Stanisland Magazine

The Chicago-born rapper/vocalist stuns fans with a new one of a kind album

2 minute read

TL;DR

• Chance the Rapper returns to form
• New sounds blends with existing identity
• Interesting use of features, though it can sometimes feel adrift

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Chance the Rapper (Chancelor Johnathan Bennett) has released an absolute banger of an album — a 17-strong tracklist, polished and difficult to surmount. Star Line is undoubtedly the most-talked about release, but it deserves more praise.

Filled with deft furrows of fresh rap and a musicality missing from the scene, his new joint puts the genre front and centre.

Star Line is a Return to Enjoyable Hip-Hop

From the get go, Chance enjoins the listener in an infectious, phonetically charged work of hip-hop. Without standing on ceremony, as always, he targets his core market — himself. This makes Star Line an easy listen with some spectacular rhyming.

As a long play, it’s clear that some time out gave him the means to embrace a melodious finish. Emitting sound waves of spirited take homes, it further churns expected metaphors into a blend of vocally vibrant flows.

Its main motif sees it weave within a boom-bap space, supported by instrumental elements of jazz, R&B, and neo-soul. However, its charm lies in the artist’s ability to make it his own, a branch of compositional balance fortified by a kernel only hip-hop can espouse.

The Verdict

It’s thick with importance, filtering into a mix of substances.

Pivoting from earlier releases, his travels have evidently made a heavy impact on the rapper’s work, forming new guidelines for his artistic direction.

With features that bond relevance to each track – like Jasmine Sullivan on Speed of Love – Bennett has meticulously curated each detail. As a self-released drop, there’s no pressure to conform to stockpiling marketable names.

Do or Die’s performance is equally noteworthy and shifts the balance while maintaining the project’s course. However, tracks like Tree are missing something, while Lil Wayne’s inclusion feels misplaced.

Overall, aside from a few tracks, Star Line hits just shy of the bullseye.

Streaming, Vinyl, and CD Copies

Star Line is available to purchase directly from the rapper’s website on compact disc (CD), though vinyl is currently unavailable.

You can stream the album on all major platforms here.