By: Declan Hertel
Entertainment Editor

I gotta cut right to the chase: Chance the Rapper’s third and most recent release, “Coloring Book” (also known to fans as “Chance 3”), is really good. Like, really, really good.

I heard his 2013 mixtape, “Acid Rap,” for the first time about two years after it came out, and I really dug it, but I didn’t really start to pay attention to Chance until his just-about-perfect verse on Kanye West’s “Ultralight Beam,” the opening track on “The Life of Pablo” (review at wou.edu/westernjournal).

His verse caught my attention like no other, and I soon after went back to “Acid Rap.” Before I had dug it, but now I felt like I got it. Chance is different, in a way he states perfectly in the first verse of CB’s “Blessings:” “I don’t make songs for free, I make ‘em for freedom / don’t believe in kings, believe in the kingdom.”

I don’t even know where to begin talking about this mixtape, so the beginning will work: I don’t want to proclaim a trend too early—two is hardly a pattern—but with “The Life of Pablo” and “Coloring Book,” hip-hop and gospel music have found themselves very, very happy together. But unlike Yeezy’s latest, which uses its gospel influence as a plea to God to help a troubled sinner, “Coloring Book” uses gospel to proclaim and share the glory with all who hear it.

He is a man blessed with unbelievable success, including getting to work closely with Kanye West, the man who inspired him to become a rapper, and who provides the hook on “All We Got,” the first cut on “Coloring Book.” The record has all kinds of high profile features (Lil Wayne, Justin Bieber, and T-Pain, to name a few), with several songs underscored with triumphant horns and choirs. Throughout the 14 tracks, Chance is not only celebrating his success, but is eternally grateful for it, and wants to share it.

What makes Chance and “Coloring Book” great is his ultimately positive message. He’s not glamorizing a destructive lifestyle or constantly firing off shots at other artists: his music is all about making the best of everything, counting your blessings, and always being humble and grateful. From touching laments about growing apart like “Same Drugs” to honestly talking about how hard it is to find success in “All We Got,” Chance ultimately lays out a message that says if you stay strong and determined you can accomplish what you want and get through what’s got you down. Even as he raps about his problems, there’s nothing underneath but love and a forward looking attitude.

Unfortunately, it seems that “Coloring Book” has been removed from DatPiff.com, where it was originally released as a free download. But if you’ve got Apple Music you can listen to it there, and since he released it for free, if you want to torrent it or just listen on YouTube, you ought to do that guilt free.

Contact the author at dhertel11@wou.edu or on Twitter @JournalFunTimes