If we really analyze it, at the core, The Social
Experiment and Donnie Trumpet’s approach to this project is what makes Surf
special. They did things that the average musician would typically steer clear
of just because the line between doing it well and dismally is too thin to even
dare to try. Chano teamed up with Segal, Nate Fox, Peter Cottontale and Grag
Landfair forming The Social Experiment providing a dope and evidently new
Chance the Rapper relationship with the music.
Within the past year-and-a-half or so Chance has been experimenting
slightly with distinguishable sounds and styles right after Acid Rap dropped
which helps explain the transition from 2013 Chance the Rapper to 2015 Chance
the Rapper. Although Surf wasn’t too greatly received by those looking for or
expecting to hear the Brain Cells-esque, lyrically intricate hip-hop that
Chance The Rapper does every now and again it still holds the hearts of most of
his fans, myself included, with Chance’s signature content mood being
positivity. But, Surf is not a Chance the Rapper album. And if you made the
unfortunate mistake of listening to this project with that mindset - expecting
solely Chance and his signature flows, bars and wit - then there’s a good
chance that Surf won’t sit too well with you.
Surf offers quite a diverse roster of features including
people from Big Sean to Erykah Badu. It’s easy for such a diverse array of
artists to get together on one project and have it not make sense at all but
surprisingly, the differences in the elements that each of theses artist bring
to the table synchronizes quite well and rather complements each other.
On the first track Miracle Chance the Rapper shows us
glimpses of his unique flow and unconventional thoughts spiraling into verses
after a calm beginning which then progresses into a chaotic explosion of sounds
that’s then carried throughout the album before the slower ending. It’s dope
that this was the opening track mainly because it gives a good feel for what to
expect through the rest of the project. From about late 2013 up until now we’ve
heard The Social Experiment take a similar route content-wise on tracks such as
Wonderful Everyday: “it could be wonderful everyday.” In what may be seen as the parallel: “the
homies’ breathing, the fam is eating, it’s a miracle. It is a miracle to be
alive and well.” More noteworthy tracks definitely need to be Sunday Candy,
Warm Enough, Farmiliar, Rememory and the more chaotic Slip Slide which somehow
manages to work incredibly well among the soulful and calmer elements within the
other tracks. An album like this could easily become unbalanced and just leave
the listener straight up uncomfortable from all of the blends in tempos but
Surf did the diametric.
Surf’s production value ticks almost all of the boxes and
carries the project, as it was clearly intended to do, which is shown quite
beautifully in the slots of instrumentals within the album giving a dope
breather from the lyrics while simultaneously complementing not just the other
tracks but the instrumentals themselves as the two are somewhat linked and are
strategically placed three tracks into the album and three tracks before the
end. I can appreciate the thought that
went into the composition on a whole of this project but the rap fan in me left
no instrumental unturned when looking for the intricate wordplay, hardcore
punchlines and wavy flows that – despite all of the features – I feel weren’t
fully provide or attended to here.
Surf is a complete kaleidoscope of genres, styles,
instruments, flows, harmonies and influences giving it the uniqueness of an
album that is rarely heard today. Whether it’s the theatricality in the
production or the simplicity in the verses, Surf has a very special value. It’s
wavy.
Overall rating: 7.5/10
Peace, love and hip hop
KTTIB
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