The Best Chance the Rapper Songs

On Monday, Chance the Rapper took the title of Best Rapper Alive for his work in 2016. In addition to the talents and qualities that make Chance an empathetic, inspiring songwriter, he’s just a remarkably consistent artist, maintaining a high standard of quality for the music he releases. It’s made whittling down (and ranking) his best songs especially tough. He’s matured significantly, from 10 Day to Acid Rap to Surf to Coloring Book, but that evolution hasn’t rendered any of his past work irrelevant. Even when he’s working in a more frivolous space, like holiday music, he still manages to produce gems.

Not everyone agreed with Complex’s decision to reward Chance yesterday. There were questions raised about his lyricism and ability to rap in the traditional sense. Spend time with some of the songs here—in particular loosies like “Israel (Sparring)—and maybe you’ll be convinced anew.