Personally, I am a big fan of mellow music, something interesting with a low-key rhythm and soothing vocals. Today Halftime is here to bring you our compilation of mellow rap to hang out to. So put your feet up, relax and enjoy with The Weekly List: Chance and other Mellow Tracks.
“Sunday Candy”- Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment
Our first song comes to you from a band whose membership includes Chance the Rapper and others. “Sunday Candy,” is a joyful song heavily driven by piano and horns behind upbeat rap and a beautiful chorus to create a story of love and affection.
“I Know There’s Gonna Be”- Jaime xx, feat. Young Thug, Popcaan
The artist/producer behind the indie band The XX takes a drastic turn from his usual canon of work to create this catchy track. Beginning with old style doo-wop/bluesy lyrics that fall into fast, fun rhymes, the song’s instrumentals then synch up perfectly with a heavy, expertly timed bass track. This track stayed on repeat for weeks on my Spotify.
“Child’s Play”- SZA feat. Chance the Rapper
This trippy, gentle track is mystical from the beginning. SZA’s profound haunting vocals are overlaid to encapsulate the listener in nostalgic lyrics like, “Do you want to know me? Stuck in Nintendo, you’re the controller.” Chance’s close to spoken-word interludes meld together for a great musical experience.
“I. the worst guys”- Childish Gambino feat. Chance the Rapper
Yes, another track that Chance is involved in. What can I say? I’m all about the guy’s music. Childish Gambino’s dramatic touch goes nicely with Chance’s upbeat nature for a strong track. The very simple, repetitive synch work successfully emphasizes their interesting lyrics before dropping smoothly into the choruses of Childish’s tune.
“Bird Call”- Mac Miller
Although placed on one of his less successful albums, “Bird Call” remains an extremely well made work in my eyes. As always, Mac makes this song a bit crazy and comical through his lyric choices, yet his tone and backing track speak to the opposite for an interesting juxtaposition. The steady bass keeps a fast pace throughout the course of the song, making for a sound you aren’t sure whether you should dance to or sit and listen to while you “burn one.”
“Another Night”– Mac Miller
I count this as one of Mac Miller’s more emotional pieces; it focuses on the struggles of success battling the feelings of being alone versus thanking the world for his success. Casual, acoustic guitar and lyrics like, “I turn my phone on silent I need to get away… I thank god for blessing me with life every day” reflect his struggle in both sounds and words.
“Yonkers”– Tyler, The Creator
“Yonkers” is definitely much more intense than some of the previous tracks on this playlist, but Tyler, The Creator’s quiet anger and low energy through aggression make for a compelling piece of music. Hard bass and strange, unnatural background noises give the song an unsettling feeling, which I absolutely believe is the artist’s intention. Tyler’s rant is left in the opening to both scare and entice those who hit play on this record.
“Chum”- Earl Sweatshirt
I decided to end with this track by Earl Sweatshirt: a sad, piano drive track that reflects on loss and the difficulties that follow. The backing music remains fairly steady behind Earl’s lyrics until it suddenly drops into progressive drums and electro-keyboard. No lyrics interrupt this music outburst; it merely leaves me (and I hope others) pondering over his messages.
Photo: The Georgetown Voice
