Chance The Rapper’s album debut, The Big Day has been met with polarizing results. The 26-year-old Chicago based artist has spent the last three years between his major projects doing commercial endorsements for Nike and KitKat, landing guest features, and playing a prominent role in Chicago’s politics and media space. He has also become a major philanthropist with donating over $1 million to Chicago Public Schools. Chance’s has made major life changes from his Acid Rap days that reflect his growing role in the hip-hop world, music industry, and his own City of Chicago.
In the last year alone, Chance got married to his long-time girlfriend Kristen Corley. Reaffirmed his no-label independence. Bought the media company Chicagoist, drove Lyft promoting his non-profit “Social Works”. Taught local Chicago politics with comedian Hannibal Buress. Did a quick biblical sabbatical, supported Amarya Enyia in the Chicago Mayoral race, and teased the long-lived “Good Ass Job” project with Kanye West. Not to mention, Chance and Kristen are expecting their 2nd child. Given all of this, Chance has more responsibilities than what we saw when he was late teens and early 20s making songs such as “Windows” and “Good Ass Intro” on his first two commercial mixtapes.
Since July 2018, Chance had dropped multiple loosie tracks ranging from the Rahm Emmanuel biting “I Need Security” to the TikTok danceable “Groceries.” Chance has had features for Cardi B and 2 Chainz to Chicago acts such Saba, The O’My’s and members of the Save Money collective (Kami, Sterling Hayes, Brain Fresco).
After getting married in March of 2019, Chance spoke on Twitter that his new project which he referred to as the “Owbum” would be influenced by the music he danced to at his wedding day.
In Chance’s own words speaking with Apple Music Beats 1 DJ Zane Lowe:
“The whole album has been inspired by the day that I got married and how I was dancing that day,”…“We had a reception with the legendary DJ Pharris. And we all danced our hearts out. It was the hardest I ever danced in my life and I’m a great longtime dancer. Everything in it is all the different styles of music that make me want to dance and remind me of that day and remind me of that night and all those people that were there.”
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The Big Day” arrived the day of July 27th. The album has seen praise in the press and from fans for a mature Chance taking on song themes of his marriage, and a wide pallet of collaborations. It doesn’t do it justice just to give a complete rundown of all the collaborators that worked on “The Big Day” from acclaimed songwriters Randy Newman and James Taylor, XXL freshmen DaBaby and Megan Thee Stallion, to Indie veteran Ben Gabbard of Death Cab for Cutie.
Let’s not forget the large Chicago output brought on this album. He brings two generations of local Chicago Drill rap with Calboy and Lil Durk on the album. Smino and Taylor Bennet have solid performances with their features. Nico Segal, Peter Cottontale of his backing band “The Social Experiment and producer Smoko Ono handle solid production.
We see Chance having the mic with trap legend Gucci Mane. Two generations of R&B with SWV and Ari Lennox bring their vocals on the uplifting “I Got You (Always and Forever)”. We get two Nicki Minaj features who shines on the album closer “Zanies and Fools.” Chance as Executive Producer has been able to use his growth over the past few years to bring in previous collaborators and guests that come out of left field such as Bon Iver, sibling folk duo CocoRosie, or gospel singer Kierra Sherad.
Critics had a field day panning the album for a variety of reasons. Often the main reasons was the album for being too long, clocking just over 1 hour 20 minutes. Social media critics felt tracks sounded as if directed for pop radio hits rather than his hip-hop fans. I admit the first time I listened; I understand why some were not crazy about the album The album finds Chance rapping about love and marriage, but not in true emotional depth. The season of marriage and engagement should be a celebration, but marriage Is about constant work and compromise between both sides. What happens after the wedding registry is wrapped up and honeymoon period is over? Chance alludes to this question on “Sun Come Down” and “Found a Good One”, but where left little answers on the album.
The constant theme of marriage has spawned memes such as this. In a music era marred by long albums produced to be streamed Chance took full advantage of placing songs and skits in a manner that the “owbum” could be streamed for an extended period (think Drake’s Scorpion or Migos’ Culture II).
For Chance’s fans that started with his previous mixtapes, The Big Day was a departure from what people have come to know from Chance. The album gave listeners a mixed bag of his previous gospel, juke, and R&B styles from previous projects. At times, going through this project in its entirety feels like similar to waiting for the graduation or wedding to finish.
Chance offers great imagery and inspiration on the events that have occurred in his life (“Eternal”, “We Go High”, “5 Year Plan”) he often sing-raps the themes in a neutral position without urgency. Some reviews online for ‘The Big Day” have been harsh which people viewed albums tracks as covering different sounds but missing the captivation of his previous works.
With “The Big Day” inspired by the dancing at Chance’s wedding we received plenty that will be played at future wedding/summers/cookouts. We get the bumping house inspired beat of “Ballin Flossing” accompanied with Shawn Mendes, and the Juke/footwork based “Found a Good One (Single No More)”. The skits on the album represent family and relatives at his wedding to congratulate him and encourage him on the path he is going with veteran black actors and actresses from John Whiterspoon, Keith David, and Cree Summer (For the Rugrats Fans).
After listening to the album a few more times, I am starting to see that “The Big Day” represents how artistic growth and creativity is a laborious and fraught process. The themes Chance lays out represent guidance in his Christian faith to overcome personal demons and be an ever-present loving character for his wife and children. This motif is blended with his recurrent upholding of nostalgia for pop culture growing up with family and friends in Chatham on Chicago’s Southside. Chance was going this direction when he released Coloring Book with the gospel and choral inspired themes.
Around the same time Coloring Book was being released, he was celebrating the birth of his daughter and recommitted to his Christian faith. Leaving that information aside, his detractors and fans should note the live performance of his song “First-World Problems” with Canadian R&B singer Daniel Caesar on the Late Show with Steven Colbert as an indicator of where Chance was moving towards his music. Observant themes about the struggles of being a new father, along with biblical themes set to wary frustrations of the problems of the current state or the world.
The execution and consistency on track to keeps these themes vary. Across different reviews, critics did point out that Christian themes may turn away some Chance’s listeners. Of course, not everyone subscribes to the same faith as Chance. Previously, DMX and Lauryn Hill have used Christian themes within their work with little pushback commercially or critically. Popular artists ranging from U2, George Michael, and Sufjan Stevens have used prominent Christian themes within their music.
Chance is only 26. When an artist gets big at a young age in a short amount of time, there will always be a learning curve as artists move into new territory. It is almost as if there is a pushback when an artist tries something new. Similar to when Kanye using autotune with his polarizing album 808s & Heartbreak, there is a strong rebuke in Chance taking his music in a more pop-oriented direction along with his themes on family and faith. Chance gives something for everybody with this album similar to people coming together in celebration such as a wedding or graduation. And as always, no matter how long a wedding or graduation can be, people will always find something at faultChance has not been afraid to try new styles in his music and he still has time to grow. This latest output through all the pomp and circumstance lacks the focus of his previous efforts. He can sidestep the spotlight and give Nico Segal and other Social Experiment band members their due as we saw with the album Surf. And still have show stealing verses such as the collab track “Sparring(Israel)” he did with Noname. The Chance that gave the elevating feature on “Ultralight Beam” and the introspective state of affairs within Chicago on “Paranoia” will still make low-stakes collaborate tapes with fellow Chicagoan Jeremiah or even troll rapper Lil B. This a just a sample of his artistic ideas. Chance tried to use the liberty of features and produces to give us something new.
In the long run, The Big Day may go down a path similar to Jay-Z’s Blueprint 2 or 50 Cent’s Curtis. Major Albums from top rap heavy hitters which had marginal critical success and will fade from the music conversation after a few months. However, with the way memes and video apps are, songs from the album will remain in the public for the time being.
While fans and critics and long for Acid Rap era, we need to see The Big Day as the rough transition to Chances’ future projects, whatever they may be. 10 Day we are introduced to Chance to vivid tales of out of school suspensions. Acid Rap gave us a Chance full of introspective visions and longing nostalgia amongst a backdrop of a city where violence sadly can spark quick. The experiences Chance has had over the last several years has changed his musical themes. Chance uses the moment of his wedding to build on his career to reflect on where he was to bridge where he is going.
Chance’s is right on “Big Fish” in saying “They don’t sell marriage no more”. Committed marital relationships as a popular theme rap and R&B music never get the most spins. Content of hyper masculinity and misogyny that unfairly get tied to modern rap rise to the top in high-charting hip-hop songs. But we see Chance moving into respectable mature territory. This is where he is coming from and his detractors should be more willing to hear that Chance made changes in his life to be a public servant for Chicago and committed towards his relationships with his wife and growing family.
“The Big Day” is a testament towards growing up, reflections of childhood summers, and emphasis of commitment rooted in his faith and family. It only remains to be seen if his dad rap approach will find more acceptance beyond his fanbase.
Further Reading/Listening
The Tribe-Here’s Why You Should Give the Big Day Another Chance
Politico-Chance the Rapper Bids to Become a Chicago Kingmaker
The Typecaster 