“I want to thank you Lisa for giving birth to a young man who is giving birth to a new era in music – thank goodness,” R&B star Maxwell told the crowd at Chance The Rapper’s “Be Encouraged” Tour Sunday night at Scottrade Center.
Maxwell’s mini concert was the ultimate Mother’s Day surprise for the rap star’s mother Lisa Bennett, who flew in to the St. Louis show from their hometown in Chicago to spend time with her superstar son. The singer’s words struck a chord with the audience, though many in the crowd had likely never heard of Maxwell before he was invited on stage to sing “Whenever, Wherever ,Whatever,” “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder)” and “Pretty Wings.”
Chance is doing hip hop his way – both as an independent artist and as a rapper not afraid to incorporate faith and spirituality into his musical message. His high impact, faith driven show proved Maxwell right.
This past Sunday night was as much praise party as it was a hip-hop show with more than 18,000 fans indulging him in the spirit-filled “Be Encouraged” Tour. While much of the music in the mainstream hip-hop scene plays out like a commercial that promotes drugs, misogyny and hedonistic excess, Chance let his crowd know that their salvation is among his musical priorities. “I want to get to Heaven, and I want all of you to get to Heaven too,” Chance told the crowd just before the show ended with songs that reflected his spiritual walk. “Are you ready for your blessing,” The chorus went for his “Blessings,” from the Grammy Award-winning album “Coloring Book.” “Are you ready, for your miracle?”
One of Chance’s many blessings this year came in the form of a sold out show at Scottrade Center – and he proved himself ready with an unforgettable live show. His band The Social Experiment, which featured a quartet of singers with enough gospel edge to compliment the core of the evening’s message, as well as pyrotechnics, fireworks and video effects complimented his explosive energy. But even after several songs, he hadn’t wrapped his head around the idea that he was able to pull such a massive crowd. “There are just too many people here,” Chance said. “I’m used to playing The Pageant.”
The crowd was nearly ten times bigger than what he’s used to –and he seemed overwhelmed at the thought of it as he transitioned from song to song. But the huge audience seemed to fuel him as opposed to getting the better of his nerves. He bounced back and forth across the stage, never once slowing down. At times jumped so high, it was as if his shoes had springs through hits like “No Problem,” and “Juke Jam.”
The audience followed suit as he asked the audience to do everything they could to shake the Scottrade Center’s foundation. With selections mostly from “Acid Rap” and “Coloring Book,” Chance proved why he deserved to be hip-hop’s newest phenomenon. He’s still riding high on the success of the buzz that came with the endorsement of fellow Chicago native Kanye West, multiple Grammy Awards and his decision to defiantly remain independent in the major label driven genre.
At just 24, many on the cusp of the industry are looking to him as inspiration with respect to creating their own path into hip-hop. Both through his activism and his music, Chance is proving that the genre – and the consciousness of the listener base– is safe in his hands. It’s nothing short of a miracle that he got hip-hop’s attention, but thank God he was ready for that too.
He’s not strictly faith-based. This was made clear during the show with selections like “All Night” and his cover of DJ Khaled’s “I’m the One” among others during his 90-plus minute set. But he is specific and intentional about enlightening his fan base to the importance of feeding their souls and nurturing their faith, which is encouraging in its own right. Actually, it’s quite miraculous that he got them on board with the core of his message when one considers the current state of hip-hop.(By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American)
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