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Chance entered stage left and exited stage right. In the middle he made magic.

That “Ultralight Beam” SNL performance was something special. Goosebumps, hair on edge, fighting back tears, it was par for the Kanye West course, but that performance had something extra. There was real power. Chance the Rapper commanded that stage and did it with Kanye watching like a proud father.

“I met Kanye West I’m never going to fail,” he said with Kanye standing over his left shoulder. To me and to many who continue to be inspired by Kanye (Chance included) that line reads like, “Holy sht, I’m on the same song as Kanye fcking West.” You’d have to be Stevie Wonder to not see and Victor Zokas not to feel the significance of Chance and Kanye on the same stage. For Chicago, for hip-hop as a whole, it was a moment; one that seemingly united the hip-hop community.

Chance and Kanye’s budding friendship is exciting and it’s been drawing comparisons that extend far beyond “Ultralight Beam” and “I hit the gym all chest, no legs.”

While their relationship has blossomed recently, the comparisons between the two have been made for sometime now. In fact, as far back as 2013, people were already drawing a direct line between Yeezy and Chano, and it was undoubtedly happening within Chicago long before that.

“The classic soul/R&B elements on Acid Rap remind me of listening to The College Dropout for the first time; both that album and Chance’s are watershed releases that sound simultaneously familiar — largely due to the traditional musical source material they use — and entirely new in approach.”  - Prefix (2013)

Chance has clearly been inspired by Kanye and has never been one to shy away from that influence. While it’s impossible to not recognize some connections between the two, let’s not confuse inspiration for succession. There are some very big differences between them, and when you compare Chance to Kanye, it’s a disservice to Chance’s story and more importantly, it limits Chance’s future.

The day I first heard Kanye West is a day I will always remember. The more I listened the more I learned, the more I became enamored with his story. “The Rudolph red nosed reindeer of the Roc,” Kanye was an underdog, but in his mind he was already the MVP, he just needed to get on the field. He had the ego of Willie Beamen but the roster spot of Rudy and you couldn’t help but love him for it. Once he got the opportunity, he sacked the game. He raised himself up on his own shoulders and carried himself out of the stadium. That’s why I love College Dropout. That’s why I love “Last Call.” The outro of the album was his chance to plant his flag on hip-hop’s summit after an treacherous climb. Kanye beat them at their own game; he earned it. To this day, I still sense that chip on Kanye’s Hermes-draped shoulder. He’s conquered hip-hop and is now focused on kicking down the door of fashion. He’s begging for a shot again. He thrives off the doubt that the powers that be are conspiring against him. He wants to take over every game he’s not allowed to play.

I also remember the first time I heard Chance. Maybe not the exact first time, but the first time I felt his magic. It was “Juice.” Thanks to Kanye, at that point I had been studying hip-hop for years. I knew my way around a sample, I listened, wrote, and listened more. I had moved from what was on the radio to what never would be. I wasn’t 9th Wonder, but I knew hip-hop. When I heard “Juice” it was unlike anything I had heard before. In all my articles, all my sleepless nights spent perusing Soundcloud, I had never come across anything like “Juice.” With a nasal yet raspy flow, Chano gracefully meandered over the beat. He was cluttered, off-kilter and obscure and yet somehow it felt so natural. He makes his way across a production on scattered footholds, jumping and falling with style to the finish line while other rappers use the same bridge. “Acid Rap” wasn’t his middle finger to the establishment the way College Dropout is — if anything that’s 10 Day. Acid Rap‘s charm, its soul, is a product of Chance’s commitment to himself and the comfort that comes with doing things the way you want. After a project of doing things his way, his last statement? “Everything’s Good.” No intro from Jay Z or a heavyweight co-sign, instead the other voice we hear is from his dad. Kanye finally got a chance to run their race, to play their game, and he was ecstatic that he had beat them at it. Chance? Chance was too busy inventing his own game to play theirs.

Chance is running his career the same way he runs a beat. He’s finding paths other emcees can’t even spot. His resume has been celebrated, but it’s worth stating again. He’s released the first free project on iTunes, he’s headlined festivals, he’s recorded with f*cking Madonna, and now he’s performed on SNL...twice. The Harriet Tubman of the underground, he’s blazing a trail for future emcees to follow. Kanye was begging labels to let him in. Chance is fighting them off with a stick. They didn’t want Kanye but they’d kill to have Chance.

More important than any song or performance, he is committed to ensuring he leaves Chicago better than he found it by clothing the homeless and hosting poetry slams. In a city plagued by violence, Chance is doing his best to heal the wounds. Kanye’s inspired a generation with his voice and now Chance is encouraging his generation to find their own. What makes me more excited about Chance is not his music, but what he can do for music. He has the opportunity to alter the DNA of hip-hop. He’s only 22-years-old and has already done it in part. What will another 10 years look like?

But when we compare him to Kanye, when we talk about him as “the next Kanye West,” I fear that it prevents us from celebrating the one thing that makes Chance Chance; his uniqueness. Let’s not compare him to something that’s already happened, let’s celebrate the fact that he’s done what nobody else has.

Chance is different. He’s never wanted to fit into a mold, so let’s not force him into one. He doesn’t need to follow in Kanye’s shoes, he’s already kicked off his Yeezys and is dancing in the rain.

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Don't is the second track from Mooji's debut EP 'Double Agent'. Set in a dystopian future, Don't is a powerful story of human emotion.

Video directed by Graham Smith (Electric Palmtrees)

Download Double Agent EP: itunes.apple.com...

Website: www.moojimusic.com Facebook: www.facebook.com Twitter: twitter.com Instagram: instagram.com SoundCloud: soundcloud.com

Biography

Respected DJ and producer Kramnik returns to the music scene under the eclectic alter-ego - Mooji - with a stunning new album titled 'Double Agent'. Exploring elements of acid-jazz, dub, funk, down-tempo and blues, with effortless style, the new sound of Mooji is trippy, intoxicating, and musically ambitious.

Kramnik began his career at SONY Music Spain (his motherland), working alongside some of the biggest names in popular music. But as a passionate lover of music, he quickly became disillusioned with the industrial approach of a big label and went on to promote some of the most revered underground nights in Spain. Inspired by the world famous DJs he booked for these shows, Kramnik honed his own DJ skills during this time, as he went on to rock dancefloors around the globe. From Birmingham to Berlin, and Madrid to Miami, taking in the likes of Sao Paulo, Washington DC and Puerto Rico along the way. This journey also taught the young and ambitious artist invaluable lessons about hard work and determination that he has lived by ever since.

Kramnik first began making serious waves as a producer in electronic music in 2012 with his irreverent and much-lauded debut album: 'Dark Matters'. The album was conceived and mixed LIVE, to showcase his fine-tuned ability to craft and execute an emotive sonic journey, garnering praise from the producer’s bible Future Music, who described him as 'one of the most distinctive artists of the year, with a unique and unaffected sound. A truly singular artist, Kramnik could well be bending our minds for years and decades to come.'

'Dark Matters' quickly garnered a strong following of underground house and techno fans alike, with a list of world-class producers stepping up to remix his work, including Ben Simms, Timo Maas,  Monika Kruse, Gabriel Ananda, Nick Warren, Hans Bouffmyhre, Hernan Cattaneo, Cari Lekebusch  and Alexi Delano, among others. Unsurprisingly, 'Dark Matters' went on to shake up the most demanding dance-floors on the planet, from Berghain to Fabric to Space Ibiza. As leading dance magazine at that time, iDJ observed, 'It's easy to see why he’s so respected.'

Always one to push the boundaries of his abilities, and with a new musical ambition, Kramnik moved to Berlin to immerse himself in the city’s artistic vibe. Taking his music back to basics, with a heavy mix of songwriting, improvisation and live instrumentation, Mooji finally came to life.

As Mooji explains, ‘because my debut album was designed for DJs, I wanted to make music that could appeal to a wider audience. I wanted to make music that could be enjoyed beyond the dance floor, something that could be shared with others.'

'Double Agent' began to take shape after two years of intense evolution, with Mooji proving both ambition and versatility, introducing vocals by blues legends such as Leadbelly, John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters, as well as Dub pioneer Lee 'Scratch' Perry. The album came to life as Mooji took to the road, producing and recording as he travelled, and drawing visual inspiration from places such as Cuba, Laos, Morocco, Japan or Mongolia, to shape the 'story' behind the music. 'Double Agent' also sees the introduction of live session musicians on the likes of guitar, harmonica and trumpets, with Mooji stepping up himself on drums! The result is a more organic and earthy sound, both engaging and eclectic, masterfully bridging the gap between electronic production and live musical virtuosity.

Creating captivating music for both body and soul, Mooji's 'Double Agent' brings to life the artist's irrepressible desire to explore and master different musical styles. The metamorphosis from Kramnik to Mooji demonstrates a growing maturity and broadening of this respected artist's sonic horizons, and offers a tantalising glimpse of even more musical gems in the road ahead.

2015 is the year of Mooji. A 3 track EP will be released showcasing the diversity of the album, prior to the full album release on Kram Records in September. To celebrate the release of 'Double Agent', a series of tracks will be up for remix in a number of competitions. Winners will be awarded with a €1,000 production fee, royalty splits, Soundcloud Pro Accounts, and releases on a Delux 'Double Agent' Remix album.

Finnish hard rock and modern metal blender chILL releases new music video for song "Nonbeliever" from their latest EP "Artificially Alive". The music video is directed by Riku Lahtinen who also filmed and edited the video.

At the moment chILL is writing and recording material for their second full-length album. "Artificially Alive" is available for download FREE from the band`s official website at: chILLinyourspine.com

The self-sabotage of a relationship in a surreal way...

vimeo.com

This music video was created using different stop motion and timelapse techniques; utilising over 1500 hand drawn illustrations, wall paintings and classic claymation