Chance’s “Angels”
What are angels? Who are they to Chance the Rapper? Why does he talk about angels? These are all questions that have been in explained in Chance the Rapper’s hit song “Angels”. Chance is a very inspirational artists who believes in God and family, and he uses angels as a representation of the people closest to him including his friends and family. Angels are the good heart souls in the black community who need to be led by males in the community. Chance explains how black men need to step up and stop the violence, and prevent the misconduct that the black community faces. Resistance can come in many forms, which is why Chance uses his song “Angels” as a way to communicate to the public his opinion, and what the black community needs to do to make a change.
Right off the bat of the song “Angels” Chance raps about being a traditional leader in Chicago , and also explains how other important figures like celebrities, politicians, and absent fathers fail to give back to the community. Chance says “I got my city doing front flips, When every father, mayor, rapper jump ship”. The reason these first two lines are crucial are due to the fact that Chance is not essentially talking about himself, but instead confronting the men with high power such as celebrities and questioning their decisions to disregard the black community.
In verse 1 lines 4 and 5, Chance is rapping about how he wants to uplift the violent street culture of Chicago, so his daughter can be safe along with other children among the black community. Through a good portion of verse 1 Chance is referencing to other rappers, and how his music impacts other people. One of the most important lines in verse 1 comes at lines 19 and 20 where Chance gives us an incredible use of imagery. Chance starts off with similar pronunciations such as atom and Adam to convey Adam & Eve’s original sin. Some may not know, but Chance released this song on apple music for free, which connects line 20 “I even had Steve giving out apples for free”. These two lines are very important to resistance and the black community because Chance uses incredible imagery, references to the higher power including God himself, and it shows how he is giving back to the community.
One of the great parts about this song is the fact that it is not only Chance expressing himself, and his love for his “angels” but the featured artist Saba mentions religious icons in the Chorus. Saba is also a rapper from Chicago and in his part of the Chorus he wants to make his message clear that being a good person, and standing up for what you believe in is something people should be doing, like wearing your halo on your hat. Towards the end of the song there are five lines that summarize the importance of this song and what it stands for. In lines 10 through 14 in verse 2 Chance talks about how he grew up standing on his tippy toes, meaning children are higher on their toes so the expectation for himself was high at a very young age. Chance has learned so much through the years that he does not want to be just a rapper, but he wants to be a good father to his daughter and be a leader to the Chicago community and it’s youth. In the last lines Chance talks about Kosher and culture, explaining his pure beliefs in himself of being an icon in the recent music culture.
This song “Angels” by Chance the Rapper is a very complex song with many hidden meanings and metaphors included throughout the lyrics. Not only does Chance express his beliefs and influences into this song, but with the addition to Saba, another Chicago rapper, the song has so much more meaning to Chicago’s youth. Angels are the people who make you better, the people who you live by, and that is why Chance calls his friends and family his angels. The reason this song is such a good example of resistance for the black community is due to the fact that Chance and Saba both express their views towards black men and their roles towards society. They explain how these men need to step up in the world, take care of their kids, and give back to the youth instead of being the stereo type the world has given to them. The best form of resistance is when you are most comfortable, and influential in the approach to express your point of view to the world.
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