MTV1987 as a whole tackles the problems youth face growing up in the age of the internet, coupled with the existential angst that arrives universally with burgeoning adulthood. The album never answers that difficult question, but it does act as a strong response.
On the evening before releasing MTV1987, Kevin Abstract wondered out loud: “What’s worse? To be lame on the internet or to be lame in real life?” And he hasn’t slowed down: he followed it up with The Social Experiment’s similarly virtuosic Surf.- Graham Corriganįavorite tracks: “Hell / Heroina,” “Tame Cab,” “Drugs” The Acid Rap formula-from its big-band mentality to the weird musicality of Chance’s voice ( IGH!)-made Chance the Rapper one of today’s most successful independent artists. If anything, it’s stronger than ever-the wild, bouncy beats on “Good Ass Intro” have become part and parcel of GoldLink’s future bounce movement, while the guest list (Childish Gambino, Vic Mensa, Action Bronson) reads like a roll call of 2015’s rising class. Two years later, the tape’s musicality hasn’t aged a day. Rarely does the term “universal acclaim” ring so true- Chance’s wholesome, hopeful message was fresh water to Chicago in drought, a city beset by gun violence and known for its drill music that graphically depicted the endless stream of murders. When Acid Rap first dropped on April 30, 2013, it was almost immediately embraced listeners and critics alike as a landmark moment in music. Favorite tracks: “Good Ass Intro,” “Everybody’s Something,” “Juice,” “Smoke Again”