Chance The Rapper & Nosaj Thing Collaborate On “Paranoia”

Since arriving last Tuesday, Chance The Rapper’s Acid Rap tape has dominated the hip hop conversation, drawing almost universal praise from both critics and fans. Drawing from Chicago’s rich musical history and capitalizing on hip hop’s current predilection for left field flow/cadence(s), Acid Rap is easily one of the most impressive “mixtapes” of the year and will probably be the start of an extended debut album hype tour. “Paranoia” was originally a secret track at the end of “Pusha Man”, but has now been liberated as a solo track via another excellent “Songs From Scratch” collaboration from Yours Truly. With Nosaj Thing behind the boards, “Paranoia” is about Chicago’s gun violence, but that’s a simplification. “Paranoia” is about the ability (or lack there of) to live out a proper childhood. It’s about the disparity between media coverage of black on black versus black on white or white on white violence. It’s about escapism and youthful abandon. It’s about the basic fear of living in a neglected, destitute environment. Nosaj Thing’s floating, California sunset-esque production seems like an odd selection at first, but the spaced out soul makes all too much sense as the beat progresses.  It doesn’t happen often anymore, but when”conscious” rap transcends basic political facsimiles and expresses the essence of a situation, it is truly special. There is no download link for “Paranoia” yet, but expect one soon and download Acid Rap in the meantime.