Is it that deep though?
Chance the Rapper’s 22-track concept album, The Big Day, about his wedding – and consequently about how much he loves his wife – was too much for some to handle. This faction flocked to Twitter in large numbers to express their distaste for all Chance’s new lovey dovey songs. After a few days these negative responses, the Chicago rapper sent out a series tweets to communicate that he was privy to how the album was being received. The most upsetting and confusing part these tweets was when Chance said he thought these detractors wanted him to kill himself.
Chance has provided some clarification about this statement during his interview on The Breakfast Club. He explained that he understood all the clowning his album as an instance “spiritual warfare”, which he believes is pervasive in our world today. Chance is known to be a devoutly religious person, so it’s unsurprising that he then moved on to discuss how our “enemy is not the flesh.” He related this idea to how social media creates a detachment from the individuals or information that is being commented on. He also compared the “negative energy” he received to the FBI’s Counter Intelligence Program (COINTEL PRO) that sought to tear down activist groups, such as those spearheading the civil rights movement. His main point was that it is “not a fantastical idea that people want you to self-destruct” and “sometimes you gotta let them know you see whats going on.”
Do you think Chance interpreted or dealt with the situation properly?