Chance the Rapper’s Best Verses {Yet}

In celebration of Chance the Rapper receiving his first 3 Grammy’s in the mail, let’s take a look at the best verses of the young artist’s career.

First of all, here’s the video that warmed the hearts of over 100,000 people on Wednesday and spurred the writing of this article.

To make this a little easier to discern, I have divided his verses into two categories: Chance’s songs, other artist’s songs that Chance made his own, and special releases. However, they are not in any particular order because tht would be ridiculous.

So, without further ado, here’s the list-to-end-all-lists (until he releases more music)

Chance’s Songs

Sunday Candy

My personal favorite. To all of the grandmas out there.

“I am the thesis of her prayers.
Her nieces and her nephews are just pieces of the layers,
Only ones she love as much as me is Jesus Christ and Taylor.”

“I like my love with a budget, I like my hugs with a scent
You smell like, light, gas, water, electricity, rent
You sound like why the gospel choir got so tired
And his praise is daily basis so I gotta try it.”

Acid Rain

The classic

“As of late, all my verses seem not so verse-y
And all my words just mean controversy
Took the team up off my back, like That’s not your jersey?”

“Funerals for little girls, is that appealing to you?
From your cubicle desktop, what a beautiful view
I think love is beautiful too
Building forts from broken dams, what a hoover could do”

How Great

Making y’all stand up for the Lord

“Devil will win employee of the month by the dozen
’Til one score and three years
From the third when he doesn’t”

“Shabach barak, edify
Electrify the enemy like Hedwig till he petrified
Any petty Peter Petigrew could get the pesticide”

Blessings (Reprise)

aaaaaaaaaaaaare you ready?

“Found warmth in a Black queen for when I get cold
Like Nat King, I’m doing the dad thing
I speak of wondrous unfamiliar lessons from childhood
Make you remember how to smile good”

“The people’s champ must be everything the people can’t be
I’m getting artsy-fartsy, house full of some Hebru Brantleys
You must’ve missed the come up, I must be all I can be
Call me Mister Mufasa, I had to master stampedes”

Brain Cells

This is like a time capsule into Chance’s past

“But I’m a let the bull pass like matadors
Versus a Minotaur
Verse is a metaphor”

“Ain’t no questions hit it vividly and pass me
Don’t answer about your problems
Or your issues or your Ashleys
It’s a quarter to imminent, ten minutes to infinite”

Other Artist’s Songs that Chance Made His Own

Ultralight Beam

THE song of 2016, no question about it

“I been this way since Arthur was anteater
Now they wanna hit me with the woo wap, the bam
Tryna snap photos of familia
My daughter look just like Sia, you can’t see her
You can feel the lyrics, the spirit coming in braille
Tubman of the underground, come and follow the trail
I made Sunday Candy, I’m never going to hell
I met Kanye West, I’m never going to fail”

Baby Blue

The one with the iconic music video

“I hope you get a paper cut on your tongue
From a razor in a paper cup
I hope every soda you drink already shaken up
I hope your dreams dry like raisins in the baking sun”

“I hope you never get off Fridays
And you work at a Friday’s that’s always busy on Fridays”

Cold Stares

That one Chance verse that no one really knows about

“Devil whistles in his ear, out of tune
On an empty ass bed, can’t remember how to spoon
Can’t forget how the spoon
Was the bowl for the soup for his arm
When his arm had a cold”

Special Releases

#FirstWorldProblems

Three verses, HELL YES

“I get sad when I look at the stars
They so pretty, you can’t tell ’em apart
You think they close but really we far
And really, they ain’t even that much closer to God”

“Know that the day comin’
Knees bowed, tongues confessin’
The last ones gettin’ first dibs on blessings”

The Other Side

The poem from the NPR tiny desk concert.

You know what? I’m just going to give you guys the whole thing.

I still have keys that are of no use to me,
They used to though.
On the other side was a mansion on a hill,
Complete with LA pools and fireplaces,
And a rim made specifically for people who lie about being six feet to dunk on,
Where a piano was for decoration and an old record player was actually for the hoes,
I was never awakened by the twisting of a door knob,
Benzo’s kissed me goodnight,
The bars finally stopped working,
They used to though.
On the other side was a presidential suite,
Complete with living rooms and empty beds and a rainfall showered fixture and the freedom to smoke big dope,
And smoking fees also,
And the possibility of making a beautiful girl I just met, map out in her mind just how many times her apartment could fit in this room,
If I could just get in.
The card stopped working,
They used to though.
On the other side was a family,
Complete with carpet stains and big loves and “its your turn’s” and toys all over the place
(I almost fell and broke my fucking neck),
And responsibility and refrigerator magnets,
And days on the couch and nights on the couch,
And lines drawn in the sand and comebacks that cross the line,
And a horn line from my favourite make-up song plays,
And just like that, we’ve rehabbed a home,
DeBarge stopped working.
I still have all the keys that are of no use to me
They used to work though.

This piece is dedicated (besides obviously to Chancellor himself) to Adrian Walker, who doubted that I could do this. Here’s proof:

Well, guess what Spooky Journalist? It was possible.