[Video] The Save Money Christmas Cypher + New Songs
Few collectives in music had a bigger rise in overall reputation than Chicago's Save Money team. In honor of a 2013 that saw projects from Vic and Chance, as well as Brian Fresco's Mafioso, a Save Money compilation and a steady slew of singles that increasingly unique. In honor of all this and Christmas, some of the team got together for a special cypher video just for the holidays. Joey Purp starts things off before handing off to Kami De Chukwu, Tokyo Shawn and Vic Mensa, who caps off the short video, shot by the girls of Verluxe.
In other Save Money news, we also got new tracks from both Vic Mensa and Dally Auston that can be heard below. Vic's "Crazy" is a lost cut from his 2010 Straight Up EP and was released around Christmas as a loosie single, as is Auston's "Great Gatsby".
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Top Chicago Rappers of 2013
Chicago hip-hop has enjoyed a certain popularity increase over the past couple of years. Where 2012 saw the rise of Chief Keef and "Drill", 2013 brought about a new flavor as listeners from across the country, initially hooked by the drill sound, began to explore the vibrantly eclectic different sides of the city and variety of sounds that make up what is the flourishing Chicago scene today. With seemingly everyone's eyes on the Midwest and so many talented artist rising from the area, we decided to compile a list of the top hip-hop artists from Chicago that had the biggest years in 2013. We based our decisions off of releases, co-signs, shows/tours and general influence throughout to put together who we thought had the best top to bottom 12 month cycles since this time last year. You may not agree with all of our decisions, so let us know in the comments. Without further ado, I give you the Chicago's hip-hop artists that elevated their game the most in 2013.
[Video] Chance The Rapper Performs on Arsenio Hall
Chance The Rapper and co. wrapped up their "Social Experiment Tour" yesterday in Los Angeles with a performance at the Nokia Theater. Before heading there, though, they made a stop at the Arsenio Hall Show where Chance, backed by his band of Peter CottonTale, Nico Segal, Nate Fox and Greg Landfair, and looking fresh to death in custom "Social Experiment" letterman jackets, played their re-arranged live version of "Chain Smoker" off of Acid Rap, which has steadily been making the rounds at the top of nearly everyone's top albums of the year list.
Throughout the performance Chano seemed to be reveling in the moment, soaking in the feeling of having propelled himself to this very point. As Chance closes the book on a historic 2013, his performance on "Arsenio" seemed to be a sort of revelatory moment. Watch the full streaming video below from last night and scroll just a little further for Chance's hilarious interview with Nardwuar while he was on tour in Vancouver.
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Early Chance The Rapper Tracks Discovered
Complex's Kyle Kramer is reporting a swath of mostly unheard Chance The Rapper material that was unearthed via Reddit late last night. The new (old) music is from Chance's high school days at Jones College Prep and after school sessions at YouMedia, the local poetry and spoken word program held at Harold Washington Library in Chicago's South Loop. The center was the breeding ground for much of the music coming out of the city today, including Kids These Days, Donnie Trumpet (Nico Segal), Vic Mensa, NoNameGypsy, Malcolm London, and plenty more. The tracks were recorded as part of Chano's group named Instrumentality and feature early cuts of many of the songs that fans know him by today, including a rough cut of "Nostalgia". Production for many of the tracks, available here below, is handled by close friend Nico Segal, who has been working behind the scenes with the likes of Frank Ocean and Hit Boy recently and should have be reaching listeners collective consciousnesses soon. The projects are titled Good Enough and Back to School Pack, and provide a sketching of the early days of Chano's career, which really weren't all that long ago. With the hometown kid on every publication, blog and website, take a trip back in time when things were a little more calm for Chancellor Bennett.
NoNameGypsy: "Samaritan" (Feat. Mick Jenkins)
NoNameGypsy has been one of my favorite, low-key artists in the city for some time now. From catching her spitting spoken word poetry on a snowy Tuesday to performing rap songs in the midst of cluttered lineup, NoName has always been able to fully and succinctly embody who she is, both as an artist and a person. She has followed her inspired guest verse on Chance The Rapper's track "Lost" off of Acid Rap with a sputtering flow of new music that has kept listeners largely at bay. Today, though, we got "Samaritan", featuring Mick Jenkins. The title is fitting, given the time of the year and onus on "Good Samaritans". Rhyming over 90s-influenced production from Keanen Terrell paces NoName's narrative about not living up to expectations and dealing with the mundane nature of day-to-day life while yearning for something more. Sounding similar to RapSody without as much inflection in her voice, I'm incessantly drawn to NoName's wordplay and its at its best on "Samaritan" when she flows, "You a female rapper, don't rap about that shit, you're supposed to be a bad bitch, or at least a little confident". Check out "Samaritan" below and stay up on RH for more from NoNameGypsy soon.
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[Video] Childish Gambino: "3005" (Official Video)
Childish Gambino has blown up the internet with his latest release, Because the Internet, which dropped last week to voracious listeners and solid early reviews. With the project in the public forum, Gambino, also known as Donald Glover, has begun dropping accompanying visuals for the singles on the album. Last week, he dropped the video of him riding a ferris wheel at a carnival, looking unamused clutching a teddy bear. Over the weekend, Gambino also dropped his surf-inspired video for "The Worst Guys" featuring none other than Chance The Rapper, who very well may be having the best week ever between dropping songs with Justin Bieber and a new track with Vic Mensa, all while stopping down in Miami for the stretch run of the Social Experiment Tour. For "The Worst Guys" it seems all the pair did was have a good time at the beach smoking in the water and whatnot. Check out the video here below and pick up Because The Internet now on iTunes. Also, check out Gambino's new video for "3005", available below as well.
Update: The "The Worst Guys" video was originally available, then only available using the password "12.10.13SIXTY", and now seems to be down once again. We'll keep you posted as the video comes available again.
"3005"
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Justin Bieber "Confident" (Feat. Chance The Rapper)
And the Chance The Rapper news continues. The single with none other than Justin Bieber himself dropped tonight at midnight eastern time. Recorded at a secret location in Los Angeles while on tour earlier this year, it's a markedly pop lean for Chance who nonetheless brings his own unique sound to the Bieber track, spitting a quick verse on the airy song dealing with the ins and outs of being head over heels for a self-assured female. There is supposedly another track on the way, so stay tuned for that. You can stream the track here below and purchase it now on iTunes.
Vic Mensa & Chance The Rapper: "Suitcase"
Photo by Bryan Lamb
It's been one hell of a year for Save Money artists Vic Mensa & Chance The Rapper. Both dropped projects that vaulted each to the forefront of the hip-hop world with individually unique approaches to the art form that have captivated listeners across the country. Last night, the pair dropped a loosie single titled "Suitcase", appropriate given the amount of time each has spent one the road and traveling throughout 2013. The funky beat from Cam Osteen paces the backdrop for Chance's deliberate word play and Vic's silky smooth bars that are reminiscent of the off-kilter futuristic projection theme from his September 30 release Innanetape. On "Suitcase", he rhymes: "What if I was a newlywed, with a newborn of two weeks, and my flight to the UK crashed in the Yukon, and I woke up on a distant beach, with a peach in my mouth, sand in my hair and no shoes on-where am I?" Chance picks things up, singing the chorus of "Hit The Road Jack" in his nasally, whispering voice. As the most recent track since the longtime friends got together on "Tweakin'" off Innanaetape, it provides a solid platform from which each shows what they do best. Chance has gotten well-acquainted with his suitcase over the past two months while out on his headlining "Social Experiment" tour, and Vic will pack his bags soon for a tour with Disclosure, "Suitcase" may be a very fitting theme song. Check it out below.
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