With roughly six weeks of school left for college students nationwide, stress levels are at an all time high. We are running on any type of caffeine we can find and a mirage of beach days and home cooking. Drowning in projects, essays, and study guides, everyone is starting to do the High School Musical 2 "Summer...Summer...Summer" chant. That being said, I feel that everyone around me needs some motivation and what better way to do that than a list of feel good music by Chicago's pride and joy, Chance the Rapper? While it would be literally impossible for me to rank or even compile a list of the "best" Chano songs, these are the twenty-five that always put me in a fantastic mood and I hope it does the same for you. Enjoy.
25. Chi Town Christmas ***I do not care if it is April, I will vibe to this song any and every month of the year. Plus, "mild sauce my wings//nights at the rink//these are a few of my favorite things" who doesn't appreciate wings and The Sound of Music references? He's a man after my own heart.
24. Heaven Only Knows by Towkio (feat. Chance the Rapper, Lido, & Eryn Allen Kane) ***Not a Chance song but Chance raps "If I drop it they gonna cop it" and I mean the man ISN'T wrong.
23. Windows (feat. Akenya & Alex Wiley) OR Windows (feat. Raury & BJ The Chicago Kid) ***One is from the 10 Day mixtape, the other is from his Surf mixtape with The Social Experiment, both are so ridiculously good I couldn't pick one over the other.
22. Finish Line/Drown (feat. Noname, Eryn Allen Kane, T-Pain, & Kirk Franklin)
21. Prom Night (feat. Prince Talent, Dj Such n Such, & THEMPeople) ***In this song, Chano raps "You made a mixtape? Good job, I hope you get a good job" referring to his teacher's doubtfulness of his ability to make it in the rap game. One non-label music festival in the Chi, millions raised for Chicago Public Schools, and three Grammys later, I think it is safe to say he made it.
20. Family (Blended Babies Remix) [feat. Vic Mensa] ***Quite possibly the best remix ever.
19. Somewhere in Paradise (feat. Jeremih & R. Kelly)
18. Familiar (feat. King Louie & Quavo) ***SO underrated.
17. Wanna Be Cool (feat. Jeremih, Kyle & Big Sean) ***Also underrated.
16. Chain Smoker
15. I Shoulda Left You (feat. Lud Foe) ***Is it really a Chance song if he doesn't do his adorable "igh"???
14. Hey Ma (feat. Zak Fox & Tree)
13. Show Me Love (Skrillex Remix) by Hundred Waters (feat. Chance the Rapper, Robin Hannibal, & Moses Sumney) ***Not a Chance song but seriously one of the waviest songs out there.
12. Everybody's Something (feat. Saba & BJ the Chicago Kid)
11. Juice ***"Chano, Chatham's own//foolies glad I'm home//even my haters kinda glad I'm on" One word: ICONIC.
10. All We Got (feat. Chicago Childrens Choir & Kanye West)
9. All Night (feat. Knox Fortune)
8. Favorite Song (feat. Childish Gambino)
7. Blessings (feat. Jamila Woods) ***This song was a blessing in itself.
6. Same Drugs (with Eryn Allen Kane)
5. Summer Friends (feat. Francis and the Lights & Jeremih)
4. Ultralight Beam by Kanye West (feat. Chance the Rapper, Kirk Franklin, Kelly Price, & The-Dream) ***Okay, yes this is not technically considered Chance's own song but you listen to his verse on it and try to convince me otherwise.
3. Angels (feat. Saba) ***I don't know whether to cry or smile but I'm doing both.
2. Sunday Candy (feat. Jamila Woods)
1. How Great (feat. Jay Electronica and My Cousin Nicole) ***Catholic, Christian, Muslim, Agnostic, Atheist, regardless of religious belief, this song could give anyone the chills.
So there you have it folks, twenty-five songs by my favorite rapper ever that will definitely keep you in a upbeat and positive mood to get you through this week! Just remember, we're almost there! In the words of Chano, "IGH! IGH! IGH!"
