Chance the Rapper to Release New Album on July 26th

PUMPED

 

Dang, didn't realize Coloring Book was a "mixtape". I'm curious, what typically sets mixtapes aside from regular, traditional "albums"?

 

Debut?

 

And we have officially reached the age of the mixtape/EP/album distinction being utterly arbitrary.

 

Typically a mixtape is free, released without label support, and is a compilation of artists instead of a single artist. For example, on the Coloring Book, "D.R.A.M. Sings Special" doesn't feature Chance. Honestly, it's a pretty thin line though.

 

Oh whoa, didn't realize it had a song without him even on it (I liked Coloring Book a lot but only listened once or twice, admittedly.)

 

I think GoldLink even retroactively called At What Cost a mixtape before he dropped Disapora, when it was originally billed as his first album. So even when they have a defined format they don't. Format-fluid?

 

Free and no label are mostly the thing (however, I mean, albums can be free and without a label). Then again, in the 90s and 00s many mixtapes were being sold on CD by what you could call indie labels. Guests songs happen of course, but I have also seen the occasional major label rap album with guest songs. Mostly, for a long time, the production value was lower, songs were looser, freestyles over other people beats (or like covers with different lyrics) were common etc. Often some DJ was "host". That still is the case for some rap artists, a lot even, but a lot of the mixtapes that gain mainstream attention might as well be albums now.

 

Some artists(e.g Nipsey Hussle) consider their first "album" to be their first release on a major label. Everyone seems to have a different definition these days that I just refer to everything as an album tbh

 

“Project”

 

Honestly some hip hop sub genres or hip hop adjacent genres are becoming more and more singles oriented anyway

 

Recently learned that some rappers refer to Chance as "Ol' Happy Ass" which I find hilarious even though I love Chance.