This mixtape was released on April 30th in 2013. As I said in my review of 10 Day, the day this shit dropped I decided to check it out because the cover was dope af, and I thought Chance The Rapper was a cool name. Well, I didn’t really check it out… I only listened to a little bit of the first track, and then I turnt it the fuck off. So yeah. I wasn’t feelin’ the first track. I don’t really remember why tho. So, a few days after it dropped, I noticed that A LOT of people were talking about it. I’m pretty sure that it’s one of the most critically acclaimed mixtapes of all time. He had kind of a buzz going with 10 Day, but this REALLY put him on the map. I always told myself that I’d come back to this tape, but it just never happened for some reason. Well, I already told y’all the story in my 10 Day review, so I guess I’ll just go ahead and start this shit. I’m expecting this to be dope. He didn’t really reference his drug use—aside from weed—that much on 10 Day, so this might have kind of a different sound. I’m still expecting it to be dope tho.

Track 1: Good Ass Intro (So Good) Feat. BJ The Chicago Kid, Lili K., Kiara Lanier, Peter Cottontale, Will Miller & J.P. Floyd [Prod. Cam, Peter Cottontale & Stefan Ponce]

Honestly, I doubt that I’ll end up liking this. I don’t think my musical preferences have really changed in the last 3 years. Maybe I was trippin’ tho. I only listened to the first 30 or 40 seconds if I’m remembering correctly. Okay, it’s starting now. The vocals on the intro from… Uhhh… I’m guessing that was Lili K? I don’t know who that was, but she sounded decent. Chance is goin’ in now. He already sounds a lot more energetic and animated than he did on 10 Day. Huh… This is actually kinda good… I think I understand why I didn’t like it before tho. His voice sounds a lot more nasally on this track for some reason… I guess it’s because he has a lot more energy on this track than he did on any of the songs from 10 Day. The production’s really dope. It’s already reminding me of Kanye again. The production kinda sounds like something I would’ve heard on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and he even talks about how he did “a good ass job,” which was the original title for that album. Chance’s voice is kind of annoying on this shit, but other than that I actually fuck with this song. The beat was dope, and Chance did his thing on the verses. I wasn’t blown away by the track, but it was pretty good. This is dope to me. I’m not really sure what all of these features did. I think that was Lili K. singing in the background, and I think I heard BJ The Chicago Kid on the intro, but I have no idea what Peter Cottontale & Kiara Lanier did. I know Will Miller & J.P. Floyd were on the trumpet & trombone respectively. Whatever. It doesn’t really matter. All you need to know is that I actually fuck with this song now. It’s dope. The music video was kinda cool too. I just wish the animation was more fluid… 4/5

Track 2: Pusha Man/Paranoia Feat. Lili K. & Nate Fox (Prod. CEEJ & Nosaj Thing)

Oh shit… This is crazy… I mean, it’s not, but it’s dope af. The beat is really jazzy & smooth, and Chance’s flow is REALLY unorthodox. It’s a lot more unique than it was on 10 Day. The first verse is dope af. This hook from Nate Fox is kinda dumb. I don’t really mind it tho. The second verse was really dope. The subject matter isn’t that interesting to me, but I think he did a good job with it. His flow is so fuckin’ dope. Okay, Pusha Man just ended I guess. It’s dope. There’s a good 30 seconds of silence before Paranoia starts. I could’ve done without that… It’s nothing I can’t fix in GarageBand tho. Oh shit… The beat to Paranoia is fucking incredible. The hook is very dope. Oh my God… Nosaj Thing put his ASS in this beat. This shit is so fuckin’ dope. Chance is rapping about being paranoid because he lives in the hood, and people are dying everyday. The first verse was dope af. This is so good… If I was dangerously high on acid this would probably be one of the greatest songs I’ve ever heard. I love how he just lets the instrumental breathe a little bit before he starts each verse. The second verse is dope af. “They’ll be shooting whether it’s dark or not / I mean, the days is pretty dark a lot / Down here it’s easier to find a gun than it is to find a fucking parking spot.” This song is fucking incredible. Everything from the production to the lyrics to Chance’s flow is on point. The outro verse was fucking incredible too. I definitely fuck with Paranoia. Pusha Man was pretty dope too. Paranoia was better tho. As a whole, this track is dope af. 5/5

Track 3: Cocoa Butter Kisses Feat. Vic Mensa & Twista (Prod. Cam & Peter Cottontale)

This is probably Chance’s most popular song. I always hear people talkin’ about this track whenever Chance’s name is brought up. It’s starting now. This beat is dope af. The hook is pretty good. Chance’s verse at the beginning was very good. The second verse from Vic Mensa was pretty good too. Honestly, to me Vic Mensa basically seems like a trendier, less dope version of Chance The Rapper. I don’t think he’s bad tho. I kinda fuck with him. Not that damn much tho… Of course Twista killed his verse. He definitely had the best verse. Chance & Vic did they thing too tho. I fuck with this song. I don’t think it’s Chance’s best song—or even Acid Rap’s best song, and I’m only on the third track. This track is a lot less interesting to me than the first two. It just feels like a standard Hip Hop song. The other two tracks were a lot more experimental & risky. I still really fuck with this song tho. The intro was a more interesting listen because I didn’t really know what to expect. This was just three verses and a hook over a beat. It’s still really good tho. I actually really like this song. It just didn’t keep me guessing like the first two tracks. It’s dope af tho. 5/5

Track 4: Juice (Prod. Nate Fox)

This beat is very dope. The hook is pretty good. It’s not amazing to me tho. Chance did his thing on the first verse. The second verse was dope af. The hook makes this sound really… I don’t know… I guess accessible? It sounds like some shit that I’d let my son hear. I mean, IF I had a son, I’d let him hear this. That’s all aesthetics tho. The lyrics definitely wouldn’t be appropriate, but this seems like some shit that could appeal to little kids sonically. The third verse was pretty good. I fuck with this song. It’s not amazing to me at all, but I enjoyed it. It’s a tad bit corny, but almost in a good way. Chance is one of those artists who never takes himself too seriously. A Hip Hop purist definitely wouldn’t be able to fuck with this shit. I like it tho. It’s dope to me. 4/5

Track 5: Lost Feat. Noname (Prod. Nate Fox)

This track samples the same song that was at the beginning of Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat by Dr. Dre. The beat is dope af. The way the sample was chopped up at the beginning had me kinda worried, but once the beat finally drops it gets a lot better. It’s smooth as fuck. The hook is great. I guess this is supposed to be the love song for this tape. In other words, this isn’t gonna be for me. I wasn’t really impressed by the first verse… I’m enjoying the song tho. Sonically, this is dope af. The subject matter and lyrics just aren’t doin’ much for me. The second verse from Chance was fine. I wasn’t really in love with Noname’s work on Comfortable by Mick Jenkins, but hopefully she pulls through on this song. Ehh… I guess her verse was fine. It’s just this song I guess. I kinda fuck with this, but I don’t know how much I’ll be coming back to it. I like it tho. It’s dope. 4/5

Track 6: Everybody’s Something Feat. Saba & BJ The Chicago Kid (Prod. DJ Ozone)

What the fuck? Right at the beginning of the song Chance sings “on the mic like it’s a dick.” Ummm… WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ABOUT? Why would you even say that shit? That kinda reminds me of when Biggie said that he’d “suck on your daddy’s dick” on Me & My Bitch—phenomenal song by the way. It’s not really that big of a deal. I know it’s a reference to the sample at the beginning of the track… I just wasn’t expecting it. This beat is dope af. The production on this track sounds a little more old school than the rest of this tape so far. The first verse from Chance was dope af. He had a great diss to bitch ass Fox News towards the end of his verse. “We just aiming back ’cause the cops shot you / Buck buck bang bang, yelling ‘Fuck Fox News.‘” Okay, this hook is dope af. Chance is singing with a little help from BJ The Chicago Kid. It sounds great. The second verse from Chance is fucking incredible. Saba’s on the third verse. He had a pretty decent verse on Slumber by Mick Jenkins, and I think I like his verse here even better. I think Chance’s verses were better, but Saba still did his thing. I really fuck with this song. The music video was actually pretty cool too. This is dope af. 5/5

Track 7: Interlude (That’s Love) [Prod. Ludwig Göransson]

This should be good. I love the work Ludwig’s done with Childish Gambino. The song just ended. It basically starts with a really well written & poetic verse from Chance over what sounds like Gospel inspired production, and then he starts singing “that’s love.” It’s a really sugary love song. It’s not terrible tho. I’m not in love with the Gospel sound, but the verse at the beginning was great, and Chance’s vocals sound pretty good. I just don’t see myself coming back to this. It’s alright. 3/5

Track 8: Favorite Song Feat. Childish Gambino (Prod. Nate Fox)

Wow. I just realized I’ve never done a Childish Gambino review. Hopefully that changes soon. It’s been a long ass time since he released any music. I wonder what he’s workin’ on… Anyway, this beat is pretty good. I’m not blown away tho. Damn. Never mind. I spoke too soon. That bass really makes a huge difference. Chance’s first verse was dope. He fuckin’ snapped on that second verse tho. He used the same rhyme scheme for damn near the entire verse. It was crazy. “Young Rascal Flatts / Young ass kid ass could rap / Fuck all the faculty; tobacco-packing acrobat / Back-to-back packin’ bags back and forth with fifths of Jack and fourths of weed / I’m back to pack on hands with young Cletus to pat my back.” The hook is pretty good. I feel like if any other rapper tried to do this hook it would just come off corny as fuck. Chance has a really lighthearted, playful style tho. I can’t really think of any other rappers who could pull this off aside from MC Ride. Just kidding. Hahaha. Anyway, Gambino’s on the third verse. He did his thing. I’ve definitely heard better verses from him tho. I fuck with this song. I’m not in love with the hook, but the verses were all good. Especially the second verse. This is dope. 4/5

Track 9: NaNa Feat. Action Bronson (Prod. brandUn DeShay)

Hey, whatever happened to brandUn DeShay? Did that goldUn Child project ever come out? Oh. Apparently it came out on November 19th. I had no idea. I honestly forgot all about that motherfucker. This beat is dope. Chance did his thing on the first verse. For some reason I like the hook. I’m 90% sure that I wouldn’t have been able to fuck with this hook 2 years ago. He’s just singing “na na na na na na” in his nasally ass voice, but for some reason I don’t mind it. I guess I’ve just gotten used to his style. The second verse was dope. Action’s about to go in now. HAHAHAHA. He’s singing the same way Chance was singing. That’s awesome. I was not expecting that. The was he just transitioned into regular rapping was dope. This is really fuckin’ dope. This was the best possible song for Action to get on. This song is perfect for him. This shit is goofy as fuck, but I love it. This is dope af to me. Action Bronson killed it. I’m not even that big of a fan of his, but I really liked his feature. This shit is dope af to me. The music video was really dope too. This was the perfect song for Hannibal Buress to direct a video for. Everybody involved with this song did a great job. This is dope af. 5/5

Track 10: Smoke Again Feat. Ab-Soul (Prod. Blended Babies)

This should be good. I love Ab-Soul. Oh shitfuck. This beat is crazy. The hook is really dope too. I usually don’t like pitch shifting at all, but it works pretty well here. This is easily the most mainstream sounding track on the whole tape so far. The first verse from Chance was dope. I’d be lying if I said his melodic delivery didn’t get old by the time it ended tho. The second verse was pretty good. Eeeehhhh… Soulo’s verse… It was kinda… Honestly, his verse was fucking awful. I don’t know what the hell he was doing. I guess this is Ab-Soul when he’s trying to make shallower, more mainstream music. He needs to stop doing that shit. That’s probably the worst Ab-Soul verse I’ve ever heard. This song isn’t very good to me. I don’t think it’s awful, but I don’t think I’d ever wanna hear this again. It’s alright tho. I guess. 3/5

Track 11: Acid Rain (Prod. Jake One)

This beat is fucking incredible. Oh fuck yes. I can already tell that this is the best song on the whole tape so far. “My big homie died young; just turned older than him / I seen it happen, I seen it happen, I see it always / He still be screaming, I see his demons in empty hallways.” Yes. Yes. Yes. The whole song is just one long verse over this somber production. Y’all know I love sad music, so this shit is perfect for me. “Sometimes the truth don’t rhyme / Sometimes the lies get millions of views / Funerals for little girls; is that appealing to you? / From your cubicle desktop / What a beautiful view.” I really don’t know what else to say, other than this:

This shit is dope af. 5/5

Track 12: Chain Smoker (Prod. Nate Fox)

Oh shitfuck. This beat is dope af. Chance’s flow on the first verse is crazy too. The first verse is dope. The hook is good. It could’ve been better, but I like it. Same goes for the bridge. I feel like this would be insane if I was high as fuck, but that applies to most art. I don’t really have much to say about this one. The production was dope af and he did his thing on the two verses. I think the hook and bridge kinda hold it back for me tho. It’s still good. Just not amazing to me. It’s dope tho. 4/5

Track 13: Everything’s Good (Good Ass Outro) [Prod. Cam]

This beat’s pretty good. Chance’s flow on here is weird as fuck. I like it tho. This is a really straightforward song. It opens up with a phone conversation between Chance and his father, and then the verse begins. That’s all it is. It’s just one long verse over a piano driven beat. It’s dope af. The verse is great. His flow, rhyme schemes, and delivery are all on point. The instrumental outro is great too. Will Miller was playin’ the fuck outta that trumpet. The song ends after three minutes and 50 seconds, but then a new outro starts playing, and it’s even better than the first. This beat is crazy. I fuck with this song. This was a great way to close the project. It’s dope af. 5/5

Final Thoughts:

This mixtape is very dope. It’s basically a free album. It’s exactly what I expected it to be: a more polished sequel to 10 Day with better features and a lot more drug references. I kinda wish he had more songs with more mellow production like Nostalgia or Brain Cells. I only really got that on songs like Paranoia & Acid Rain. Those are easily my two favorite songs from this project. I like it when he makes sad music. He does it really well. I did enjoy the goofier shit like Nana & Juice tho. Other than my desire for more of that mellow sound, I really don’t have any consistent problems with this project. I don’t think there are ANY wack songs on here. In fact, I liked every single track on the mixtape. There are just songs that I wasn’t really blown away by. It’s a great mixtape tho. I don’t even feel like I should be calling it a mixtape. The only reason this is classified as a mixtape is because it’s free. It’s a free album. It’s dope. I’m really looking forward to Chance 3. Hopefully it’s even better than this project.

Favorite Song: Paranoia

Least Favorite Song: Smoke Again

Verdict:

86%

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