If hip hop had a rule book, one of the first rules that would have to be listed is that you have to be different. Stand out. Bring something new to the table to gain notoriety. Develop and interesting character or persona that hip hop isn't used to seeing. Many rappers throughout the years stuck to this rule and the end result was a successful career. The ones today who follow this rule may very well be on the same path to success. But out of all of them today, no one is quite living up to this rule more than Chance The Rapper. Now not only is this my first time hearing a project from him but this is my first time being introduced to him period. So I really didn't know what to expect before listening to this. Just based on his name and that crazy face he's making on the mixtape cover I thought this would probably sound very different from everything else. Boy was I ever right. This is his sophomore tape Acid Rap. I thought overall this tape was just okay and that's after multiple listens. First of all I must say this tape is appropriately titled because that's what his music sounds like. Acid rap. The entire tape sounds like one big ass acid trip. From his bizarre voice to the strange production. His flow is even so weird and off beat (but yet somehow he makes it work). This sound is so far left that it's hard to even compare him to someone else. No one else has a sound like this. Artists like Kid Cudi, A$AP Rocky and sometimes Schoolboy Q have music somewhat similar but definitely not the same. Chance may just be in a lane all by himself. That said, I'll start with what I liked. The title track "Acid Rap" maybe my favorite on the tape because it's really the only song where he had an actual topic and stayed on it. Throughout this entire tape he really sounds drugged up to the point where his voice sounds whiny like he's crying or something (somewhat Danny Brown like). On this song he's venting about his past but sounds very drugged and emotional. But like I said he makes this voice and flow work somehow and I found myself liking that song. "NaNa" after first listens I thought was a joke. The hook alone was a utter mess. But that quick it grew on me and it got stuck on my head. Plus I enjoyed Action Bronson's dope guest verse. Another song that ended up stuck in my head was "Juice". Again his awkwardly sounding raspy voice made this difficult to listen to at first but I ended up liking it after more listens. "Everybody's Something" kinda had a soulful feel to it with the production. A back-in-the-day like sound. His singing on the hook wasn't even that bad compared to his singing on the rest of the tape. "Favorite Song" wasn't my 'favorite song' but I did enjoy it. The beat was more happier than the rest and it sounds like it may do good as a single. Although I wasn't quite feeling Childish Gambino's verse. I was hoping he would have came harder than that. The beat and hook on "Smoke Again" sounded very A$AP Rocky like. It was enjoyable but again, disappointed with Ab-Soul's verse. Why do I get the feeling some of these guest features held themselves back from really spitting because of the kind of rapper Chance is. I guess they didn't want to murder him on his own shit. Moving on, "Lost" I suppose is his song for the ladies. Don't know if ladies would be turned on by how he sounds on this but the song was okay. The beat is what shined the most. I guess if you like acid tripping with your girlfriend then this song is perfect for y'all. Well...on to what I didn't like. Right when I heard "Good Ass Intro" I got scared immediately. This was a poor, very poor intro. I prayed the rest of the tape didn't sound like this. What made it worst is that he's sound exactly like Lil Wayne when he's RUI (rapping under the influence). But it wasn't until Chance said "please say the rapper" (Wayne says "please say the baby") when I thought he might be just purposely mimicking Wayne. Either way I didn't like the intro at all. The very next track "Pusha Man" had me so confused. First off it's a seven and a half minute track which is quite weird to put as your second track. The song starts off good but then it goes into this awkward ass pause in the middle of the track. It left me saying "what the hell". Little did I know it was two songs in one as it went into I guess an untitled track that was terrible and messed up everything. I don't know what he was trying to do here but whatever it was it didn't work. "Cocoa Butter Kisses" I can tell may grow on me but right now....I don't know. Something about this is rubbing me the wrong way. The outro song "Everything's Good" was everything bad. I know I keep mentioning his awkward flow but this displays it perfectly to the point it was hard to like. He was dragging his words and sounding all slurred. But again, that could be the drugs taking over. Well in conclusion, I think this tape is just okay. You have to have a certain taste in not just hip hop but music to like this I think. I give it a final grade of a C+. I could easily see a lot of people not liking this. He's not lyrical, he's too weird or it may be just too "different" for many people's liking. But again, it all matters what music you're into. This new acid trippy style of hip hop may not be for everybody, but one things for sure is that it's getting stronger. Chance The Rapper may very well be leading the charge. End.
Final Grade: C+
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