The Impact of “Acid Rap”

Welcome back for the finale in our series of Acid Rap columns! Thank you for giving us the diversifying views throughout, and you can see many of your views highlighted in this article, and the others! This last blog examines the profound impact left by Acid Rap in the year since its release. Whether it be Chance, Chicago, or you yourself, the project left an impact as multifaceted as Chano's personality!

Chance the RapperChance evolved throughout the course of Acid Rap, even before it was released. His writing grew from that high school senior who was fueled by his suspension and bitter feelings towards the school system to someone that resembled a more mature and developed figure. He turned into a rapper that could write ever more complex lyrics and speak on more diverse subject matters, varying from Chicago issues to personal thoughts and straight up eruption of bars!

They're both conceptual tapes, but Acid Rap is a little bit more free-form, just a collection of songs. But there's still one cohesive thing about it, something that perpetuates through the tracks ... and that's the questions.Ever since the release back on that final April day, Chance has blown up to a level of epic proportions. After he dropped it, he went on tour with what would later become his band, the Social Experiment. Not only was the tour a massive success, it skyrocketed his popularity

He was recognized by the Average Joe as well as the likes of Justin Bieber, Skrillex, and Lil Wayne, all of which started gathering features from him. He was becoming a hot commodity for festivals, with him booking dates to perform at Coachella, Wireless, Firefly, and many more. The features thrust him into the spotlight of the mainstream sound, allowing him to reach across unfathomable distances for his ever growing fan base

With him going international this summer and a possible project on the way, Chance is preparing to be one of the most influential, and the most distinguishable rapper of his kind!

Switch the Style upWhile many people cite Chano's voice as the biggest stand out from other rappers, his lyrics may be the most outlandish tool in his arsenal. Chance showed he could bounce around on the project, whether it be Chicago's inner city problems, or even his own personal situations. He was able to make each track a unique little poem of sorts, the bars painting a vivid image in our heads

Even if he was a bit abstract with what he did, he accomplished what he set out to achieve, and made one dope project. His lyrics were overflowing with vivid imagery, a manifold of metaphors, deep messages, and a boatload of dope quotes within it! This influenced up and coming rappers to pack tons of wordplay into their own lyrics, and also lead some of them down a newfound path in life

His production squad also put together arguably the greatest project of the year sonically. From jazzy Chi town beats assisted by brass to powerful boom bap beats banging with commanding drums to even the most minimalistic beat patterns, Chano dominated every one of them with his signature flare that he possesses. Not only did he create Social Experiment to bless us, he influenced the Chicago scene to experiment with it's beats to gift it more variety, something the people sure do enjoy

ChicaGOATChance's success has been a breath of fresh air for the Windy City. This breath is more like a tornado, and has single handedly brought massive attention to Chance’s crew, SaveMoney. Deeper than rap, it's family that sets SaveMoney apart from the group's competitors

SaveMoney for me was like a group of young people from Chicago that had a like mind, that were own creative in their own way. We all have something to offer this world, and we all found each other by some grace of god. We all came together and formed something incredible that the world is not really ready for.There has been an exponential number of cases where people are discovering other SaveMoney member’s music simply from listening to Chance. They all take a dive down the rabbit hole of Chicago, with other discoveries ranging from The Village to a snowballing effect occurring for the Drill scene, known for Chief Keef , Fredo Santana, and Lil Bibby among a colossal group of others

Not to mention social media has blasted the Chi to new heights, with various help from Fake Shore Drive, Rap Genius, Illroots, and more. "more light *onto* the still overlooked plague of Chicago inner-city violence and its effects, using the nationwide stage provided by appearances on Arsenio Hall Show and even CNN!

There’s about to be a wave coming up, cause we’re all making moves at the same time, and we’re all coming up at the same general level. I mean, some of us are further along than others , but nobody is that much further along, you know? We’re all on the same boat where people know who we are. We’re not on yet, but we’re all getting there steadily. It’s gonna be really really cool to watch, and I’m just glad that I’m a part of it, you know?Eyes Closed Seeing ArenasChance’s dominance stretches out far beyond Chicago's boundaries. He has become very familiar with artists all across the globe, and in turn it has gifted him a mound of opportunities. From London, to New York, to Cali, he hasn’t batted an eyelash when it comes to spreading his music, even on the most intimidating stages

One of his biggest collaborations thus far is with Justin Bieber on the song “Confident”. The popularity that Chance has received from Acid Rap has given him an opportunity to collaborate with one of the biggest names in the music industry and also one of the largest fan bases in the world. While Chance had Chicago's appeal and was beginning to gain US credibility, an international force like Bieber gave him a wider reach for his message. Not only did tons of teens get acquainted with Chano, millions of others did as well

Bieber helped gain him youth, and Chance was able to earn respect from all rap fans alike when he got to live every rapper's dream: Make a song with one of their lifelong idols. These dreams did come true for him when Lil Wayne asked him to collaborate on Dedication 5 with the track "You Song":

We had just got back in Chicago the day before from Europe, and this was supposed to be our one day off between touring the States and coming back from Europe. That morning I woke up. The first thing I saw was a text from my manager Pat in the morning: “Wayne wants a song for Dedication 5. He needs it in two days.” You can imagine all the stress that I instantly felt on my head, to not only do a perfect song for Wayne, but to have it done that one day, ’cause we were leaving the next day
Bob Your HeadAbove all an artist's goal is to make you feel some type of way. When it's all said and done it's the people that carry on the lasting effects of a project. What we take and let germinate in our minds fuels our imagination to grow at the spectacle he created. At the end of the day Chance not only gave us music that we still bump continuously, it opened up our minds to unthinkable pathways, much like the album's namesake hallucinogen did for Chance

It made us realize that there is no safe side to the world and that the struggle to get a piece of the true American pie is harder than one might think, as Chance brought situations of everyday violence to light on "Paranoia" and "Everybody's Something".It made us appreciate the sights and people around us that complete our lives on "That's Love" and "Good Ass Intro". And who could forget the feels we catch when listening to "Acid Rain", the personal thoughts of a young man dealing with success and his darkest demons in the cellar

The thing that sets him apart is that he was not afraid to be so raw, he was personal. Chance made emotional music that struck a chord with his listeners and helped them out in the long run. Maybe the project inspired someone to make better music, or "Paranoia" gave them a reality track, or the bar from "Acid Rain" made them realize they didn't want to be apart of what the world was becoming

"That's Love" provided a rare bright ray hope mixed with happiness during a dark time, while a track like "NaNa" could make people vibe out like never before. It made an impact on how we go about listening to music, but more importantly it made us reconsider our perspectives on life. It made us think about our lives in every aspect one would deem trivial before, but now see every thought as conceivable. It made us reflective, much like LSD

One last thank you to you guys for your help, comment below about how Acid Rap affected you, and above all, remember...