Influences: Chance The Rapper
- Jul 2, 2017
- 3 min read
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Though Chance The Rapper is an independent artist, his music depends on influences, both in the rap world and outside, current and past. The fact that he is label-less gives him artistic freedom to pursue the sounds and features he cares about and wants for his music.
Listen to a roundup of Chance's biggest influences on Youtube or Spotify, and keep scrolling to read about the influences in Chance's own words.
1. "All We Got" - Chance The Rapper ft. Kanye West & The Chicago Children's Choir
"All We Got" is quintessential Chance. Here he comes into his own lyrically, mentioning his main influences: Kanye West, his daughter and her mother, and his faith. With the big, brassy instrumentals and choir accompaniment, Chance takes listeners to church. "All We Got," the first song on the Coloring Book album, is a great way to kick off this week's Influences playlist.
2. "Through the Wire" - Kanye West
You can't fully understand Chance until you understand Chicago and its influence on his music. Kanye created one particular Chicago style during his early career: "chipmunk rap." It's Kanye's trademark production style of sampling and pitching up soul vocals, heard here in "Through the Wire."
Chance once told the Chicago Defender that Kanye's College album was his "first real experience with hip hop.”
“When I first heard “Through the Wire” on the radio and right after that, my mom went and bought me College Dropout and then every Kanye West album since then,” he said. “That was the first real music that I called my own. That was a big thing for me. After that, I was able to reach back and find music that I loved that represented me growing up.
In a full-circle moment, the two have teamed up on some of Kanye's "Life of Pablo" tracks: “Ultralight Beam,” “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1,” “Famous,” “Feedback,” and “Waves”.
3. "Faithful" - Common
Common, another Chicago rapper, clearly influenced Chance's lyrical style. In "Faithful," Common often raps about God, about temptations, about life in Chicago, and about political commentary, all seen in his "Faithful" lyrics. Chance mimics the same themes in his lyrics. In "Finish Line," Chance mentions being addicted to Xanax, his love for Chicago, and his baby's mother in a song that's ultimately about going to Heaven.
It's clear that Chance has taken some cues from Common, both directly and indirectly. He sampled "Faithful" in his opening Acid Rap song "Good Ass Intro" (heard at 2:28).
Listen to Common talk about Chance (and a few other Chicago rappers) here.
4. "Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud" - James Brown
Though the influence of James Brown in Chance's music is less clear than Kanye or Common, he is a huge influence nonetheless. The lyrics, the themes, the gospel, the confidence; it's all there.
Chance really came into his own faith on Coloring Book; it is so overtly Christian, it's equally rap as gospel. In a similar way, before "Say It Loud" was released in 1968, Brown had not been involved in the fight for civil rights, according to James Brown's Live at the Apollo by Douglas Wolk. However, this song was a seismic shift in Brown's music and focus.
“I want you to know that I’m a man – a black man – a soul brother,” he declared in his 1968 performance at the Apollo. I feel like Chance would say the same.
5. "Church" by BJ the Chicago Kid
Chance is a product of his Chicago upbringing, so it's no surprise that he's brought up his Chi-town friends with him along the way, arguably his biggest ongoing influences.
Check out Pitckfork's list of Chance The Rapper's inner circle for an inside look at each member.
BJ the Chicago Kid, Noname, Donnie Trumpet, Saba...the list goes on. But one thing is for sure; Chance is simultaneously seeking and providing influence in the rap world, and will continue to do so for years to come.
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