Chancellor Bennett aka Chance the Rapper is a Chicago-based hip-hop artist who has received critical acclaim by both fans and critics alike for his mixtapes and collaborative projects. He’s been praised by his peers, including Kanye West and Childish Gambino, the latter of which asked Chance to be the opening act on his 2012 tour.

I want to preface this article by saying that I was not a huge fan of Chance the Rapper at first. I listened to a few tracks off of Acid Rap when it was first released, and I figured it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. I found his voice somewhat annoying and distracting. I kept an open mind, however, and when Surf was released in the summer of 2015, I gained a new perspective on the young artist with his collaboration with Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment. My peers encouraged me to give him a second chance (no pun intended), and slowly but surely I fell in love with Chance’s ability to utilize different subgenres of Hip-Hop and R&B, as well as his goofy but clever and meaningful lyrics.

To say that I was excited for Coloring Book (formerly known as Chance 3) was an understatement. I had been listening to “Angels”, a single that featured former collaborator Saba, on repeat for months and his verse on “Ultralight Beam” was arguably the best verse on Kanye West’s new album The Life of Pablo. I was itching for a new fix from Chano. When Coloring Book was finally released in early May of 2016, I listened to it on a Saturday when, ironically, I was supposed to be in church. Luckily, I still managed to be blessed by this project.

Chance delivered everything and more on this new mixtape. He returned with his regular charm and charisma, focusing on positivity and his experiences as an up-and-coming artist. He also raps/sings about his personal experiences, discussing his personal relationships and his new responsibility of being a father to his newborn daughter. (Fun fact: did you know that the cover art for this mixtape comes from a picture of Chance looking down as his daughter as he’s holding her? VERY cute). Chano’s sound has also evolved and improved from his last solo release Acid Rap, experimenting with new styles and flows, most notably on the track “No Problem” which, after not enjoying initially, has become my personal song of the summer. He also has more mainstream collaborators on this mixtape, like Kanye West, T-Pain and Future, something that long time Chance fans probably dread, fearing that his sound might become more mainstream. These collaborations, however, are a very good addition to the album, including Justin Bieber’s feature in “Juke Jam”, adding his smooth vocals to a soft R&B-style slow jam. Though there were a couple of low points in the project (i.e., the track “Mixtape”), I was largely very impressed and knew I would be playing the mixtape on repeat for months to come.

From the perspective of a Christian, I loved this project even more. For people who didn’t listen to Chance’s XXL Freshman 2014 freestyle, Surf, or simply aren’t familiar with Chano as an artist, his religious-themed verse on Kanye West’s “Ultralight Beam” might have felt like it came out of nowhere. Chance then proceeded to wear his faith and beliefs on his chest for this mixtape. Though I wished he had included more, Chance introduced some beautifully produced gospel-inspired songs on this mixtape. Chano had previously performed the song “Blessings” on a live performance, and he included the track on this project plus a reprise that features Ty Dolla Sign. Both tracks were akin to “Sunday Candy,” a breakout track from Surf. He also collaborated with popular gospel singer Kirk Franklin for the song “Finish Line/Drown”. One of my favorite songs off the mixtape (which is also Chance’s favorite song off the mixtape) however is “How Great”. He heavily samples the classic gospel song “How Great is Our God”, using a choir and his cousin Nicole for the vocals. Chance and featured artist Jay Electronica (where has he been?) then proceeded to rap gospel-inspired lyrics, recounting their struggles and how God and their faith has helped them throughout their lives.

I think that this mixtape is not only important when discussing the ever-changing definition of what is considered hip-hop, I think it’s also important to those who enjoy listening to hip-hop but also take their faith seriously. Young people are often told that hip-hop as a genre is something that we should stay away from if we don’t want to gain any bad influences, or are simply told that it’s “the devil’s music.” However, Lil’ Chano from 79 proves that not only can you appreciate and enjoy hip-hop and still have a strong relationship with God, you can also be a successful and influential part of the hip-hop community. We’re usually told as young Christians that we have to choose; they can’t be devoted to God if they listen to or make this type of music. It’s an issue that I often discuss with both my peers and adults, where people argue that mainstream rap’s subjects often deal with things that can be considered “ungodly.” Chance, however, is disproving this belief by becoming a popular artist who continues to keep his faith and includes it in every aspect of his life, which includes his music. Though Chance is no saint (doing drugs and having a child out of wedlock is considered a no-no by many Christian communities), I think this makes him even more relatable to young Christians. Chance the Rapper truly is a one of a kind artist and hope that he continues to bless the world with his faith and positivity.