Music’s latest sensation, Chance The Rapper, is re-writing how we view the term “gospel”.
Chance recently dropped an incredible piece of work called Coloring Book.
The new album features very interesting references to Chance’s faith and God. In fact, there are three tracks that speak on faith and God: Blessings, How great [is our God] and Blessings (this time featuring Future).
Before I am lambasted by those among us who have a “strictly gospel” policy, let me explain how Chance and other artists are changing our perspectives of what constitutes “gospel”.
Before releasing Coloring Book, Chance had a lot of input in Kanye West’s latest project, The Life of Pablo. While still working on the album, Kanye tweeted that the upcoming album was going to be a “gospel album”.
As usual the internet exploded.
People had all sorts of things to say about it.
And now, Kanye’s mentee – Chance – is releasing songs that refer to how great God is and blessing falling from heaven as the praises go up?
So what is going on?
Have they now joined Kirk Franklin and Lecrae?
In a recent interview with Zane Lowe from Beats 1 radio (owned by Apple), Chance explains himself (and indirectly Kanye’s reference to gospel).
He talks about a time when he rented a home in LA when he would wake up early every morning and play Kirk Franklin’s music at full blast for everyone to hear. Presumably that’s how he listens to music. It was during this period of his life he started some music but realised that this next project would be “…founded in God and founded in my faith. He continued to say that he “never really set out to make anything that could pretend to be ‘the new gospel’ or pretend to be ‘the gospel’. It is just, I think, music from me, as a Christian man”.
Chance goes on to explain that previously artists really didn’t make declarations about their faith (publicly at least). It would appear he is free from this.
In his words: “We are not all free unless we can talk about God”.
So perhaps he is not setting out to make “gospel” music as we know it, but rather to freely make a deceleration of his faith despite his flaws and imperfections as a man.
I do not condone Chance’s entire lifestyle, because I have no knowledge of it, but I salute his break from the mould that so called “secular” artists have no place speaking about their faith in God.
My take? Chance and Kanye can give us all the “gospel” they want.
Chance’s album is available on iTunes. But check out his performance of Blessings on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon