Stars aligned: American musician Chance The Rapper’s latest album takes his career to new heights.
Chance the Rapper has had a rough couple of years. Born Chancelor Johnathan Bennett, the Chicago native emerged as one of the most promising young rappers of the last decade through a run of mixtapes, starting with 10 Day (2012) followed by Acid Rap (2013) and culminating in Colouring Book (2016).
The success of that third project saw him take home three Grammy Awards including Best New Artist, Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance. That’s not to mention the multiple hit singles and collaborations with everyone from Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran to Cardi B and pre-Nazi Kanye West.
All this made him seem poised to deliver a memorable debut studio album that would solidify his place in the hip-hop landscape. Then came The Big Day (2019) — an album conceived as a celebration of his marriage to long-time girlfriend Kirsten Corley — which was met with ridicule from both critics and fans.
While some reviews were positive, it notoriously received a zero out of 10 rating from music critic Anthony Fantano and generated a flood of unflattering memes.
The early promise of his career seemed thwarted, leading to a six-year hiatus from the music industry.
To make matters worse, last year Chance and Kirsten announced they had filed for divorce, and would be co-parenting their two daughters aged nine and five at the time.
That sounds like enough to make a man want to leave the game entirely but, on 15 August, Chance returned with his sophomore effort Star Line.
Anticipation was high with people questioning whether it could provide the path to redemption Chance needed. And, in my humble opinion, it overdelivers. Over the course of 17 tracks, he gives us some of the most soulful, introspective and socially conscious music of his career.
The title is an allusion to black history as Black Star Line was a shipping company established by the Jamaican political activist Marcus Garvey in the early 20th century to promote pan-African unity and economic independence.
Chance makes it clear he’s not afraid to directly address issues disproportionately affecting the black community in America on songs like The Negro Problem, where he raps about mass incarceration and lack of access to adequate healthcare.
On No More Old Men, he offers a poignant reflection on generational wisdom and the erosion of respect for elders in contemporary society with the help of singer-songwriter and poet Jamila Woods.
On album-standout Just A Drop, he delves into spiritual awakening and societal reflection, using the metaphor of water to explore biblical allusions and Christ’s second coming, with the help of revered emcee Jay Electronica.
Christian rap has been treated as a kind of ugly stepchild of hip-hop but Chance blends his faith into his music in a way that feels more inviting and relatable than it does chastising and preachy.
But even the black church gets its fair share of criticism as Chance uses the song Letters to deliver a critique of both his local parish and the broader megachurch movement.
He addresses the commercialisation of faith and the moral contradictions in religious institutions, expressing disillusionment and calling for accountability. It’s a memorable moment on the album, particularly coming from a black musician who wears his Christian faith on his sleeve.
But the album has a lot of variety and also features appearances from fellow rappers Joey Bada$$, Vic Mensa, Young Thug, Lil Wayne, Smino and BabyChiefDoit as well as singers BJ The Chicago Kid, Lion Babe and Jazmine Sullivan.
My only complaint is at 1 hour, 7 minutes it would have benefitted from having some fat trimmed. Nonetheless, Star Line is a strong return to form for Chance The Rapper that proves he still has a lot to say before his time in the spotlight is done.