Chance the Rapper @ United Center, Chicago, US, August 19, 2023

Chance the Rapper

Chance the Rapper @ United Center, Chicago, US, August 19, 2023,

Aug 24, 2023 By Candace McDuffie Photography by Loren Lens (lead photo) & Zoe Rain (all others) Web Exclusive

Chance the Rapper had quite the homecoming this past Saturday (August 19) as he played Chicago’s sold-out United Center celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Acid Rap. Back in 2013, the seminal mixtape put the beloved emcee on the map and in competition with rappers twice his age. It also cemented Chance as quite a promising force in hip hop. His performance of it in his hometown was an enthralling one, as he brilliantly coalesced songs from the project with newer material. Chance entered the stage at full force as he opened his set with “No Problem,” the second single from his 2016 mixtape Coloring Book. That electrifying introduction was complete with fireworks and confetti, as Chance ran back and forth revving up a crowd eager to consume his energy.

That energy was contagious all night and elevated when he brought out Saba for “Everybody’s Something” and “Angels.” Chicago native Noname also came out to perform “Lost” with Chance, as did Twista and Vic Mensa for “Cocoa Butter Kisses.” Other highlights from the evening included a creative take on the theme song from the kids’ television show Arthur, a cover of Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment’s “Sunday Candy” with Kirk Franklin’s “Melodies from Heaven” interpolated and an especially vulnerable rendition of Kanye West’s “Ultralight Beam.” Chance stated during the evening that he doesn’t perform songs from Acid Rap that much anymore because they don’t reflect the man that he has become. However, it was clear to him and everyone in attendance that those songs do still hold a special place in his heart.