Acid Rap.
| Chance The Rapper
Acid Rap.
Acid Rap is the second mixtape by American rapper Chance the Rapper. It was released on April 30, 2013, as a free digital download. In July 2013, the album debuted at number 63 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, due to bootleg downloads on iTunes and Amazon not affiliated with the artist. The mixtape has been certified "diamond" on mixtape site Datpiff, for garnering over 1,000,000 downloads. It was rereleased on streaming services on June 21, 2019, alongside his 2012 mixtape 10 Day. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
Barely out of his teens, Chancelor Bennett has transformed himself from a suspended high school student to a much adored Chicago rapper. His second mixtape, Acid Rap, invites elements of classic soul, juke, gospel, blues-rock, drill, acid jazz, house, ragtime scat, and R. Kelly, Twista, and a young Kanye to the same open mic poetry night.
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AV Club
What he’s accomplished with Acid Rap is nothing short of remarkable: Just two years removed from high school, and with no label support, he’s crafted the most assured breakthrough Chicago rap release since The College Dropout.
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PopMatters
Though it’s not a perfect collection of songs, as a coming-out party Acid Rap is pretty impressive. Bennett’s idiosyncratic flow is sure to put some people off and the music’s jazz foundation means that it takes a few listens to fully appreciate. Nonetheless, it’s hard not to see this tape as a ticket to bigger and better things for the MC who’s still nearly a year away from being able to legally drink. If he keeps making music this inventive, charming and occasionally soulful, he’ll surely have a lot to toast to.
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HipHop DX
With Acid Rap, Chance The Rapper does more than simply entertain with poetic quips and a vibrant personality; he sparks a conversation that keeps the listener committed from start to finish. It’s this steadfast conviction that separates him from the current pack of talented yet indistinct peers, and at 20 years old, the Windy City representer should have little trouble building upon what looks to be a breakthrough moment with his latest project. As if he already knows the answer, Chance facetiously ponders, “I hope you love all of my shit.” So far, so good.
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XXL
Ultimately, Acid Rap’s biggest victory is living up to it’s own hype and Chance’s careful packaging of his artistry. There aren’t many 20-year-old rappers in 2013 with enough confidence in their craft to allow a year to go by between releases, let alone completely deliver on the hype built. This thoughtfulness, patience and planning makes for a beautiful, thorough and compelling body of work that may see Chance usurp Chief Keef as the face of their ailing city.
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The Quietus
Acid Rap is by no means without its kinks - 'Favourite Song' and 'NaNa' make for a definite lull to these ears - but the heady Chicago cocktail served up on the tape's other 11 songs paints a splat of vivid colour over the city's newspaper headlines. Even if the brightness is hallucinatory, sometimes it helps to pretend everything's good.
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Fact Magazine
Nevertheless, as a portrait of a city, and a person, Acid Rap is about as good – and as honest – as they come.
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Chicago Tribune
"Acid Rap" is a deeper, more emotionally complex work. Chance spreads the wealth, welcoming peers and inspirations from Twista to BJ the Chicago Kid into his party. But this is his show, a springboard for his versatility as an MC, thinker, improviser and surrealist. Little wonder he's being pursued by a gaggle of record-company suitors, following in the foot-steps of recent Chicago major-label recruits such as Chief Keef, King Louie, Lil Durk, YP, Lil Reese and Young Chop.
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Spin
It may be frustrating to immediately place him in the context of so many other, more established rappers, but the comparisons are there: Chance is a next-to-the-‘hood, good-kid insider/outsider a little too willing to remind you that he’s a good-kid insider/outsider, and that’s pure Kanye and Kendrick. But at just 19, aspiring to compete with such ambitious rap visionaries, and mostly succeeding, is an impressive feat. Call him the anti-Keef, if it’s the only way to make him matter to you. But more importantly, Chance the Rapper is a wide-eyed talent figuring out the world one deeply felt rap song at a time. That’s why he matters.
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Exclaim!
While Acid Rap is laced with production from Jake One, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and Blended Babies, it isn't fully polished, with 30 seconds of dead air on "Pusha Man." However, Chance refines his thoughts and melodic deliveries into a great audible journey. With simple rhyme schemes, by no means is Chance an incredible rapper, but he is true to his artistry, the person he's growing into and is becoming a force in the new age rap realm.
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Now Toronto
While the mixtape features strong guest spots from Ab-Soul, Action Bronson and a rare appearance by veteran Twista, none of them overshadow Chance, whose distinctive drawl, rapid-fire delivery and keen ear for experimental beats – ranging from hometown-grown juke to piano jazz – will have a bunch of labels tripping over themselves to sign him.
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About To Blow
Chance the Rapper has completely lived up to the hype, delivering one of the most flawlessly original and versatile mixtapes around and considering he created this record as a teenager, the future looks incredibly bright for the young Chicago talent.
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Drowned in Sound
Acid Rap succeeds for all the right reasons a mixtape should, finely balancing an idiosyncratic style, taught rhymes, emotional sincerity and rich production. It may have its peaks and troughs - some of the collaborations are undeserving of their prominence (Twista and Childish Gambino's contributions are less welcome than they assume) and there will be those who find Chance's vocal squawk a little too discordant. But as a showcase for the future of hip hop and for Chance's passion and energy - this is a near-flawless performance from an unstoppable talent.
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TA Magazine
In speed, in cadence, in scheme and subject matter, there’s no one else out there that even comes close to Chance the Rapper. The man is peerless. For any hip hop fan hungry for someone to take it to the next level, Chance the Rapper is already here and just waiting to be discovered.
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KZSC
All in all, I highly recommend you take a trip through Acid Rap, and keep a tab on this Bennett kid, ’cause he’s goin’ places.
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Bonus Cut
After listening to Acid Rap, it’s hard not to agree with Lilli K on the introduction when she sings, “Even better than I was the last time, baby.” Chance the Rapper has improved as a rapper over the past year, and provides us with a vivid trip through his thoughts and feelings. Luckily for us, on “Chain Smoker” he lets us know that this isn’t his last work of art: “I ain’t tryna go out at all, got a lot of ideas still to throw out the door.”
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Truants
The mixtape portrays a complex young man who wants to be good and fill the world with the love and peace, but his environment and the expectations placed upon him stand in his way. Ultimately his empathy and optimism overshadow his incidental nastiness. Chance doesn’t seem to know who he is, or who he wants to be, which is a perfectly reasonable place for a 20-year-old poet with a sensitive streak and penchant for psychedelic drugs.
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Los Angeles Times
But, then, so far, after dozens of listens, “Acid Rap” has continued to ascend. With each turn of the loop, more of Chance the Rapper’s exquisite way around a phrase, thought, hallucination or epiphany becomes clearer, revealing itself to be better than it was the last time.
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Planet Ill
Even though he missed the nod from XXL’s 2013 Freshman class, Chance the Rapper is one of the most exciting young artists to emerge in the past couple of years. Comparing the cigarette-toking Chance to the backpack-dawning, pre-College Dropout Kanye West is an obvious but appropriate comparison. It’s also a comparison that Chance is fully aware of, as he uses an interpolation of the John Legend crooning intro of Kanye’s I’m Good mixtape. On the “Good Ass Intro” BJ the Chicago Kid sings: “I’m good, better than the last time baby.” The most exciting part is that Chance IS good, and only going to continue to get better.
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Pursuit of Dopeness
I can’t imagine what it would be like to be a teenaged Rap fan in this era and hearing Acid Rap for the first time, but if it’s anything like it was for me back in ’01 when I discovered The Strokes, this would be one of the most wonderful times of those lives. He may not be the voice of this generation (yet), but to those of us who are witnesses to the development of one of the most promising Chicago artists since Kanye (IMO), this is one ride you can’t afford to miss.
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Elevator Magazine
The 20 year-old’s thirteen track project exhibits a young rap prodigy in the making. Chance showcases his developments as a rapper and musician through his introspective lyricism, musical range, and vocal versatility which provides us with the evidence that he is not just a fluke. Chance draws influences from the sadly forgotten but true Chicago artistry – jazz, soul, and percussion. He is an old soul, in a new school and quite possibly the next big thing to come out of Chicago, since dare I say [Kanye West].
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Vandala
Although these are serious topics, Chance’s playful delivery makes this album enjoyable, sometimes coming off as a cartoon character. This image goes perfectly with the painted album cover. He sweats because he’s paranoid, his tie dyed shirt represents tripping on acid, and the difficulty of hiding the fact that he is smoking or taking drugs as expressed in the song, Cocoa Butter Kisses. The background represents his dark neighborhood. The hazy, psychedelic skies sprinkled with stars and a constellation of himself is like the spacey vibe, self reflecting, larger than life like the track, Everybody’s Something.
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JamSpreader
Acid Rap features the verses from Ab-Soul, Childish Gambino, Action Bronson, and a handful of other names that help round out the mixtape and give it the appearance of a solid hip-hop album to kick off the summer. Give it a listen, or else be the lamest one in your group of friends.
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Pasatiempo
Acid Rap is a love letter to Chicago musical culture and a funeral dirge for its residents killed young.
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Dozens of Donuts
It's Acid Rap's orchestrated commotion that Chance uses to outshine many of his peers. Never had I guessed what I'd expect next. From the Schoolboy Q-like ad-libs, to the DJ scratched ending of some bang-bang-bang's and some skeet-skeet-skeet's. Not to mention the production is top-notch from beginning to end, and about as starkly different as one can get from the current Chicago beat lord Young Chop. It's a breath of fresh air, with a few hiccups. What I can safely say however, is that I'm glad I took the trip.
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Stacks
Chance The Rapper has made himself seem distinguished on Acid Rap. Although many won’t take to his rhyme style or ad-libs, there is a chance that they will respect his charisma and lyrical ability. He also has an ear for diversity in the production he selects. Just making it out of high school, Chance The Rapper looks to be in a prime position to make hip hop a lifelong career move. As long as he keeps making music from the heart, he will be just fine.
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Mr. Hipster
To think this guy is giving this album away for free (probably obligated to do because of the samples, I imagine), is just plain amazing when it’s better than just about 98% of the retail hip-hop albums I’ve heard over the past bunch of years. In fact it seems that most everything good is a mixtape these days. Who the hell is making money in this business anymore? Whatever the case, this is on my favorites of 2013 list for sure. And it’s been quite a while since a rap album has taken that spot. Do yourself a favor and download it.
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Passion of the Weiss
Chance has put viral Chicago – including some of his best friends – on his back, legitimized it to everyone, through sheer irresistibility. You can’t help but enjoy the BJ the Chicago Kid flourishes. Or the squealing ad-libs. Or the gracious Nico Segal trumpet lines.
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WVAU
His delivery is complimented with beats which incorporate an astounding amount of live instrumentation, pulling heavy influence from the genres of old psychedelic and funk records, with the addition of piano and horns being a particularly impactful addition. All of this is to say that, though you may not be getting too “deep” or “real” with the content of Acid Rap, what’s here is a personal, relatable, and, most importantly, fun and lively release by a rapper who can only go up from here.
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Jonk Music
Acid Rap will undoubtedly become a summer hit, with fans endlessly quoting Chance’s hilarious quips. Lines such as “Dang dang dang, skeet skeet skeet / she do that shit for three retweets” and “Shoulda died yelling YOLO was a lie” instantly become favorites. But the cocky MC delivers more than just a barrage of shit-talking. Chance explores race relations, familial trouble, and his ultimate redemption. At the LP’s end, one can’t help but feel proud for the young Chancellor Bennett.
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