After releasing a string of excellent projects over the last few years, including "Acid Rap" and "10 Day", and more recently working with Kanye West on his album "The Life of Pablo", Chance The Rapper has elevated himself to among the upper echelon hip hop artists of this generation. His new album "Coloring Book", originally titled "Chance 3", was among the most anticipated projects of 2016. I personally have been following Chance since his 2013 mixtape "Acid Rap", which was one of my favorite projects of that year. While Chance has been hard at work lately, it has been a long time since he released a solo project, so I made sure to check this out as soon as I could.

“All We Got" (feat. Kanye West & Chicago Children’s Choir) – This song sounds like the beginning of what should be Chance’s most mature project to date. He raps on this song about where he is in life right now, and he sounds very triumphant. He manages to have even more energy than the booming, damn-near apocalyptic horns behind him. Heavenly choir sounds, occasionally chipmunked in "College Dropout"-era Kanye West fashion, make up a large portion of the grand instrumental on this song. Kanye West’s hook is more so symbolic of Chance’s progression rather than a musical addition to the track. Kanye’s singing on the hook is very nasal and almost sounds like a trumpet at points – I was a little underwhelmed, but that doesn’t keep this from being a solid track.

“No Problem" (feat. 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne) (Prod. By BrassTracks) – This song is a really good time. Chance is lashing out at record labels on this track, but with playfulness and humor rather than anger. There are countless quotables here, including “Countin’ Benjis while they meet me, make them shake my other hand” and “If one more label try to stop me/It’s gonna be some dreadhead n***** in your lobby.” The instrumental is bright and again composed with mainly choir sounds. 2 Chainz delivers exactly what you would expect of him, but Lil Wayne’s verse is quite strong. Chance is still very much the star of the show here, and his hook is simple but infectious. Excellent song.

“Summer Friends" (feat. Jeremih, Francis & The Lights) – This track reminds me a lot of the song “Paranoid” on "Acid Rap"; not necessarily in sound, but in content. On “Paranoid”, Chance says that “Everybody’s dying in the summer/So pray to God for a little more spring.” This song is talking about him growing up in the West Chatham neighborhood of Chicago where he wasn’t allowed to be out at night because of gang violence. On the hook where Chance says “summer friends don’t stay around,” he’s referring to them dying in the summer. Francis & The Lights give a beautiful vocal performance that whirs throughout the song. It reminds me of a sound Kanye West would use. The Jeremih outro is short but sweet. This is a soft, dusky song that tells a very heartbreaking personal narrative.

“D.R.A.M. Sings Special” – I don’t normally cover interludes, but I feel this is worth mentioning. The theme of this song is similar to the song “Everybody’s Something” on "Acid Rap". D.R.A.M. sings about how everybody is special to someone over a very heavenly and beautiful jazz composition. It is a very strong interlude that fits the theme of the album very well.

“Blessings" (feat. Jamila Woods) (Prod. By The Social Experiment) – This song features a strong religious theme, something that hadn’t been done at this level by Chance. This is almost more of a gospel song than a hip hop song. Jamila Woods is singing a beautiful hook on this song about praising God while Chance raps about multiple topics. His first verse talks about a conversation with God where he tells Him to look out for his family, and that He gave him his musical abilities and connections. His second verse is about how material possessions will destroy you if they are considered too important and that blessings are more important; like his ex-girlfriend getting pregnant and becoming his “everything.” It is a song that would have a legitimate place in church, and Chance shows incredible diversity here.

“Same Drugs” (Prod. By Peter Cottontale & Lido) – Chance uses drugs as an extended metaphor to talk about his growing distance from an old partner on this song. “We don’t do the same drugs no more” is not only referring to its literal meaning, but also many other things, as becomes apparent throughout the song. It is very nostalgic and soft, with Chance singing more so than rapping. The instrumental is fairly simple but works. Piano chords and synth arrangements guide the song along. It is a sweet ode to a past relationship and makes for a decent tune.

“Mixtape" (feat. Young Thug & Lil Yachty) (Prod. By Stix) – This song is a significant change in sound. The instrumental is a booming trap beat, but it isn’t overly busy or aggressive. Chance raps on this song about how he feels free music is an underappreciated art form and that labels only care about music if it is released for profit. He and Young Thug also talk about their women on this song, which is a common theme throughout many hip hop mixtapes. Chance says his girl “does the salsa like pico de gallo,” and Thugger gives a rather vivid explanation of an encounter with a woman. Lil Yachty is perhaps the biggest surprise on this song, as he gives a strong verse about his come up and how people told him he wouldn’t succeed. While it may seem like the song lacks some of the strong subject matter of other tracks on this album, it encapsulated the idea of a mixtape track very well and pays a lot of homage to the art form. Great track – significantly deeper than it first appears.

“Angels" (feat. Saba) (Prod. By The Social Experiment) – “Angels” is an homage to Chance’s rise, his career, and his city. He talks about how he is becoming more famous and no one can touch him. The instrumental is busy and choir heavy; it even brings in some Caribbean influence at times. The song sounds like a giant party, and it essentially is a celebration of Chicago and Chance’s career. It has hit a growth spurt, but it took so long “his tippy toes hurt”. Great, uplifting song.

“Juke Jam" (feat. Towkio & Justin Bieber) (Prod. By Rascal) – Straight baby-making music right here. Mud music, mood tunes – whatever you want to call it, put it on your beats between the sheets playlist cause this one gets sexy. This song is an ode to a past relationship Chance had and also to the Chicago dance “juke”, which is very similar to grinding. Chance raps about how he was too young at the time of the relationship for sex, so he and the girl would skate at the skate rink. When he got older, he would go to the rink to juke instead. It is a very nostalgic and vivid story that paints an intimate picture. The hook by Towkio is a beautiful ode to juke, and while Justin Bieber’s feature feels a little tacked on, it isn’t terrible. The beat is also very heavy and sexy – perfectly befitting of the song. Great tune; perhaps the album’s best.

“All Night" (feat. Knox Fortune) (Prod. By KAYTRANADA) – I challenge you to listen to this song without nodding your head. The groove and hook are positively infections. KAYTRANADA outdid himself big time on this instrumental – it is dense and incredibly groove-heavy. This song would be perfectly at home at a party or rave. Chance is rapping about how he wants people to stop asking him for favors and money all the time and just have fun. This is perhaps the only time on the album where the spotlight is arguably stolen from Chance, this time in favor of the hook and beat. That’s not a bad thing though, as that excellent groove makes this song incredibly catchy.

“How Great" (feat. Jay Electronica & My cousin Nicole) (Prod. By The Social Experiment) – The choir intro to this song is about two minutes too long. It should have been either shortened or made an interlude because it takes away from the track, which features Chance and *gasp* Jay Electronica who go absolutely nuts over a barebones soulful beat. Both rappers spit some incredibly complex bars and there is sure to be a debate over who had the best verse. In my opinion, Jay Elect wins by a slim margin with his Christian imagery and flawless poeticism. But I’m not taking anything away from Chance, who raps with a significantly deeper, stronger, and meaner voice than usual on the majority of his verse. Great song if you skip the long and lackluster intro.

“Smoke Break" (feat. Future) (Prod. By GARREN) – This is a creative and personal song about Chance and his girlfriend not having a lot of time for each other anymore because of their child and his job. He uses smoking as an analogy and a literal gripe, as the two just try to smoke as fast as they can rather than take the time to enjoy it. The beat is simple and a bit lackluster, but has moments where it shines. Future is rapping about similar topics, but with a lazier and recycled flow that’s easy to tune out. “Smoke Break” has a creative concept, but doesn’t quite bring it home to the point of being super interesting.

“Finish Line/Drown" (feat. T-Pain, Kirk Franklin, Eryn Allen Kane & Noname) – There is quite a bit to digest on this song, as it is quite long and split into two parts. The song has a very happy and optimistic religious theme, which is reflected in the cheery and beautiful chorus. Chance raps about his life and weaves religious imagery throughout his verses very effectively. He says he’s doing so well he could “poke Lucifer with a crucifix.” T-Pain also delivers a decent hook that fits the song well. The second half features an excellent Noname spoken word, but beyond that features choirs and Kirk Franklin responses that aren’t particularly interesting. This is the most religious-themed song on the album, for better or for worse.

“Blessings" (Reprise) (feat. Ty Dolla $ign) (Prod. By Cam O’bi) – The reprise to “Blessings” is a very fitting outro to this album. Chance speaks in spoken word about his rise and what he is all about as an artist. Signature choirs and sped up soul samples play in the background as he tells his story. At the end of the song, a choir consisting of artists such as Ty Dolla $ign, Raury, Anderson .Paak, and BJ the Chicago Kid sing a beautiful outro to close out the album in very fitting fashion. Strong end to the album.

"Coloring Book" features similarities and references to his past work, but it is truly quite different than anything Chance The Rapper has created. Religion is a strong theme on this album, with Christian imagery and choirs being used quite frequently. However, this album is clearly at its best when the religious themes are put on the back burner and more nostalgic topics are embraced. The album loses steam towards the end when gospel themes are embraced a little too warmly, resulting in a slightly awkward fusion of hip hop and gospel influences.

That being said, "Coloring Book" is still Chance The Rapper’s strongest and most mature project yet. The highs on this album are incredibly high, with some of the strongest songs I have heard in 2016. "Coloring Book" is a personal and nostalgic epic when it sticks to its guns and is sure to be considered one of the stronger albums of 2016.

BEST SONGS: Juke Jam, No Problem, Angels, Mixtape, All Night

WORST SONGS: Same Drugs, Finish Line/Drown, Smoke Break

OVERALL: 8.8/10