Chance The Rapper Shines Again on Late Night With Stephen Colbert
Too many lines to quote, but one of my favorites is "the automatic quarterback that doesn't rap." How many of you played those playground football games with auto-QB? That brought back some memories...
But to the main point, Chance has kind of made it a habit of taking new material to live television. Last night he did it again, going back to old friend and collaborator Stephen Colbert and "The Late Show".
Chance performed a new and as yet untitled song last night, and was joined by Daniel Caesar on vocals and guitar (along with Nico, Stix, and Peter Cottontale from SOX, as well as background vocalists). The new song is very deserving of a breakdown, and I feel will continue to reveal its meaning with continued listens.
On surface, and after a couple listens, I believe the overarching theme to be the sacrifices Chance has had to make in order to achieve success as an artist. At one point, the dream of success and stardom was far off, and the sacrifices may have seemed small or absolutely necessary and wanted. In the second verse, he references skipping his prom, something he did to perform at former street wear store, AKIN.
While missing high school dances is significant, it pales in comparison to leaving your daughter for tour, being asked for autographs at church, and losing time with friends and families. The demands are intense. And it is clear that there is burnout and times of exhaustion. One of the earliest lines in the record sees Chance admit that he needs a nap.
But what I also hear in the song is a continued determination, not just on the quest to stardom but in fighting for justices and the importance of the community work that Chance has taken up. We can't just use our couches as safety nets. Throughout the hook, Chance puts his feelings of burnout in perspective of other issues - First World Problems as he sings in the refrain. The continued battle against police brutality, school funding, gay rights definitely put over eager autograph seekers in perspective.
The performance was dope, and I am looking forward to digging further into the new song.
Before the performance, Chance also talked to Colbert about Social Works and the Second Chance Fund, which he announced at the beginning of September. The fund will be giving money to specific public schools and help with initiatives in art, music, science, and math. He also talked about his faith, organizing and action over politics, and disclosed that he wrote the new record on Saturday. Originally he was going to perform "Grown Ass Kid", but had to switch it up last minute. I think the change worked out well, and I'm looking forward to more new music from Chance. He said he's in the studio cooking up YAMMERS!
Knox Fortune: "24 Hours"
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Knox Fortune is preparing to release his debut LP, Paradise, on September 22nd. Ahead of that drop, he has blessed the world with the new jam, "24 Hours". This record feels like it would fit right in with the late 90's alternative scene. Not to say that it sounds dated by any means, in fact, this pretty fucking fresh. And certainly a compliment to what Knox has done within the hip hop scene, working with artists like Joey Purp, Chance The Rapper, and KAMI.
Stream the record above, and look for the full alum 9/22.
Check out these 5 Chicago artists at Lollapalooza. Whitney, Noname, Kweku Collins, The O'My's and Chance The Rapper
Let’s dive into the incredible lineup at this year’s Lollapalooza. Chicago artists came to represent at one of the largest music festivals in the world. The talent to tough but their Chicago breed artist standout in a big way. Below let’s visit five artists that call Chicago their home that you absolutely can’t miss at this year’s Lollapalooza!
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Whitney
Indie-rock band Whitney will represent the Chicago indie scene well. The young band will have the perfect match of blended tunes and heart wrenching lyrics. Their debut album Light Upon the Lake is one of the best pieces of work coming out from Chicago in the past few years. Seeing them rock the stage at Lollapalooza will be a great experience for the young band. It definitely won’t be the last time on the Lollapalooza stage.
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Noname
After an incredible year of appearances at Saturday Night Live, Bronzeville native Noname will be making her Lollapalooza debut. The spoken word artist made the past year her own with her soulful and honest approach to storytelling that we hear in her latest protect, Telefone.
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Kweku Collins
Closed Sessions rapper Kweku Collins will bring his poetry and melodic rap sound to life at Lollapalooza. Making his Lollapalooza debut, the Evanston (close enough) native will represent the young label well. He will be rubbing shoulders with some heavyweight rapper while making a bold appearance at Lollapalooza in his own right.
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The O’ My’s
Rock meets soul back again when the O’ My’s return at Lollapalooza. Showing early support in their career to the likes of Chance The Rapper, the O’ My’s will receive a long overdue warm welcome. Seeing Maceo Haymes taking the stage with Nick Hennessey, Boyang Matsapola, Baron Golden, Erick Mateo will bring the longtime Chicago favorites to new heights. If you haven’t already do yourself a favor and check out their EP, Keeping The Faith.
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Chance The Rapper
This one goes without saying. If you’re from Chicago, you have to come through and support Chicago’s biggest name in the business. Chance The Rapper just a few short years ago performed at the smaller BMI stage. This year, Chance The Rapper will headline August 5 on the main stage expecting his biggest crowd to date.
After a number of incredible accolades for the young 24-year-old artist, Chance The Rapper will bring it all home at Lollapalooza. After his three well deserved Grammy wins, donating over 1 million dollars to the Chicago Public School District and widely praised third released mixtape Coloring Book, Chance’s set will be one to remember for years to come.
4-Day Passes and single day passes are currently sold-out, VIP passes are now at Lollapalooza.com.
Lollapalooza 2017: Chance The Rapper, Arcade Fire, Muse and The Killers to headline Lolla 2017
Lollapalooza 2017 just released it's lineup and it's incredible! Chicago’s biggest music festival returns to Grant Park August 3 – 6, returning as a four-day spectacle.
Four day GA passes went on sale and to no surprise to anyone, sold out a few short hours after release.
Single day tickets are now available but be sure to snag those up as they too will sell out almost immediately.
Headliners Muse, The Killers, Chance The Rapper and Arcade Fire, respectfully all close out the 26th annual Lollapalooza.
Other notable heavyweights include" Lorde, Wiz Khalifa, Run The Jewels, Big Sean, Zeds Dead, Blink -182, Porter Robinson, and Cage the Elephant.
We need some time to digest the return of one of the biggest music festivals. Be sure to check out for an in-depth take on this year’s lineup. We’ll see where it stacks up against previous years.
Single day tickets are available here.
Lollapalooza 2017 lineup
Chance The Rapper drops new visuals for "Same Drugs"
Chance The Rapper turned to Facebook Live to release the premiere music video of “Same Drugs” off of his third mixtape Coloring Book.
“Same Drugs” has Chance in studio filming the first part of his song while being accompanied by a puppet on the piano. The same puppet Chance used for his Magnificent World Coloring Book Tour. Chance walks off mid song and walks off frame. You can view the heartwarming video below.
Same Drugs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be37-T72DNk
Fresh off modeling his new line of “Thank You Obama” clothing line, Chance has many reasons to celebrate.
Chance is currently up for 7 Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Album. Also headlining many festivals across the globe, Chicago’s own Chance The Rapper seems to be taking the world by storm.
Chance is also set to take the stage to perform at the 2017 Grammy Awards.
We last saw chance helping Coloring Book guest D.R.A.M.when he made his last last to Chicago at The Metro.
Vic Mensa performs private show for Summer of Collaboration
Summer of Collaboration presented by AT&T partnered with Vic Mensa for a private show at Chicago's AT&T Michigan Ave store with street photographer Vivian Maier’s.
Maier was street photography’s best kept secret. Maier worked as a nanny in the Chicago suburb North Shore in the late 1990’s. That's where while working she took what would become some of the best street photography.
Maier’s work almost never saw the light of day if it wasn’t for Chicago artist John Maloof. Maloof purchased Maier’s extensive work at an auction. He found an extensive amount of film, negatives, and prints of hundred rolls of film, home movies, and audio tape interviews that all belonged to Maier.
Maloof hosted a presentation going over Maier’s mysterious life and talking about her work and the impact surrounding it. Described as a Mary Poppin’s type, this introverted photographer opened her subjects up in the most beautiful way.
Chicago rapper Vic Mensa when up on stage admired Maloof’s courage and passion for being bold and fearless. Mensa was set to perform only three songs but added an additional for go measure. He performed: 16 Shots, Shades of Blue, There’s Alot Going On, and U Mad.
We recently caught Vic Mensa at The Vic Theater while on his "There’s Alot Going On" Tour. While at the Summer of Collaboration event we witnessed a side of Mensa that most music fans don’t. Pegged as a south side rapper and Kanye West pupil, Mensa is keeping busy with work outside the studio.
Vic Mensa has been politically active when it’s come to personal issues. Vic Mensa participated in the Laquan McDonald demonstrations. He also volunteered at Flint, Michigan during their water crisis. Vic urges young voters to register to vote by offering his latest EP “There’s ALot Going On” for free when they registered to vote.
Vic Mensa made sure his personal efforts were made clear as the Roc Nation rapper treated fans to a stadium caliber performance. With so few attending the private event, from seeing the incredible photographs from Maloof and seeing one of best in the city with Vic Mensa, the Summer of Collaboration was one of the purest ways to end the summer off right.
View our photo gallery of Vic Mensa’s Summer of Collaboration event below!
Vic Mensa’s intimate show at The Vic Theater
Vic Mensa has grown not only in age before our eyes but also in character. Mensa fans witnessed his coloring, playful attitude in Kids These Days to his more critical thinking side in There’s Alot Going On. Mensa definitely has a lot going on.
We caught Mensa at The Vic Theater as he makes his move through his There’s A lot going On tour. Mensa will soon join Justin Bieber on a Europe tour. The Southside rapper is rooted in Chicago which made his show a bit more personal.
We caught Mensa’s incredible performance at Lollapalooza were he used riot police guards to help him magnify the messages in "There’s Alot Going On". Mensa brought the same riot police at The Vic to enhance his bold statements. This was clear with his performance of 16 Shots. Dedicated to Laquan McDonald, 16 Shots depicted McDonald’s senseless killing from the hands of the Chicago Police Department. Mensa brought his to life showcasing an otherwise not talked about issue.
Mensa with an arsenal of support of talented rap peers to choose from, Mensa brought out rising star Joey Purp. Purp joined Mensa in their joint record 773. Another Chicago favorite Purp was met with roars of applause.
Mensa brought it back with his record Down On My Luck. Mensa from his successful debut mixtape Innanetape, has not looked back in classic records. On the tail end of the show Mensa performed UMad, his first major collaboration with Kanye West.
Mensa closed off the night with his record There’s Alot Going On his most personal record to date. With his forthcoming full length album his first since signing with Roc Nation were sure to expect the best from Mensa.
Setlist:
- Danger
- Free Love
- New Bae
- Liquor Locker
- Down On My Luck
- Shades of Blue
- 773 (with Joey Purp)
- Holy Holy
- Wolves
- UMad
- There’s A lot Going On
[Review] Summer Set 2016 brings unforgettable moments
The annual camping festival Summer Set returned for it’s fifth year to Somerset, Wisconsin. Summer Set was a weekend filled of memorable moments.
The camping festival brought out the best in some artist as tents filled the woods and camp grounds with festival goers burning through the three-day festival.
A six hours drive from Chicago, Summer Set brought the same electric and playful atmosphere that were accustomed. With many highlights from the summer coming from local Chicago festivals like Mamby on the Beach, the festival provided one of a kind experiences that made the six-hour drive worth it.
Day 1
The first day was stacked full of incredible performances throughout the day. Festival goers were able to check out early performances from the solid melodic sounds of Mielo. That also included the craziest that is the thrill ride of Porn and Chicken.
Flux Pavillion and Steve Aoki both respectfully, performed their best in recent years. Pavillion, usually a bit shy on the mic, was as vocal as the raving Summer Set crowd. Aoki a stable in electronic music, outdid himself in intensified energy packed set.
Notable performances came from Toronto rapper Tory Lanez. Lanez performed majority on his set in the crowd as dozens of fans rushed under him to hold him up. A true spectacle, Lanez gained many fans the first day due to his wild onstage and in the crowd pleasing antics.
The first night was closed off with Chicago’s favorite Chance The Rapper alongside with The Social Experiment. Seeing the top bill for the first night with other Chicago favorites in The Social Experiment was a real treat. They performed from Chance’s 10 Days, Acid Rap, and Coloring Book. The closing night was transformed into a Chicago listening party. Festival goers also heard records from the band's latest soul filled album“Surf”.
Seeing Chicago’s heavyweight perform a number of times didn’t account in his Summer Set performance. It was like seeing him for the first time as the showcased a number of crowd favorites from “Coloring Book”. Records including No Problem, Blessings, and Summer Friends helped Chance and The Social Experiment cement the first day into a night you couldn’t forget.
