Rappers like to remind you where they’re from, often by peppering their lyrics with mentions of the spots they know best. Here are five of my favorite references to Chicago locations in local rap songs this year.
Lil B and Chance the Rapper, “First Mixtape Based Freestyle,” Free (Based Freestyles Mixtape)
Rich Jones casually half-sings, half-raps about stumbling through the bars and darkened corners of Milwaukee Avenue. The song’s dreamy, twinkling instrumental and Jones’s simple, affectionate performance remind me of the many warm evenings I’ve spent walking through the bustling patchwork of diverse neighborhoods along that street. Even if you’ve never ended a night “blacked out on that Blue Line,” as Jones raps, this heartfelt tribute to a stretch of Chicago road will help you appreciate its possibilities anew.
