FSD Feature: 30 Great Chicago Mixtapes Of 2013

1. Chance The Rapper – Acid Rap

You knew it was coming. It had to be number one. So yeah, this is kind of a “duh” moment. Chicago rap belonged to Chance The Rapper in 2013 and Acid Rap cemented his place as the leader of the new school. No XXL freshmen cover needed.

10 Day got Chicago behind him, but Acid Rap was when the rest of the world caught on. Acid Rap hit like a sheet of LSD when it dropped in the spring, crashing this site and strangling Twitter timelines across the globe. Has a mixtape ever leaked like it was an album? The early arrival of Acid Rap thanks to thirsty fans and bloggers may have been a first.

Usually when such hype surrounds a project, it turns out to be just that: hype. But Acid Rap delivered, satisfying fans and critics alike – not to mention it’s still in heavy rotation for many eight months after its release. It was enough to land Chance a Complex Magazine cover and the honor of being Spin Magazine’s rapper of the year. Not to mention global tours with Macklemore, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar. Chance literally had the best year ever, and can now count everyone from Madonna to Seth Rogen as fans.

Chance has arrived as a rap star, but is now crossing into rock star territory. The hype was real, and Acid Rap changed the game with no real budget or machine pushing it. It was a lot of hard work, great music, dedicated fans and great decision making — the perfect storm.

[Stream/Download Here]