The Best Chance the Rapper Songs

Across multiple projects, Chicago's Chance the Rapper has maintained a remarkably consistent level of quality. These are Chance the Rapper's best songs.

Chance The Rapper/Lorne Thomson
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Chance The Rapper

Chance The Rapper/Lorne Thomson

What a difference a year can make. Chance’s 2016 joint June/July cover story with Lin-Manuel Miranda (the second of two covers at that time) profiles him before debatably the best freestyle of the #SoGoneChallenge, when his critique of Chicago and Illinois politicians was in its early stages, and still in the midst of producing what is now Coloring Book. Fast forward to this June/July, and Chance is meeting with governors, funding Chicago public schools on his own dime, and gathering Grammys, a Humanitarian Award, and Complex’s first digital cover under his belt, among other accolades.

In addition to the talents and qualities that make Chance an empathetic, inspiring songwriter, he's just a remarkably consistent artist, maintaining a high standard of quality for the music he releases. It's made whittling down (and ranking) his best songs especially tough. He's matured significantly, from early mixtape 10 Day to Acid Rap to Surf to Coloring Book, but that evolution hasn't rendered any of his past work irrelevant. Even when he's working in a more frivolous space, like holiday music, he still manages to produce gems.

The oeuvre of Chance's rap songs made him an easy choice for the Complex staff to award him the title of the most recent Best Rapper Alive. Not everyone agreed with Complex's decision to reward Chance yesterday. There were questions raised about his lyricism on his tracks and ability to rap in the traditional sense. Spend time with some of the songs we love here—in particular, loosies like "Israel (Sparring)—and maybe you'll be convinced anew.

 

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Related: Top Songs of 2017

34. Snakehips f/ Chance the Rapper and Tinashe "All My Friends"

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Album: All My Friends EP (2015) 

Producer: Cass Lowe & Snakehips

A success in the UK, “All My Friends” sounds messy on paper and a little bit in practice (Tinashe’s lyrics about vultures and cannibals...aren’t very good.) But the chorus is soaring and Chance’s contribution is appropriately bittersweet for an antisocial song about feeling alone when your friends are wasted. —Ross Scarano

33. Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment f/ Chance the Rapper, King Louie, and Quavo "Familiar"

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Album: Surf (2015)

Producer: The Social Experiment

You know who else torrents porn? Chance the Rapper. “Familiar,” from Donny Trumpet and the Social Experiment’s Surf is a busy, sunny walk through the neighborhood on that first warm day when sundresses come out of closets and, to quote Earl Sweatshirt, we’re all reminded of what that ass do. Chance, King Louie, and Quavo are wide-eyed and impressed with the women who are out and about; it’s summer in a bottle. —Ross Scarano

32. Chance the Rapper and Jeremih f/ Lud Foe"I Shoulda Left You"

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Album: Merry Chrismas Lil' Mama (2016)

Producer: Zaytoven

Twenty years from now there will be ample evidence for illustrating the tremendous lows of 2016. Merry Christmas Lil Mama is a minor project for both Chance and Jeremih, but it does provide a catchy indictment of 2016. "Rest in peace to great David Bowie/Please can we get back Prince?/Please can we get back Kimbo Slice, boy I swear that they gave you life.” True. —Ross Scarano

31. Rapsody f/ Chance the Rapper and Big K.R.I.T. "Lonely Thoughts"

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Album: She Got Game (2013)

Producer: Mr. Porter

Chance’s breakout 2013 was anchored by the success of Acid Rap, but don’t forget; he doubled down with a handful of standout guest verses later that year to reinforce his newfound acclaim. One of those moments lives on Rapsody’s “Lonely Thoughts,” where Chance kicks rhymes with his chest puffed out (“I'm so pretty I make mirrors blush”). His delivery has an ebb and flow, consistently finding the pocket at the last second. “They sayin Acid was an album, retail it/I said I got way too much soul for me to sell it,” he spits over Mr. Porter’s mellow beat. Four years later and Chance’s stance still holds true. —Edwin Ortiz

30. "Favorite Song" f/ Childish Gambino

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Album: Acid Rap (2013)

Producer: Nate Fox

This collaboration between Chance and Childish Gambino proved just how fun their chemistry is. That energy, paired with a beat that samples Betty Wright’s “Woman,” make this a necessary song. The takeaway here is that Chance will still be cool with you if you don't know all the words to his songs—he’s just happy that you’re listening. —Nora-Grayce Orosz

29. "Somewhere In Paradise" f/ Jeremih and R. Kelly

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Album: N/A (2015)

Producer: Corin Roddick, the Social Experiment, and Chance the Rapper

It was initially unclear if this SoundCloud loosie would make the final track list for Coloring Book. It ended up on the cutting floor, now serving to prove (as if it wasn't already clear) that Chance was willing to make some sacrifices in service of a better album. The real star here is the beat—courtesy of Purity Ring's Corin Roddick, among others—one of the brightest Chance has ever jumped on, and by the time it kicks into high gear, booming horn section and all, Chance is in full preacher mode, as charismatic as ever. —Brendan Klinkenberg

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27. "Mixtape" f/ Young Thug and Lil Yachty

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Album: Coloring Book (2016)

Producer: CBMIX and Stix

A running theme from this list is that Chance, at his best, sounds only like Chance. His full-length projects are master classes in tone, each one featuring a developed sound and thoughtful sonic cohesiveness. "Mixtape," though, is where Chance proves his versatility, taking things to Atlanta to link up with outré firebrand Young Thug and winking upstart Lil Yachty. The results are intoxicating, a bass-heavy, slow-swinging track that bring Chance into a new zone, and romanticizes his persistent refusal to call his projects anything but mixtapes. —Brendan Klinkenberg

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25. "Smoke Again" f/ Ab-Soul

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Album: Acid Rap (2013)

Producer: Blended Babies

A laid-back standout on the critically acclaimed Acid Rap, "Smoke Again" is a breezy, braggadocious rap about the daily grind of life in between smoke sessions. With the confidence of a rap veteran Chance divulges about his casual encounters with groupies on tour and an affinity for recreational drugs, which is where Ab-Soul comes in. —Nora-Grayce Orosz

24. "Israel (Sparring)" w/ Noname

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Album: N/A (2015)

Producer: Cam O'bi

“A rap song is match in a cave” is the kind of line that gets lodged in your brain. On this loosie collaboration between Chance and Noname, they trade thoughtful lyrics that border on spoken word over a mellow beat from Cam O'bi. Chance’s delivery is so calm it’s almost flat, and instead of deadening the song it makes you sit up and listen. It’s the quiet sound of the zone. He’s in it. —Ross Scarano

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22. Action Bronson f/ Chance the Rapper "Baby Blue"

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Album: Mr. Wonderful (2015)

Producer: Mark Ronson

This is one of Chance's most brilliant verses—I've never respected his creativity more than when he rattles off a litany of mid-key horrible occurrences that we've all wished on someone who did us wrong. (What's worse? A stuck zipper or a headphone short? I still can't decide.) The Manchester By the Sea-level gut punch turn the verse takes at the end—"I hope you ruined this shit for a reason, I hope you happy"—gets me every time. —Frazier Tharpe

21. "Summer Friends" f/ Jeremih and Francis and the Lights

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Album: Coloring Book (2016)

Producer: Francis and the Lights

The best music can bring you back to a specific moment in time. A happy place from your past that makes you smile unconditionally. Chance the Rapper's "Summer Friends" does that for me. Reminiscing about those special June and July nights as a kid, back when life was much simpler than it is today.  The emotional lyrics, which describe gun violence in Chicago, end with Chance holding out hope that he'll forever have those summer friends, even as time goes on. —Zach Frydenlund

20. Lil Wayne f/ Chance the Rapper "You Song"

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Album: Dedication 5 (2013)

Producer: Cam O'bi, Peter Cottontale, & Nate Fox

The Life of Pablo wasn't the first hotly anticipated release from an A-lister that Chance had the gall to delay so he could put the finishing touches on it. Early Sept. 2013: Wayne's Dedication 5 was nowhere to be found, and reports indicated Chancellor was the holdup. Thank God he did—Wayne is wildly inconsistent these days but he always shows up when the occasion calls for it, which says volumes about the respect Chance commanded even three years ago. And no one does sweet without coming across as saccharine much like Chano. Of course, Wayne flips that sentiment in signature fashion—"My diamond grill makes it hard to see I'm lying through my teeth"—but nothing can derail this honeymoon phase on wax when Chance is rapping about shit like loving his girl so much he'll even eat vegetables for her. You know it's real when she got you adhering to the food pyramid. —Frazier Tharpe

19. James Blake f/ Chance the Rapper "Life Round Here (Remix)"

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Album: N/A (2013)

Producer: James Blake

Interview quotes aside, this is the most concrete evidence that James Blake and Chance had a relationship that almost involved cohabitation. The verse he contributes to the churning Blake production is knotty and expressive, speeding up and slowing down as he reflects on missing home when you’re away, and the differences between the UK and the States. —Ross Scarano

18. "Juke Jam" f/ Justin Bieber and Towkio

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Album: Coloring Book (2016)

Producer: Rascal and Peter Cottontale

Chance the Rapper brought out those fucking vibes on "Juke Jam." He not only got Justin Bieber and Towkio on a song about the roller rink, but did so in the grooviest way possible. Rich with Chicago references and tributes to his hometown, Chance shows once again that his range as an artist was almost unmatched in 2016. The overall smoothness of the production paired with Chance's soft vocals is just mesmerizing. Bieber's added part is a welcome shift, while Towkio's hook is fantastic. This song explains why people love Chance the Rapper. —Zach Frydenlund

17. "Hey Ma" f/ Lili K and Peter Cottontale

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Album: 10 Day (2012)

Producer: Tree, of Project Mayhem

When people write about Chance making music for "grandmas and babies,” they’re thinking of songs like “Hey Ma.” It’s an entry in the long tradition of rap celebrating mothers and, befitting Chance, it’s more about joy than sacrifice. And he even makes room to shout out the mothers of his peers and friends. Chance is nothing without community. —Ross Scarano

16. "How Great" f/ Jay Electronica and My Cousin Nicole

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15. "Prom Night"

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Album: 10 Day (2012)

Producer: Prince Talent, DJ SuchNSuch, and THEMPeople

In less than two weeks, Chance will get to find out if he was right when he rapped “this prom shit feel like the Grammys,” when he attends the Grammys, where he’s been nominated for Best New Artist among other awards. “Prom Night,” from 10 Day, is charmingly corny, opening with a reference to the 2007 coming-of-age movie Charlie Bartlett. But the beat, built around a brilliant Brenda Russell sample, pushes Chance to cross over from cheesy into heartfelt. —Ross Scarano

14. "Cocoa Butter Kisses" f/ Vic Mensa and Twista

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Album: Acid Rap (2013)

Producer: Cam O'bi and Peter Cottontale

“Cocoa Butter Kisses” is centered on nostalgia about Chance’s childhood and the realization about the man he’s becoming—and how Mom may not be so approving. In one line he’s rapping about knocking boots with a girl; the next he’s rattling off Rugrats characters like he just watched a marathon. That duality plays perfectly over Cam O'bi and Peter Cottontale’s smooth backdrop, which fellow Chicagoans Vic Mensa and Twista also bless. —Edwin Ortiz

13. Towkio f/ Chance the Rapper, Lido, and Eryn Allen Kane "Heaven Only Knows"

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Album: .Wav Theory (2015)

Producer: Lido

We should've seen where Chance and the gang were going on Surf and Coloring Book with this. "Heaven Only Knows" sounds like the most lit Sunday service choir session—Towkio basically made the sonic precursor to "Sunday Candy." Chance shows out with a double-time verse but, ever the gentleman, he's quick to admit the song was already fire without him as the beat fades out. Save Money got the holy spirit. —Frazier Tharpe

12. "Same Drugs"

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Album: Coloring Book (2016)

Producer: The Social Experiment and Lido

Symbolic and introspective, “Same Drugs” almost functions as a sort of interlude on Coloring Book while encapsulating the emotional complexities at core of the project. Chance is feeling nostalgic here, and turns the feeling into an extended allegory, using the story of Peter Pan to explain Chance's disappointing realization that he has grown apart from a girl he grew up with. The song takes us on a journey through the young rapper's early years, and implores the listener not to lose that childlike curiosity and optimism that is so often ground out of us as we mature. —Nora-Grayce Orosz

11. "Good Ass Intro" f/ BJ the Chicago Kid, Lili K., Kiara Lanier, Peter Cottontale, Will, and JP

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Album: Acid Rap (2013)

Producer: Peter Cottontale, Cam O'bi, and Stefan Ponce

"['Good Ass Intro'] is probably the most famous juke song to the world."

That's Stefan Ponce, the song's producer along with Peter Cottontale, explaining in an interview with the Fader just how Chicago-centric Chance can get. He's likely right, though visionaries like DJ Rashad led the charge and will always remain the Chicago genre's figureheads. Still, Chance rapping over a juke beat—almost unbearably fast syncopated rhythms designed for footworking—will likely be the biggest look for the genre outside of its city of origin. The song is a manic introduction to Chance and a long nod to Kanye. But it's also a signal for how seriously he takes his role as a self-appointed ambassador for his city. —Brendan Klinkenberg

10. "Juice"

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Album: Acid Rap (2013)

Producer: Nate Fox

Far as I'm concerned, the best lyricists—Kendrick Lamar and André 3000, as two examples—wear a love of language on their sleeves. They're the people who want to play with pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, to bend the laws of how we speak to their will, and in the process write sentences and phrases and verses that could only be the product of hip-hop. With "Juice," Chance showed that same delight in selecting each word, proclaiming his place in the succession of great rappers explicitly—"I've got the juice!"—and implicitly. —Brendan n

9. "Chain Smoker"

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Album: Acid Rap (2013)

Producer: Nate Fox

The beauty of “Chain Smoker” lies in its honesty. Chance is unafraid to sound contradictory—he wants to kick his smoking habit, but damn if it didn’t help him in the creation of Acid Rap. That honesty flows throughout, with commentary on the effects of drugs, and ultimately, Chance’s request for acceptance by just being himself. There’s a humanizing effect, and it’s an introspective performance that also features one of the best hooks Chance has ever written in his career. —Edwin Ortiz

8. "Angels" f/ Saba

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Album: Coloring Book (2015)

Producer: Lido and the Social Experiment

The first single for Chance 3—what would become Coloring Book—"Angels" is a vibrant rush of a song. Pitched-up choirs, steel drums, and a church organ provide the blueprint for what can be described in shorthand as the kind of song only Chance makes—Christian, Chicago, joyful—but crafted so well it shakes off any expectations, even over a year after a hearing it for the first time. Saba's chorus is grin-inducing, and Chance's pure confidence—he calls himself "the blueprint to a real man," challenging Chicago mayors, rappers, and other fathers for the mantle—means he is rapping like he's trying to change the fabric of the world with every verse. —Brendan Klinkenberg

7. Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment f/ Chance the Rapper "Sunday Candy"

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Album: Surf (2015)

Producer: The Social Experiment

Chance the Rapper’s gospel exploits, which became the bloodline for 2016’s Coloring Book, can be traced back to Nico Segal’s early Surf single. A dedication to Chance’s grandma, “Sunday Candy” is an uplifting performance that wraps the listener up in inviting handclaps, warm horns, and backing vocals that take you to church. “Mine's is handmade, pan-fried, sun-dried/Southside, and beat the devil by a landslide,” Chance spits about his granny while confessing he needs to visit the house of God to get those cocoa butter kisses. In Jesus' name, juke! —Edwin Ortiz

 

6. Kanye West f/ Chance the Rapper, The-Dream, Kirk Franklin, and Kelly Price "Ultralight Beam"

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Album: The Life of Pablo (2016)

Producer: Swizz Beatz, Kanye West, Mike Dean, Chance the Rapper, Plain Pat, DJDS, Derek Watkins, Rick Rubin, Noah Goldstein

“This is my part, nobody else speak.”

It’s literal, Chance’s wresting of the spotlight. The music, the bombast, and the choir of voices all quiet and, suddenly, it’s Chance’s show, not Kanye’s. His verse is dexterous and forceful—but plenty of rappers have skill and conviction—where Chance shines, and where he’s shined all year, is in the heartfelt notes. He’s a humanist, protecting his daughter and you from harm and deftly slinging lines with enough emotional heft—"I met Kanye West, I’m never going to fail” chief among them—to conjure goosebumps, even ten months later. This verse is more than a star turn, it’s the kind of performances legacies are built on. —Brendan Klinkenberg

5. "Blessings (Reprise)" f/ Anderson .Paak, BJ the Chicago Kid, Raury, and Ty Dolla Sign

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Album: Coloring Book (2016)

Producer: The Social Experiment and Cam O'bi

Reviewing Coloring Book earlier this year, I wrote that “We all deserve our unburdened blessing, the gospel of this mixtape tells us. The only question is, Are you ready?” Revisiting it months later, the reprise of “Blessings” moves me even more. From Chance’s measured delivery to his language, plain and poetic, the song is the thesis of the album. “I speak to God in public,” he says twice, and the repetition evokes his declaration that “this is my part, nobody else speak” in “Ultralight Beam.” And the chorus of voices that concludes the song, made up of Anderson .Paak, BJ the Chicago Kid, Raury, and Ty Dolla Sign, sends you falling out in the aisles. —Ross Scarano

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3. "Pusha Man/Paranoia" f/ Lili K. and Nate Fox

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Album: Acid Rain (2013)

Producer: Ceej for Two9/Nosaj Thing

Here, in seven-and-a-half minutes, Chance the Rapper lays out everything that he encapsulates as an artist. "Pusha Man" is a nimble reflection on how far he's come since 10 Day, a fun, Chicago-to-the-bone jam that mandates head-nodding. Chance's knotty brand of wordplay is at its best here; it feels effortless. Then things change. 

"Paranoia" is one of the best songs Chance has ever written, and his flow feels anything but easy to muster. It's a deeply empathetic report from the ground in Chicago, a city plagued by violence, and the frustration at that immovable fact. Chance is most often described—especially post-Coloring Book—as happy, ebullient, joyful. "Paranoia" is a different Chance. He's angry, frustrated, hurt. "They murder kids here," he says simply, sadness giving way to weariness. "They deserted us here." —Brendan Klinkenberg

2. "No Problem" f/ 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne "

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Album: Coloring Book (2016)

Producer: Brasstracks

Chance the Rapper’s #NoLabelsEverything stance has never been more evident or effective than on “No Problem.” His lyrics denouncing record labels bounce over Brasstracks’ bright mid-tempo production, a combo that sounds like Chance is celebrating a victory lap for glowing up dolo. He even got Wayne to go in with a gospel choir behind him. Two Grammy nods for “No Problem” (Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance) should cement the legacy of this record. We have zero problems with that, big fella. —Edwin Ortiz

1. "Acid Rain"

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Album: Acid Rap (2013)

Producer: Jake One

If Chance was the best rapper alive in 2016, he first made his claim to the throne here. "Acid Rain" is a hook-less piece of poetry, a dense and twisty, yet clear-eyed, piece of writing. It's a story told in fragments. It's rare that an artist can forge a personal connection as tangible as Chance's with his fans, but he achieved it in three-and-a-half minutes here. In the arc from self-mythologizing romanticism—"Wore my jacket as a cape, and my umbrella as a cane"—to haunted tragedy—"He still be screaming, I see his demons in empty hallways"—he's sketched, better than most will ever hope to achieve, who he is.

"Acid Rain" feels like a stream-of-consciousness missive, betrayed only by its facility with language; nothing this complex or narratively measured out could have been thought up on the spot. It feels immediate rather than considered, raw and plaintive. It sounds like a person looking to make a connection. —Brendan Klinkenberg

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