Last Thursday, Chance the Rapper concluded his highly anticipated Acid Rap 10th Anniversary Celebration with a mesmerizing and unforgettable performance at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum. This remarkable sold-out show marked the final stop of a triumphant tour that had previously graced the stages of the United Center in his hometown of Chicago and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, both of which garnered widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike. Chance was nothing short of spectacular; with his boundless energy and charismatic stage presence, he delivered a captivating performance that had the audience on their feet from start to finish.
Chance’s performance was a musical journey that paid homage to the formative mixtape, which remains a pivotal work in the evolution of hip-hop. The tour saw him revisiting the tracks that solidified his place in the music industry and left an indelible mark on the genre. From iconic tracks like “Cocoa Butter Kisses” to “Juice”, fans were treated to a nostalgic trip down memory lane as Chance flawlessly recreated the magic of the mixtape that started it all.
Critics and music enthusiasts have lauded Chance the Rapper’s Acid Rap 10th Anniversary Shows as a triumphant return to his roots, showcasing not only his growth as an artist, but also his commitment to authenticity and innovation within the genre. As the tour comes to a close, all are left with an enduring impression of a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience that celebrated the artistry, authenticity, and evolution of one of hip-hop’s most influential voices.
During his recent appearance on the No Jumper podcast, Lil Reese opened up about his early years. The Chicago-born performer revealed that he was exposed to gang culture at an extremely young age, even repping BD as a toddler. Lil Reese says older guys from his neighborhood had him throwing gang signs at as early as 3 years old.
“They looked at me like I was [their] son,” he described. “They used to make me shoot dice, all type of sh*t. For real.” He even started smoking weed in elementary school, sharing that he “hit the blunt” at only age 10. “My mom and them didn’t know though, like I was sneaking and doing that sh*t.” Though he was exposed to that as a child, Lil Reese claims that he doesn’t want his own kids to have the same experience. “I ain’t gonna let my son do no sh*t like that though,” he explained.
It’s no secret that Lil Reese was up to no good as a kid. During an interview earlier this year, he revealed that he used to steal bikes with his friends, including the late King Von and Fredo Santana. “I used to take n***as bikes back then… All them n***as from 63rd, we used to go down on they block and beat them up and take they bikes, real sh*t. Catch them on the bus and up guns on them and sh*t. We used to torture them boys,” he explained. Though the rapper is open about the antics of his early day, it appears as though he’s making an effort to turn things around. Recently, he even returned a bike he stole from DJ Univercity.
Earlier this week, the artist also opened up for fellow Chicago native Chance The Rapper at one of his LA shows. In a new clip, he’s seen performing his 2012 track “Us,” as fans cheer him on. What do you think of Lil Reese throwing up gang signs as a 3-year-old? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates on Lil Reese.
Vic Mensa sure knows how to throw a party! He’s throwing hands while he’s at it! Over the weekend, the Chi-town rapper celebrated his new album VICTOR with an album release party in his hometown. He labeled the event “The Mensa Melee.” This involved Vic setting up a boxing ring and staging a boxing exhibition with the album as the soundtrack – a unique listening event unlike any other. The atmosphere seemed high-energy as fans got to witness not only a musical listening experience but also a boxing match all in one night. This made it a night to remember in Chicago.
Vic teased an early preview to the event last week, where he posted a video of himself in the boxing ring with Omari Hardwick as his coach. During the clip, he was reciting “Sunday Morning Intro,” a monologue that opens the album features Omari Hardwick as narrator. The video circulating social media shows a highlight from the event, where Vic can be seen throwing hands at his opponent and landing a few solid punches in. Chance The Rapper also appeared in the audience in the recap video. The end of the clip shows a photo of Mensa holding up his champion belt, taking home the gold.
Vic Mensa’s new project VICTOR features a line up of star-studded appearances. Some of the features include Ty Dolla $ign, G-Eazy, Jay Electronica, Common, Rapsody, and more. This release holds particular significance as it represents a two-year journey of newfound sobriety for the seasoned rapper. VICTOR is only Mensa’s second solo album, which may come as a surprise given his extensive history in the music industry and the abundance of music he has already released.
As far as what’s next for Mensa, he’s going to continue promoting the new project. In fact, he’s taking his talents to California to perform as the main opening act for his longtime friend and collaborator, Chance the Rapper. The two will be at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Thursday, September 21. Stay tuned to HNHH for more stories and updates.
In a little under two days, Vic Mensa is finally releasing his second studio album, more than six years after his solo debut. He’s been rolling out Victor since January, when he shared the first single, “Strawberry Louis Vuitton” with Thundercat. Since then, he’s released a music video for “Swish” with Chance The Rapper and G-Eazy and a trailer for the project inspired by the world of modern art. He also joined Chance at a series of shows celebrating the 10th anniversary of The Rapper’s career-making mixtape, Acid Rap, opening with a salute to Vic’s own early fan favorite, Innanetape.
Below, you can find everything we know about Victor ahead of its release.
Release Date:
Victor is due on September 15 via Roc Nation Records.
Features:
In addition to longtime collaborator Chance The Rapper, G-Eazy, and Thundercat, the album will include appearances from actor Omari Hardwick, Chicago rap veteran Common, New Orleans hip-hop mystic Jay Electronica (incidentally, Vic received decidedly less backlash for Jay’s inclusion than fellow Windy City native Noname got), singers Ant Clemons, Dixson, Lekan, and Ty Dolla Sign, and Inglewood indie rap champion D Smoke.
Tracklist:
1. “Sunday Morning Intro” Feat. Omari Hardwick
2. “Victor”
3. “Rumors”
4. “Lvln Up”
5. “The Weeping Poets” Feat. Jay Electronica
6. “Swear”
7. “$WISH” Feat. G-Eazy & Chance The Rapper
8. “Sunset On The Low End”
9. “Strawberry Louis Vuitton” Feat. Thundercat & Maeta
10. “$outhside Story” Feat. Common
11. “Law Of Karma”
12. “Blue Eyes”
13. “Blue Eyes (Interlude)”
14. “Sunday Evening Reprise” Feat. Dixson & Lekan
15. “All I Kno”
16. “Ble$$ings” Feat. Ant Clemons & D Smoke
17. “14 Days”
18. “Eastside Girl (Bonus Track)” Feat. Ty Dolla $ign
Singles:
Previously released tracks include “Eastside Girl (Bonus Track),” “Blue Eyes,” and “Lvln Up.”
Tour:
While a tour has yet to be announced, Vic has a performance with Chance later this month:
Every artist has a distinct career-defining moment that propels them to a wider audience. For Chance the Rapper, that was Acid Rap. The classic 14-track mixtape helped cement Chance as a rising force in Hip Hop. Acid Rap notably marked its 10th anniversary on April 30th, 2023. Despite the modern age of rapid musical evolution, the mixtape has remarkably aged like fine wine. From its now-iconic artwork, to standout tracks like “Acid Rain,” there’s no shortage of important moments that helped shoot Chance the Rapper to the stars.
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 19: Chancelor Bennett Aka Chance The Rapper visits the SiriusXM Studios on June 19, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Matthew Eisman/Getty Images)
Chance the Rapper kicked off his musical interests, thanks to Michael Jackson. However, a pivot to rap soon followed. He has cited Kanye West as one of his earliest Hip Hop influences and stated that he was inspired by West, a fellow native of Chicago, to start rapping. In 2012, at the age of 19, Chance released his debut mixtape 10Day. The project also marked his introduction to the public as a rapper and was the starting point of Chance the Rapper’s rise to stardom.
Following his early buzz, Chance the Rapper hit the ground running with his second mixtape, Acid Rap. The mixtape catapulted the rapper to international fame. Furthermore, it received critical acclaim for its innovative blend of Hip Hop, Gospel, R&B, and Soul. Acid Rap also made a significant impact on the Hip Hop scene, garnering praise for its eclectic and genre-blurring style.
His fusion of elements from several different genres of music has become a hallmark of Chance’s artistry. Following the album’s instant success, many were keen to understand the rapper’s creative process. This was also due to Acid Rap’s trippy, psychedelic sound, unique artwork, and title. In an interview with MTV, Chance revealed he did in fact indulge in some LSD while making the project.
“[There] was a lot of acid involved in Acid Rap,” he said. “I mean, it wasn’t too much– I’d say it was about 30 to 40 percent acid… more so 30 percent acid.” He also admitted the reason for his indulgence. “It was something that I was really interested in for a long time during the making of the tape, but it’s not necessarily a huge faction at all,” he said. “It was more so just a booster, a bit of fuel. It’s an allegory to acid, more so than just a tape about acid.”
Chance’s lyrics on Acid Rap are marked by their introspection, vulnerability, and vivid storytelling. He explores personal struggles, relationships, drug use, and the challenges faced by young people in Chicago. The quality of the mixtape is hoisted even higher by its diverse and rich production, featuring contributions from several producers. Notable guest features include: Twista, Childish Gambino, Ab-Soul, and Action Bronson, among others. Consequently, these features elevate the respective tracks they appear on, allowing for a balanced and well-rounded project.
Acid Rap is an influential project in the Hip Hop sphere. Its impact and significance are undeniable, and felt even now, 10 years after its initial release. It continues to be celebrated as a classic marking Chance’s career-defining moment. A 10th Anniversary Complete Edition of the mixtape was released in 2023. Also, in his native Chicago, Chance is largely revered as one of the rappers pushing the new school wave of Hip Hop.
Importantly, the love is reciprocated. Chance moved back to Chicago after spending a couple of years in Hollywood. He told Ebro Darden on Apple Music 1 that while he may not be labeled an “OG” in Chicago, he’s definitely garnered a ton of respect. He also took the time to praise the Chicago natives who assisted him in the manifestation of Acid Rap. “I look at this as my Chicago project,” he said. “This was through and through from the juke and footwork influence to the use of all these different Kanye or Common interpolations, the samples, all of it, the features. It was a community project. It was like everybody was coming in working with me.”
For new hip-hop fans, it may be hard to recall when Chance The Rapper was the genre’s golden child. But as the Chicago native continues to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his breakout mixtape Acid Rap, his impact on the culture and his fellow emcees is reentering mainstream consciousness. However, according to Chance, he didn’t always feel appreciated.
During a sit down with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden on The Ebro Show, the entertainer opened up about the more difficult points of his career.
“The toughest challenge I ever experienced was I went on tour with Macklemore,” said Chance.
He quickly clarified that the stain had nothing to do with his past collaborator, adding, “Macklemore is an amazing, amazing person and helped me out tremendously as well. But his shows were in Europe, and I think it was 38 dates, all 20,000 capacity rooms, all like off markets, too, like Poland and Dusseldorf. These people didn’t speak English at all. And not only did they not speak English, he sold out all these shows before I was announced on the ticket.”
Chance continued, “So it’s really bad when you go to a show, and there’s an opener that you don’t want to see. It’s way worse when it’s a surprise opener that you don’t want to see. That’s speaking a different language and Black, a lot of negatives on top of each other for the Swedish crowds. So I’m dealing with that.”
All in all, eventually, Chance used that experience to help improve his performance and as fuel for when it was his tour to headline. “When I came home, I got to finally feel at the end of that year when I went on my own solo tour, I got to feel having my own crowd, selling my own tickets and really built my whole off that tour,” he exclaimed.
Fast-forward to the present day, there aren’t many people who don’t know in some shape or form who Chance The Rapper is.
Chance the Rapper also went by a different name. Chance The Rapper joined Ebro Darden for an in-person conversation at Chicago’s flagship Apple Michigan Avenue Store. Their discussion centered the momentous 10th anniversary of Chance’s breakthrough mixtape, Acid Rap. In this engaging interview, Chance shared he almost was “Tony Jizzle.”
“My original name for a short period of time was Tony Jizzle,” Chance revealed. “It would’ve been a whole different trajectory. Still in the same space I’m in, but just a different path to getting right back here.”
He added, “I could rhyme a lot of things with Jizzle and it was just like I always wanted the name Tony. Tony or Max when I was a kid. I wanted to be white when I was little, man, I wanted a name like Tony or Max or I don’t know, some cool Scott.”
As we all know, Chance decided to stick with a variation of his birth name, bringing him much success.
“I feel like Chance the Rapper is also a cool name,” Chance said. “You don’t know that many people named Chance and then it’s like you could just be like it’s Chance. I’d be like Chance who? You know in Chicago they call me Chance da Rapper. Really they say Chandler rapper.”
The Barclays Center was electrified on Saturday night as Grammy-winning artist Chance The Rapper took the stage for a sensational and nostalgia-filled performance commemorating the 10-year anniversary of his groundbreaking mixtape Acid Rap. The event followed his sold-out show at Chicago’s United Center and delivered an incredible night of music, memories, and magic. From the moment the lights dimmed, the atmosphere was charged with excitement, as Chance’s signature energy and magnetic stage presence captivated everyone in attendance.
Chance’s performance was a journey through time, as he flawlessly delivered tracks from Acid Rap with the same fervor and authenticity that made the mixtape a cultural phenomenon a decade ago. The setlist included iconic tracks like “Cocoa Butter Kisses,” “Juice,” and “Chain Smoker,” each met with thunderous applause and sing-alongs that echoed throughout the venue. As the night drew to a close, the energy in the Barclays Center remained at its peak. Chance’s final moments on stage were met with a standing ovation and a chorus of cheers, leaving no doubt that this anniversary celebration was an unforgettable experience for all in attendance.
Chance will conclude the trio of events with the Acid Rap 10th anniversary show at the Kia Forum in LA on September 21.
The Barclays Center sizzled with energy on Saturday night as Grammy winner Chance the Rapper graced the stage for a sensational, nostalgia-packed performance, commemorating the 10-year milestone of his groundbreaking mixtape, Acid Rap. Following a sold-out Chicago show, the event was a mesmerizing blend of music, memories, and enchantment.
From the instant the lights dimmed, Chance’s infectious energy and magnetic presence had the audience entranced. His performance became a time-travel journey, as he flawlessly delivered Acid Rap tracks with the same authenticity that ignited a cultural movement a decade ago. The setlist, including hits like “Cocoa Butter Kisses,” “Juice,” and “Chain Smoker,” elicited roaring cheers and venue-wide sing-alongs.
As the night reached its crescendo, the Barclays Center’s atmosphere remained electric. A standing ovation and thunderous cheers greeted Chance’s final moments on stage, confirming this anniversary fete as an unforgettable experience. The Acid Rap 10th anniversary series will culminate at the Kia Forum in LA on September 21, concluding a trio of remarkable celebrations.
This past spring, Chance The Rapper celebrated the tenth anniversary of his second mixtape Acid Rap. Released on April 23, 2013, the project not only catapulted Chance into the national spotlight but went on to be a crowned jewel of the blog and mixtape eras and a classic release overall from the 2010s hip-hop era. In a tweet six months after releasing the project, Chance wrote, “im not the guy to say acidrap was the best project of 2013. but i’ll say my project did more for me than anyone else’s did for them.” At that time, it remained to be seen exactly what Acid Rap would do for Chance, but over the last decade, we’ve seen that Chance’s statement was true. The success of Acid Rap can be attributed to putting Chance in position to later secure his first Grammy wins, gain meetings with the president at The White House, land gigs as a marquee festival headliner, and now, hold a packed-out night in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center to celebrate the mixtape’s tenth anniversary.
Truthfully, it’s just as surprising as it isn’t that Chance packed out Barclays Center. On one hand, social media paints Chance as a has-been who fumbled his position at the top of rap with his underwhelming debut album The Big Day. On the other hand, most of us know that social media is often a poor representation of what is true in the real world. Furthermore, the tenth-anniversary show for Acid Rap allowed fans who were too young or too distanced to see performances from that era, or those who wanted to relive their experiences from the rapper’s glory days, to engage in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s the perfect recipe for a sold-out show, something that Chance needed for himself as he prepares to enter a new era.
Izzy Robertti
The dominating element in the arena for the Acid Rap tenth-anniversary show was gratitude, most especially from Chance The Rapper to the audience. Beginning with a trio of records from his 2016 mixtape Coloring Book, a project that got a lot of airtime at the show, Chance stepped forth with a triumphant entrance to “No Problems.” Steering into renditions of “All Night” and “Blessings,” it was clear that he was extremely thankful for this moment. The gratitude from the Chicago rapper only amplified as he transitioned into Acid Rap tracks. After performances of “Good Ass Intro,” “Pusha Man,” and “Paranoia,” Chance championed the crowd and reminded them of the unique moment at hand. “There’s no fake fans in the building tonight,” he proclaimed. “I’ll probably never do a show like this again.”
Ten years removed from the firestarter release in his career, Chance is still just as grateful for the spotlight as he was when Acid Rap first came out. He later interrupts his performance of “Juice” to share an anecdote about meeting with labels in New York City, filming the music video for the song in the city, and how everything changed once he returned to Chicago. Moments like these are scattered throughout Chance’s career as contributors to his success, both before and after the release of Acid Rap. The same could be said about his longtime collaborators, some of whom were present at Barclays. Chance extended this same gratitude to them throughout the night, whether it be Saba during performances of “Everybody’s Something” and “Angels” or Joey Badass for “The Highs & The Lows.”
Izzy Robertti
The sweetest moments came as he thanked members of his band one by one for years of collaboration and support in and outside of his music before bringing out Vic Mensa. Beside Acid Rap in 2013 came Vic Mensa’s Innanetape, and together, both projects highlighted the best of what was to come from Chicago’s rap scene at the time. Both Chance and Vic supplied verses to one another on their projects through “Cocoa Butter Kisses” and “Tweakin,’” and together the duo made it out and achieved undoubtable success. In past years, it seemed like there was a rift between the two rappers, but more recently, performances together and an uptick in collaborations confirmed that all is well between them. So as Chance and Vic shared words and embraced before performing “Cocoa Butter Kisses,” you could tell that the night was more than just about ten years of Acid Rap. It was about ten years (and then some) of doing it his way with his people to a level of success that he only dreamed of.
Sitting in Barclays Center, as Chance The Rapper concluded the night with performances of other Acid Rap standouts like “Favorite Song” and “Smoke Again,” you’re left to reconsider where the reality lies for Chance. It exists further from his social media perception and closer to the one that existed in the inescapable atmosphere of the arena. One where his fans from around the way and far away gathered to celebrate one of the most unique rappers in this modern era and his decade-old magnum opus. Whether it was Acid Rap classics or his most recent releases, Chance was met with the same excitement from the crowd. His run of shows for Acid Rap is a moment to celebrate his past, but it’s also one to remind us of his present status — the real one — in preparation for his future. Hate him or love him, Chance The Rapper seems ready to continue doing what he does best as he announced his second album Star Line Gallery would arrive in 2024. So as the night concluded, Chance left the crowd with one thing to remember:
“I am Chance The Rapper and I will always be Chance The Rapper.”
