The Colors of Music

On May 13, 2016 hip-hop recording artist Chance the Rapper released his third mixtape entitled Coloring Book. The mixtape features collaborations from musicians such as Kanye West, Francis and the Lights, Justin Beiber, Kurt Franklin, and the Chicago Children’s Choir. The album received widespread acclaim for its fusion of hip-hop and gospel sounds. For many, like Devin Harvin and I, the album struck a special chord in our hearts. The christian influence was immediately recognizable and to us this became more than just an album. It was a celebration of the gospel music genre, and its ability to uplift and speak to many situations. One thing we focus on here at the Marsh internship, is growth. And so we have decided to attempt to deconstruct the various messages embedded in Chance’s album. We will do our best to explain all biblical and cultural references contained in this masterpiece.

While the entire album is worthy of examination, we have decided to focus on five primary songs.; All We Got (featuring Kanye West & Chicago Children’s Choir), Blessings, and Finish Line/ Drown (featuring T Pain, Kirk Franklin, Eryn Allen Kane, Noname)

All We Got

I get my word from the sermon I do not talk to the serpent That’s the holistic discernment Daddy said I’m so determined Told me these goofies can’t hurt me I just might make me some earl tea I was baptized like real early I might give satan a swirlie Wish I could tell you it’s ready Tell you it’s ready today They don’t give nothing away You gotta fight for your way And that don’t take nothing away Cause at the end of the day

Devin: This verse comes halfway through the first song on the album. It is deeply rooted in Christianity and the emphasis on the symbols of Christianity speaks volumes. The concept of the serpent is a direct reference to Satan and his control of the snake, and in Milton’s Paradise Lost, him becoming a serpent. Chance is able to effectively explain his theological belief in the pulpit (the sermon) and him ignoring the temptations of Satan. However, I resonate with his last few words, specifically, “you gotta fight for your way and that don’t take nothing away.” It speaks to his persona and ultimately the way he approaches the music industry. A hip hop album rooted in Christianity is rarely met with praise, and in his last few words, he reminded why the gospel genre fit this album so well. For years, the genre has experienced growth and struggled to maintain the sacredness, but continue to reach the youth. The upbeat style that feels like home to me stretched the older generations. Chance is stretching the youth, many who have strayed from the confinements of the church, and pulling them back in.  

Denise: The broader context of this song speaks to the importance of music. The song is truly beautiful, with the Chicago Children’s Choir backing Chance up, it reminds me of sunday’s at my granddaddy’s church. This verse is  infused with statements of perseverance and determination. Chance is an independent artist, he does not belong to a record label. “They don’t give nothing away” and other lines throughout this work are a testament to the hard work that Chance has put in in order to make it to this point in the industry. It is also filled with references to Christianity. My favorite line in this verse is “I get my word from the sermon, I do not talk to the serpent. That’s that holistic discernment”. As he opens his verse, Chance reminds the listener of the importance of listening to God in decision making. The importance of being guided by the word and resisting the temptations that are all around us. This verse makes it so clear that as Chance has worked to reach this point, he has been guided and strengthened by his faith.

Blessings

I don’t make songs for free, I make ’em for freedom.Don’t believe in kings, believe in the Kingdom

Chisel me into stone, prayer whistle me into song air. Dying laughing with Krillin saying something ’bout blonde hair Jesus’ black life ain’t matter, I know I talked to his daddy Said you the man of the house now, look out for your family He has ordered my steps, gave me a sword with a crest

And gave Donnie a trumpet in case I get shortness of breath

Denise: This verse, and song, is interwoven with relevant biblical and cultural references. Which is part of what makes Chance so powerful. HIs references enhance one another and the song is laced with spiritual vocals. The blending of Christian language and current events is thought provoking. I love the reference to his belief in the Kingdom and that God has ordered his steps-the sense of freedom and purpose those lines bring, lift me up everytime I hear it.This song consistently reinforces God’s presence in every aspect of our lives, and it is honestly impossible for me to listen to it without feeling reassured that God “has ordered my steps” and appreciative of the many blessings in my life.

Devin: I think what makes this music connect so deeply to me is that it is based so heavily on the black church tradition. Every line in this initial verse reminds me of home. His talking to “his daddy” and the fact that he feels his steps are ordered. These ideas are things I grew up accepting. Moreover, they have become the part of my spiritual make-up. I see the reality Chance is writing from, I feel it everytime I go home. That belief he holds on to so tightly throughout this song is something I too hold on to. The beauty of this music and this verse in particular is that it is subject to multiple interpretations. The reference he makes to the Black Lives Matter movement is clear but so many cultural references are lost in translation. You can argue that this can show a divide within the many variations of Christianity.

Finish Line/Drown

Lord rain down on me so I can move on water.Like children at the altar, like God inside my house I love you, I love you, you looking holy like Mama.You made a church out of feather. So when she fly to the Father. She know the choir gon’ follow and all the offering paid She gave my name away to your holy house She like my blessings in disguise She like her Jesus mountain high So He can watch her lonely child I know my God I know my God seen His breaks and His edges Are jagged for giving that pain to His city in gold Like everything is everything Like all them days He prayed with me Like emptiness was tamed in me And all that was left was His love

Devin: This is not a Chance verse. It is the last authentic rap verse of the album. Chance gives the final utterances of hip hop to a black, female rapper who talks solely about God. Noname is what she is called and she touches on so much in so little time. There is too much in common. So many theological claims, so much joy and an overwhelming sense of hope. In the end all that was left was his love. That is enough for me. Every line is personal. Sure it talks about her own life but it’s more than that. She talks about a personal connection to God. He is a friend. What I see is a change in the way God is being perceived by this generation. The idea of a scary and powerful God that only is present when things are bad won’t work for me. To Noname and to me and many like me, Jesus is a friend. “Mounted high” but he’s there when I walk. I couldn’t relate to a verse more. I don’t think she was doing anymore than showing her heart. She was speaking for no one else but herself, but she spoke to me.

Denise: This is Noname’s verse, not Chance’s. As Devin mentioned the placement, topic and deliverer of this verse is significant. This verse is absolutely full of biblical references. This verse is delivered in such a soulful, powerful way and conveys such hope. It is honest and uplifting. The verse in and of itself is incredibly beautiful. When coupled with the back up vocals and instrumentals, it is breathtaking. The end of this verse is particularly poignant.”Like emptiness was tamed in me. And all that was left was His love”. All that was left was His love. I love this because I regularly pray to be filled to overflowing with God’s love, and Noname sings that prayer in the most beautiful way. It is a powerful way to end a powerful album.

Denise & Devin: We both acknowledge the ability music has to changes us.Music can evoke emotions, speak to the world we live in and remind us where we came from.I think we came into this blog with no expectations, the beauty of it is that we finish writing with a similar mindset. I think we both found new reasons why we appreciated the music, in some aspects Chance was right when he said “music is all we got.”

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Conclusion: As we wrote our reflections, we listened to whichever song we were discussing on repeat. We both came into this loving this mixtape, but as we listened to each song, identified the parts we wanted to highlight, and heard the musical brilliance-the album took on a new meaning. I think the hardest part was remembering that music is messy, similar to religion in many ways. It isn’t as neat as we would like it and taking each lyric he spoke with a different lense. It was harder than we expected and more time consuming to understand what we actually thought he was saying. It was a good exercise and I’m glad we did it.

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