Chance the Rapper Announces New Album, Surf
Given the positive reception of Chance the Rapper’s Acid Rap freebie project last year, the Chicago rapper could’ve been the Kendrick Lamar of 2014, slashing through cameo features and working toward household name status. Instead, Chance stuck to the tour circuit and strategic guest features (Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne) and built his already rabid fanbase even bigger. And finally, after sparing dropping breadcrumbs of new music, the 21-year-old indie artist announces a new full-length project.
The name is Surf, and like Acid Rap, Chance says he’s releasing it for free before the end of the year. Along with appearances from Migos, J. Cole and Frank Ocean, Surf will heavily feature his band Social Experiment—which includes Donnie Trumpet, Peter Cottontale and producer Nate Fox (all major components of Acid Rap and Chance’s live shows). “My new shows are almost like watching a movie,” Chance told Billboard, citing The Lion King Broadway show as an influence. “We’ve been trying to take in all these cool, different outside cultural experiences and make that into a free listenable project.”
Kanye West’s “Guilt Trip” Was Originally a Watch the Throne Record with Jay Z
Add another lost Jay Z verse to the eternal well of unreleased Hova material. Producer Symbolyc One, who crafted “Best Thing I Never Had” for Beyoncé and “Guilt Trip” for Kanye West, says the latter track was originally intended for Watch the Throne. “[I] played it for Kanye and Jay… Jay just was like, ‘Yo, what’s this? We need that now,’” S1 recalls of the 2010 London session. The producer says the track, which eventually landed on Yeezus, didn’t fit the overall direction of WTT, but Jay did record to “Guilt Trip.” “There was like a freestyle type of… a little piece of a Jay verse,” he says. “He never finished it.” Hopefully someone leaks Jay’s raw vocals on that bonkers beat.
Jhené Aiko and SZA Are Embarking on Enter the Void Tour
Jhené Aiko is taking her moody music on tour. The perpetually heartbroken songbird has announced her Enter the Void tour, which will co-star fellow emo acts SZA and Odd Future’s The Internet. What might be the most Zen tour ever, Enter the Void kicks off in Jhené’s Los Angeles hometown on December 12, so you’ve got plenty of time to finish memorizing those Souled Out lyrics. Spoiler: we’re sure there will be lots of herbal essences in the crowds that have nothing to do with shampoo.
