Swallow Them Synonyms Like Cinnamon Cinnabon, Keep All Them Sentiments Down To A Minimum

Swallow Them Synonyms Like Cinnamon Cinnabon/Keep All Them Sentiments Down To A Minimum. – Chance The Rapper

Chance.The.Rapper. I had no idea who he was the first time I heard his name. It was June of 2013 and I was working at SOB’s in NYC. A popular radio station, HOT97, was hosting their monthly showcase, “Who’s Next Live” (next one on 4/23) and Chance was the headliner. All I knew about him at the time, was the above flier.

I remember the day the show sold out. I was working the front desk in the office; which also served as the box office. Two German guys walked in asking for tickets and we had literally just sold the last two tickets only minutes before. Regretfully, I told them the show had sold out – I felt bad because it seemed like they had really wanted to see this show. I began thinking…who is this guy, Chance The Rapper and what’s so great about him? Later that day, we decided to add more tickets and my mind immediately went to those two German guys, hoping they would some how be able to purchase their tickets.

Fast forward to the night of the show, I stood in the crowd watching the last opener finish up his set. The crowd began chanting “Chance.” I turned to my right and see him walking through the crowd – unaware as to what I was about to witness. The energy alone that this guy held, blew me away. The set was SO live. This was the first time I had gone to a concert for an artist I had never heard of and without knowing any of the songs – I can honestly say it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. Chance didn’t stop moving the whole time he was on stage. I even bumped into the two German guys and told them how happy I was that they could make the show.

From there, my interest in Chance grew rapidly. I went home and downloaded both 10 day and Acid Rap. I researched him thoroughly by watching past interviews, following him on Twitter, reading reviews on his performances and bought the issue of Complex Magazine that he graced the cover of. While in High School he was suspended for 10 days, and during that time, he wrote and recorded his mixtape, 10 day. When rotating music on my iPhone, Acid Rap always stayed. The song “Juice” became my instant favorite, followed by “Everybody’s Something.” Close runner ups include “Cocoa Butter Kisses,” “Favorite Song,” and “Pusha Man.” But really, the whole mixtape is amazing and still, now, I can’t get enough of it.

Fast forward again to, April 14, 2014, I finally got to see Chance for the second time at The Warfield in San Francisco. When I saw Chance at SOB’s, he performed accompanied only by his DJ, DJ Oreo. He now performs with his band, The Social Experiment. I’m sometimes weary of this option, as the songs don’t always have the same umph to them, but have no fear – Chance still kills it. Since he’s a young artist, he draws a younger crowd and leading up to the show I felt like the oldest person in there. But as soon as the music starts and he races onto the stage, nothing even matters anymore. Immediately, the energy pours out of him and onto the crowd as he begins hit after hit after hit. He performs every song except the crowd’s favorite, “Juice.” I had a feeling this would happen, I saw an interview where he said that’s the song he really dislikes performing. When the crowd at The Warfield booed his decision to not play “Juice,” his response: “YouTube it.” I understand his point of view on this, but I still think he should have played it. Artists like Jay-Z, Nas, and Beyonce that have been around for awhile, still play older songs that they know fans love, even though they may not like the song or enjoy playing it anymore. Either way, the show was still great and I’m glad I had the opportunity to see him again, now that I’m actually a fan.