Surprise! Another article by a Chicagoan about Chance The Rapper. This one's not about Coloring Book or his image, this is dedicated to one of Chance's classics: Prom Night.

Chance the Rapper reminisces to a pastime of every high school graduate, the night of prom. Along with this, he shows his maturity and uniqueness amongst his other classmates as he pursues a rap career while others graduated and received “good jobs” from society and the teachers. At the release of this project, 10 Day, Chance had yet to reach his potential in the music industry and among the world as a person. Despite this, he opened up his audience to what the end of his senior year of high school looked like compared to the stereotypical story.

He begins saying on the night of graduation teachers “Ferris Bueller’d my name”. Chance ditched his graduation not to be rebellious but to send a message to all the teachers that he was going to chase his dreams of his “dumb raps” even though no one else believed in him. A few lines later, Chance goes on to say one of my favorite verses of his all-time: “Don’t call it impossible, if you really want that.” With his lack of support from students and teachers at his high school, he refused to allow their displeasure and unacceptance to halt him from pursuing what he knew as almost second nature. In that verse, he sends a message to all regardless of age but anyone who is battling discouragement and determination. Towards the near-end of his first verse, he refers to another successful Chicago rapper by the name of Vic Mensa, who attended the same high school.

“Yo Vic, remember when they called us some freshmen ni**as rapping? Now I ain’t gonna be freshmen and I’m rapping.”

Going against the grain, Vic and Chance, don’t go onto be freshmen in college somewhere but instead become freshmen on the cover of XXL (largely recognized hip-hop magazine), where no one saw them being after leaving high school. This very first verse vividly digresses to a time where no one supported Chance and his dreams but he didn’t allow it to stop him or anyone else who aspired to do the same thing. The following verse he does a reflection about what his prom night consisted of.

In Chicago, prom is the equivalent to a wedding in Mexico. Chance digresses to the part of the celebration that consists of family members adoring and glorifying Chance’s growth into manhood. Chance being the family man he is, permits it with no hesitation.

“Uh, yo this prom shit feel like the Grammy's yo

These pictures Granny took gonna make me ask where'd Granny go

So pass the Sanyo to Auntie Jo

And snap a couple candid's of the family, get some cameos”

Next, Chance discusses how much he appreciates and embraces how much love he received from his neighborhood and goes onto make a toast for his “moment’s glimpse of royalty.” Reading this as 12 year old was very different from when I went to prom myself as an 18 year old because I really understood that this night deserved so much more dedication to those who made it possible for you to be the man you are on that day.

“And hop up in that limo, the hood going dummy

The hood fucking love me, the hood think we lovely

So go and pop some bubbly, this right here's to loyalty

This to a moment's glimpse at royalty”

Suddenly, the plot twists. The entire memoir Chance shared was false. Chance just reeled you into a realm of fabrication. I bet you’re not sure whether to smile or frown upon this but soon you will realize.

“And damn it would be crazy if any of this shit had happened

But it didn't, I missed prom, I missed it to spin

I did a show at AKIN and I would do it again”

Chance never got the opportunity to experience prom, but instead performed in a clothing store doing what he loves. He even states that he would do it again without even thinking about it. That’s real passion right there; missing a Hallmark moment in every high schooler’s eyes to go chase a dream.

This song is a rollercoaster of emotions, regardless of the demographic. Chance does a great job of consistently connecting to someone, somewhere somehow in all 3 of his projects. As I listen to it right now, the one part of it that really stands out is the female voice harmonizing in the background throughout all of the voices, it puts a sensitive touch on the music that just makes you feel good.