Chance the Rapper was pretty blunt about what he saw in a sold-out crowd of more than 14,000 wide-eyed, ready-to-wobble fans at Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Wednesday night.
“I can sense a lot of fearless people in here tonight,” the Chicago emcee born Chancellor Bennett said before unleashing “No Problems,” his unapologetically upbeat, I’m-gonna-do-me anthem.
“You know the only thing scarier than a strong person is a fearless person, but some people aren’t as fearless, and they just need a little push. So when this song starts, and you’re jumping up and down, I want you to just lean a little into the person next to you — let’s make this building rock.”
And they did. As red and white streamers sailed over a sea of flailing arms and smiling faces, you could see why so many kids would save up their wages to see Chance, the 24-year-old Southsider literally changing the rules of popular music. You could see why they would wait through an hour-plus long opening set from DJ Oreo, who earned his paycheck mightily with a cross-generational selection of party jams that included the Jackson 5, Ying Yang Twins and even Miley Cyrus. And you could see why Chance might be doing his thing for a long, long time to come.
Lil’ Chano made his grand entrance on a 50cc mini-bike, backdropped by columns of pyro, before immediately launching into his verse from “Mixtape,” the opening track of his 2016 release Coloring Book. It’s a song where Chance describes his mom being worried about the influence Kanye West’s 2004 LP would have on him (it was released when Chance was 11 years old).
“I was a mad impressionable kid, and every skit from The College Dropout was telling me how I didn’t need school,” Chance told Complex last year. “And I think that had a very big impact on how I treated [going to college].”
The story of Chance’s ultimate impact on his fans is still being written, but if his 18-song, 80-minute set is indication, then these kids need to hang on to Chano like the hip-hop hero he is. A product of the Windy City’s West Chatham neighborhood, where there were 85 violent crimes between April 19 and May 19 this year, Chance has transcended the drill sound popularized by another Chatham alum Chief Keef and completely bucked the idea of what a rap superstar should be today.
Chance has been named Chicago’s Outstanding Youth of the Year by mayor Rahm Emanuel. He has staged free sold-out music festivals for Chicago teens. He performed for President Obama and also had a meeting with 44 to discuss initiatives that promote intervention by civic leaders in the lives of young men of color to address their unique challenges and to promote racial justice. Shit, Chano and his dad even helped stage the 2014 #SaveChicago Twitter campaign, which helped the city of Chicago go 42 hours without a gun homicide.
His live show is as every bit out of the box and transcendent as the man himself,.
Chance — an open believer in what he sees as God’s ability to do good in people’s lives, whether they believe in him or not — wasted no time throwing praise into the mix with performances of Coloring Book highlight “Blessings” and Kanye West track “Ultralight Beam.” Four backup singers made the songs, which are essentially praise and worship meditations, hit with the power of a gospel revival. Backed by his band — The Social Experiment, complete with Donnie Trumpet on horns, Grammy-nominated composer Peter Wilkins (aka Peter Cotton Tale) on keys and Greg Landfair, Jr. (aka Sticks) on the drum kit — Chance is an unstoppable, nearly untouchable package of smart pop music that leans hard on tried and true pop and R&B staples (sultry horns, stacked organ, pulsating drum rhythms) to keep the crowd on its feet during takes on “I’m The One,” “Juke Jam” and “Cocoa Butter Kisses.”
Chance in Tampa: Chicago emcee is giving away 50 front row tickets to tonight's show at Amalie Arena
“All We Got,” nestled into the heart of the 18-song set, was especially poignant, with Donnie Trumpet blasting that signature horn line into the arena before handclaps exploded into verses about appreciating life and family. By the time it all gave way to the “bom bom bom” of the song’s chorus, every soul in the building seemed to be singing the words. ASL interpreters from DEAFinitely Dope made sure that anyone hard of hearing could feel the music, too.
It was a touching moment, and a reminder that there are 24-year-old kids out there who want to make their world a better, more accessible, place. Chance reminded them of that throughout the night. He talked about “the path,” spit lyrics about giving Satan swirlies like a preacher giving a sermon, and he never wavered from the notion that anything he’s achieved hasn’t come without help.
He admitted that the 34-date “Be Encouraged” tour changed him. He praised the “70 or 80 people who gave up their families and lives” to be on the road with him, and he kept reminding fans that his journey would always include them. Chance is not a perfect person, and his material isn’t without curse words, shady situations and even allusions to doing acid on the sink. Not every song in his catalog is a gem, either, but there’s no doubt that Chance is a once-in-a-generation personality and talent.
On Wednesday night, we all came to Chance’s church for the candy, but as the technicolor lights turned to black on the “Be Encouraged” tour, we left feeling something even sweeter and more inspiring than we could ever imagine.
