Chance the Rapper: "Angels" [ft. Saba]
Two years ago, Kanye closed a cathartic interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” with a reminder: “Never think that I’m not from Chicago for one second.” It was a great moment. But Chance the Rapper will never have to do that, because Chance never, ever lets you forget in the first place.
A brief list of Deeply Chicago Shit in Chance’s new single “Angels”, featuring Saba, who he met years ago in the city’s robust open mic scene:
• A crew of bopping back-up dancers in the song’s “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” debut, including reigning Bop King, DLow, of the scene’s biggest hit, “DLow Shuffle”.
• A winking Kanye reference: “I ain’t going to hell or to Hillman”” simultaneously a nod to Ye’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothin” line (“I ain’t one of the Cosby’s…”) and a rejection of the manichean thug/nerd binary critics have used to bisect Chicago rap scenes in recent years, with Keef and Chance as opposite poles…
…and, sure enough, a brotherly nod in Keef’s direction—”Oooh, I just might share my next one with Keef/ Got the industry in disbelief, they be asking for beef”—and proof that harmony is still possible, even in the City of Haters.
• A beginner’s guide to Chicago lingo in Saba’s hook: “They was talkin woo woo this, woo wap da bam,” basically the Chicago equivalent of “blah blah.” (Back to Yeezy, as always, on “Flashing Lights”: “I get a call like, Where are you, Yeezy?/ And try to hit you with that ol’ woo-wapty.”)
• A juked-out, kettledrum-backed gospel hook…
…over which Chance and Saba shout out Power 92 and WGCI, the city’s two most popular urban radio stations, whose logos are emblazoned on their hoodies in the “Late Show” performance: “GCI, 107.5, angel goin’ live/ Power 92, angel, juke, angel gon’ juke!”
• And a reminder of a different sort, from Saba—”City so damn great I feel like Alexand!”—one that made me cry on first listen, and the second one too, because it’s one Chicago doesn’t really hear that often, and sometimes it’s as simple as that.
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