About halfway through Chance the Rapper’s set at The Union Event Center in Salt Lake City, he took a moment between songs to reflect on the past decade since he released his third mixtape, Coloring Book, remarking how wild the passage of time is and expressing thanks to those who have stuck with the Chicago-based artist for nearly a third of his life.
It is remarkable to think 10 years have passed since “Chance 3” dropped in May 2016. When it did, the then 23-year-old was well on his way to becoming hip-hop’s next superstar following the acclaim from his first two mixtapes, 2012’s 10 Day and 2013’s Acid Rap. His tertiary solo tape quickly became one of the definitive projects of the 2010s and elevated its maker into the same space, and the energy and nostalgia of that era was palpable inside the Utah venue.
Before Chance hopped on stage, though, New Orleans-based rapper La Reezy bounded onto the stage. Having released his first studio album in July, La Reezy took to the spotlight and the venue confidently, orchestrating the crowd through several audience-participation moments throughout his 40-minute set. People responded accordingly, repeatedly breaking out into “Reezy, Reezy, Reezy” chants between songs as the young rapper dictated stories about his childhood in Louisiana before segueing into another song.
After his set, the young artist went to the barrier and drank in the adulation from a swarm of fans, and it was fascinating to think about it in the context of his role as the opener of a tour celebrating Chance when he was about the same age.
The reflection didn’t last long, as Chance strolled onto stage to perform the album’s opening track, “All We Got”. His performance got so rowdy that, at one point, his hat flew off his head and let his braids shake free. He followed that with “Blessings” and eventually performed every track on the tape except “How Great”. Intermingled with the Coloring Book tracks were performances of “I Might Need Security”, which included a message reading “F*** ICE” on the screen behind him, as well as “Drapetomania” and “Link Me in the Future” from his most recent album.
Also featured on the track list were his collaboration with DJ Khaled, Quavo and Justin Bieber, “I’m The One” and his classic track with Nico Segal, “Sunday Candy”, during which Chance went up to the barrier and handed the mic over to fans eager to belt out the chorus. The ending of the show was slightly abbreviated after he performed “Finish Line / Drown” and “Blessings (Reprise)” as the artist thanked the venue for keeping his mic on so he could perform “Same Drugs” as footage from his 2016 victory lap played along in the background.
If fans who’ve rode with Chance ever forgot the happy thoughts, the show provided a reminder in the best way.
