After denying rumors that he will release an album this week, Chance The Rapper surprised fans by dropping four new tracks.
The 25-year-old rolled out four new tracks titled "Work Out," "Wala Cam," "I Might Need Security," and "65th & Ingleside" on the eve of Wednesday, July 18. All four tracks contain snippets of life in his hometown of Chicago.
Chance The Rapper Releases Four New Tracks
"65th & Ingleside" refers to the South Side neighborhood where he used to hang out. Meanwhile, "Work Out" is all about his relationship with fiancee Kirsten Corley and how he hopes to remain faithful to her. In his own words, he does not want his next album to be all "Usher-y," a reference to the R&B singer who recounted his own cheating in his earlier albums. "Wala Cam," on the other hand, is an upbeat track and an ode to an online platform in Chicago that provides a platform for rappers, singers, and dancers to showcase their talents.
In "I Might Need Security," Chano goes political by attacking Mayor Rahm Emanuel who, he says, has been giving "paid vacations to murderers." The line was a reference to shootings of young African-Americans in Chicago, and how the city handles the situation.
The attack was especially personal to the rapper whose father once served as one of the advisers of Mayor Emanuel, reported the Chicago Tribune.
In the same song, Chance also called out the Chicago Sun-Times which once called him a "deadbeat daddy." The issue stems back from when he and Corley were involved in a legal battle surrounding child support for their daughter, Kensli.
In addition, the Grammy-winning artist also casually mentioned that he acquired the Chicagoist, a local news website.
Stream Chance the Rapper's four new tracks below.
Chance The Rapper Acquires News Website
The acquisition was confirmed by Gothamist LLC, the company that used to run Chicagoist. The site first launched in 2004 was purchased earlier this year by WNYC (which has acquired other key assets from Gothamist LLC), but it has been dormant for quite some time. Chance's Social Media LLC now owns the publication.
"I'm extremely excited to be continuing the work of the Chicagoist, an integral local platform for Chicago news, events and entertainment," said the rapper and media mogul in a statement. "WNYC's commitment to finding homes for the -ist brands, including Chicagoist, was an essential part of continuing the legacy and integrity of the site. I look forward to re-launching it and bringing the people of Chicago an independent media outlet focused on amplifying diverse voices and content."
The surprising acquisition received mixed reactions from the public. Most of the concern recalls a previous controversy wherein Chance and his management demanded MTV News to take down a negative piece by critic David Turner. The rapper threatened that they will no longer work with the company in any capacity if the piece, titled "Chance The False Prophet," continues to run on the publication.
MTV News caved and pulled out the piece from their website. The article, however, continues to live to this day via Medium.
Chance The Rapper and Usher will headline the Special Olympics' 50th anniversary charity concert on July 21, Saturday, at the Huntington Bank Pavilion in Chicago.
