Chance, the acid rapper, soccer hacky-sacker has blessed fans with the long awaited Surf, the follow-up to his 2013 release Acid Rap. Despite the critical acclaim he received from Acid Rap, which reached number one on the Billboard charts, Chance has remained unsigned and released Surf for free download on iTunes. Acid Rap provided a sound that was nontraditional in a way that embraced the listener. The texture of his vocals and loose rhyming structure bent the ears of millions and provided an unforeseen space among young artists.
In an appropriately unexpected style, Surf is released belonging not to Chance but to Chicago musicians The Social Experiment, presenting Donnie Trumpet as their band leader and Chancelor Bennett himself at the center of it all. Chance flows in and out of tracks to the point in which you feel as if you’re listening to a manifestation of his own lucid dream. The range of musicians featured on the album gives it a broader feel and takes on a far less personal stance than is found on Acid Rap.
One of the album’s most progressive aspects is its recapturing of the link between jazz and hip-hop, which was attempted in the early 90’s by groups such as A Tribe Called Quest and Digable Planets. Much like in Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, the bridge between these two genres is once again explored. This not only shows maturing of Chance as an artist, but also shows promise for the growth of hip-hop as a whole.
Chance made his way to Houston to perform in the annual Free Press Summer Fest a week after the release of Surf. After seeing him perform at Warehouse Live on his Acid Rap tour, where he danced through his entire set and even did a rendition of Coldplay’s “Fix You” with absolutely no introduction, I knew it was not an option to miss out.
Rather than using a DJ, Chance brought Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment with him. His performance consisted mostly of the tried and true crowd pleasers from Acid Rap, although he did an exceptional job incorporating new tracks and getting the crowd involved.
While the new album may be credited to Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, the show shook any doubts of him not being the star. If you haven’t heard the album you can download it on iTunes for free. I guarantee it will make you wonder why you’ve been paying for the other stuff.