometimes veering off the path isn’t always the best route. We saw this with Drake on Views, J. Cole on 4 Your Eyez Only and although I disagree some may even say Kendrick on To Pimp a Butterfly. Now we’re seeing it with Chance.
It’s sad to say that I’m watching someone who once was the people’s champ become a trampoline for dad jokes and memes. Despite all the twitter users spamming Chance with bad reviews, it doesn’t reflect real life. If it did, Chance wouldn’t be going on a stadium tour. He’s still one of the most successful rappers alive and a groundbreaking independent artist. People also forget that Chance is only 26 and has a lot of room to grow. It’s always great to have an amazing debut album but there are cases where a so-so debut resulted in an incredible sophomore album (i.e. Take Care, I am > I was) so there is hope.
“Home used to feel like an energized older brother who lifted you up even at your lowest moments. Now it feels like a youth minister who’s trying to solve problems you don’t have.”
My memories of the time that has passed are vivid. Chance was once the coolest kid on the playground, a boy wonder. He left in 2013 and returned in 2016 with more spirit. Chicago’s brightest son was more of a man then he’d ever been. The maturity he brought back to the park lured in the world. He had more eyes on him then ever before. After entertaining his new crowd he returned back home. He came back to the park this year. This time I don’t recognize him anymore. The normal pals that he used to roll with aren’t with him. Instead of Noname, Saba and Childish Gambino he’s back with Nicki Minaj and Gucci Mane. There’s nothing wrong with that, he still brought Smino, DaBaby and his brother Taylor Bennett, but most of the songs don’t feel like home. Home used to feel like an energized older brother who lifted you up even at your lowest moments. Now it feels like a youth minister who’s trying to solve problems you don’t have.
This article, essay or whatever you want to call it is not a review. It’s more of a confession. I don’t know Chancellor Bennett, I haven’t met him and I’ve never talked to him. Despite going to his concert the closest interaction I’ve ever had with him is him retweeting a photo of me dressed up as him on Halloween in 2016. I can’t say he’s changed. I think he’s grown more and there’s a possibility that the problem could be me. Maybe I’m not at a point in my life where The Big Day is something that I can repeatedly play. But it doesn’t feel like I’ll go back and say “I missed on this one.”
I’ll conclude with this, on the second record Do You Remember, Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie poses a question.
“Do you remember how when you were younger
The Summer’s all lasted forever?
Days disappeared into months, into years
Hold that feeling forever”
Of course I remember those days when I was young. They’re vividly ingrained into my head because my friends and I were blasting Coloring Book, Acid Rap and 10 Day everywhere. Whether it be in parties, at cookouts, or in headphones it didn’t matter where we were, Chance reminded us of how fun it was to be alive. With The Big Day, we won’t be doing the same thing. We may play the individual songs that we enjoy or the tracks that thump hard in the car but I can guarantee one thing. Until Chicago’s brightest son releases another album, when his music plays one person will always ALWAYS make this next statement. “I miss the old Chance.”
