Chancelor Bennett hasn’t been here long but what he’s accomplished in three short years is pretty phenomenal. The fearlessly independent Chicago emcee possesses a distinguishable voice and uncanny ability to make fully envisioned projects with maturity well beyond his years. What’s interesting is he’s managed to become a star by controlling his output and purposefully avoiding inking a deal with a major.
In between his stellar offerings of 10 Day, Acid Rap, the Free Based Freestyles with Lil B, and his involvement on Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment’s Surf LP, Chance has punched in some impressive guest appearances alongside the likes of Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, Childish Gambino, James Blake, Joey Bada$$, Lil Wayne, Madonna, Wale and many more.
With that, the DopeHouse decided to drop a list of our ten favorite guest appearances by Lil Chano From 79th.
Kids These Days – “Wasting Time” f. Chance the Rapper
Traphouse Rock (2012)
It kinda sucks that Kids These Days — the Chicago collective of Liam Cunningham, Lane Beckstrom, Greg Landfair, Macie Stewart, Vic Mensa, Nico Segal, J.P. Floyd, and Rajiv Halim — split up in 2013, just as they were hitting their stride. Perhaps it was due to the multiple personalities, or perhaps it was that their music came at a time where Chicago’s rap scene was more chaotic drill than consciously driven, but the crew was ahead of their time in so many ways.
The cohesive energy between Vic and Chance was spectacular each time the two collaborated, and it was never more apparent than it was on “Wasting Time.” A sorrowful letter to the loves that had left them, the two pour their hearts out throughout the song. It’s easily the most emotionally-wrenching track on Traphouse Rock, and if you don’t feel at least a little tug at your heart it could be because you don’t have one. Also, the KTD split wasn’t all that bad: Nico transformed into Donnie Trumpet, and he and Greg would be instrumental in the formation of The Social Experiment. Vic Mensa would be taken under the wing of Kanye West, and would eventually sign to Roc Nation, and Macie Stewart, Lane Beckstrom and Liam Cunningham would form the group Marrow. — Meka Udoh
Childish Gambino – “They Don’t Like Me” f. Chance the Rapper
Royalty (2012)
Chance had me from the moment he said “She say something something Spanish/I look back like, ‘Bitch, I know!’” This might be one of the most underrated Chance guest spots. The SKYWLKR produced cut from Childish Gambino’s Royalty mixtape is one of those moments when you realize that Chance is truly something special. This is essentially a Chance showcase but Childish Gambino bookends the two-minute song with a few bars before Chance gets to obliterating the song with a wicked flow, an extended reference to landing a chicano chick who can pull him away from grubbing at McDonalds, a nod to Dem Franchise Boyz and a reminder that he was pretty much fresh outta high school. Insane, right? — Andreas Hale
Joey Bada$$ – “Wendy-N-Becky” f. Chance the Rapper
N/A (2013)
One of the very first things I ever wrote about when I started blogging was Joey Bada$$ and Chance the Rapper’s “Wendy-N-Becky.” Released a couple month before Acid Rap took over the rap world, the two up-and-coming emcees joined forces over woozy Thelonius Monk production to recount different scenarios involving groupies and gold-diggers. Where Joey takes control of the situation before the girl catches feelings, Chance shares the story of what can happen when you trust a girl a bit too soon when famous. — Patrick Glynn
Rapsody – “Lonely Thoughts” f. Chance the Rapper
She Got Game (2013)
“Lonely Thoughts” is a bit of a venting session for Rapsody and Chance. Running through the thoughts they both have when they’re alone—sober or not—the two emcees reference everything from Star Wars to wrestling.
Taking on the role of Chancelor the Archangel, the Chicago native rattles off metaphors about his place in the game and the reason he was put on this earth. His verse, which features a chopped up flow that’s become second nature, isn’t his only contribution, either—he’s also the backbone of the laidback beat, which uses a repeated “I Rain” hook to flow in and out of the verses. — Patrick Glynn
Vic Mensa – “Tweakin” f. Chance the Rapper
INNANETAPE (2013)
When I first heard “Tweakin’” I was immediately taken back to the volatile verbal assault that came courtesy of Eminem and Royce Da 5’9” back in the early Bad Meets Evil days. Vic and Chance compliment each other in ways that most emcees in actual groups could only dream to accomplish.
Chance’s cadence is ridiculous here: “I’m a lunatic belong inside a loony bin/I burned it down for you because I love you, now I’m movin’ in/Ooh a condominium, condom in ya enema.” Bananas. And it fits perfectly with Vic Mensa’s punchline heavy verses. It’s truly a shame we haven’t heard more from these two, as their collaborations are something truly epic. — Andreas Hale
Kehlani – “The Way” f. Chance the Rapper
You Should Be Here (2015)
If “Wasting Time” was his aural remorse, then “The Way” was Chance’s redemption at love. With Bay Area songstress Kehlani by his side, the two provocatively duet about a relationship filled with mutual respect and intense love. Peep young Chancellor’s sex talk: “And that happen so fast/Damn, I glad I strapped up/Ask her when she finish, if she came/She said I lapped ya twice.” The video was as provocative as the song itself, and the two’s musical chemistry was undeniable. Had it not been the known fact that Chance has been in a long-term relationship with the mother of his child, rumors of the two being in an actual relationship could have easily emerged. — Meka Udoh
Busta Rhymes – “Hello” f. Chance the Rapper
The Return Of The Dragon (2015)
I’ve gotta be real: I didn’t have this on my personal top 10 list. Unknowingly, I’d poked the rare, slumbering Las Vegas bear known as Shake, to which he replied: “If you don’t have Chance on Busta’s “Hello” in Top 10, your list is void.” But I can see why he’d shut down my other 10 choices if “Hello” wasn’t on there.
Taking over the first half of the four-minute song, Chance and Busta have their Freeway-Jay-Z-“What We Do” moment, as Bus-A-Bus pleads Chance to keep going halfway through his onslaught over the bleak and creeping production. And it’s all bookended by references to The Fugees’ “Ready Or Not.” — Patrick Glynn
Action Bronson – “Baby Blue” f. Chance the Rapper
Mr. Wonderful (2015)
Bam Bam and Lil Chano From 79th delivered the ultimate “F*ck all you jealous hoes” ballad over some groovy Mark Ronson production. After Action Bronson sets the table to let his old bird know what’s up, Chance nukes the room with the ultimate asshole verse. Not only does he hope that his ex’s titties sag in her early 20’s (which is truly unfortunate), he also hopes she wins the lottery and loses her ticket. That’s some dastardly shit right there folks. Can you imagine the feeling? Chance apparently did and decided to put it in a verse that he absolutely bodied. — Andreas Hale
Snakehips – “All My Friends” f. Chance the Rapper & Tinashe
N/A (2015)
Ironic admission time: even though I am a DJ and have been both fortunate and blessed to have traveled the country doing an eclectic variety of concerts, parties, festivals and everything in between, I prefer quiet solitude, the warm glow of a book, and the loving embrace of my bed. However, during a particularly dark period of my life, I relied a little too much on weed, liquor that was the color of my skin, and copious amounts of sex just to make it through those days. Perhaps that’s why I can relate to and enjoy Snakehips’ “All My Friends” so much; it is literally the soundtrack to those days, with Chance’s verse summarizing everything I’d felt to a T. Plus, Tinashe: need I say more?. — Meka Udoh
Kanye West – “Ultralight Beam” f. Chance The Rapper, The-Dream, Kelly Price & Kirk Franklin
The Life of Pablo (2016)
Snoop Dogg on “Deep Cover.” AZ on Nas’ “Life’s A B*tch.” ScHoolboy Q on A$AP Rocky’s “Brand New Guy.” These weren’t just guest verses on their respective songs; these were their formal introductions to the world. Sure, they may have had a cult-like following, but it was these verses that put them on the maps of popular music.
Yes, by this point in his career Chance was a more-than-established star with an immense following and legions of diehard fans worldwide. But it wasn’t until he joined Kanye West on his The Life Of Pablo opener “Ultralight Beam” where he captured the rest of the world’s attention with his fiery verse:
“You can feel the lyrics, the spirit coming in braille/Tubman of the underground, come and follow the trail/I made ‘Sunday Candy,’ I’m never going to hell/I met Kanye West, I’m never going to fail/He said let’s do a good ass job with Chance 3/I hear you gotta sell it to snatch the Grammy/Let’s make it so free and the bars so hard/That there ain’t one gosh darn part you can’t tweet.”
RELATED: Kanye’s TLOP Is A Chaotic Ride Through A Madman’s Mind
His verse is arguably the best moment on Kanye’s album, and although the song arrived in February it has since been considered the best rap verse of 2016. It’s hard to debate that. If that didn’t get you excited for Chance 3… — Meka Udoh
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