Chicago-born Chance The Rapper kicked off his Social Experiment tour at Champaign’s Fluid Event Center, sponsored by the University’s chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi. All proceeds from the concert were donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. 

The 20-year-old rapper delivered a venerated, hour-long performance to around 1,500 audience members who filled more than half of the recently renovated warehouse. 

Audience members seemed jaded while listening to DJ Spinn who opened for Chance. DJ Spinn played bass-heavy, chorus-pleasing hip-hop mash ups as the rambunctious, overeager crowd loosely chanted, “We want Chance! We want Chance!” DJ Spinn’s reverberating sounds of mainstream hip-hop muffled the crowd’s voices, and he held his ground and continued to encourage the itching audience to be patient.

After his set, the lights dimmed as Chance’s “Good Ass Intro” blasted from the speakers. The crowd cheered. Chance jumped on stage, grabbed the microphone from the stand and hyped up the crowd to join him. Soon, a glowing field of cellphone lights lit up the venue, trying to get the best picture of the rapper. The wait was finally over. 

Manically pacing from one corner of the stage to the other, Chance transitioned to “Brain Cells,” a mellow, scatter-brained anthem that recants images of a psychedelic trip laced with a heavy dose of childhood memories. 

As the song ended, Chance disappeared from the stage, and a confused group of fans wondered if that was the end of the performance. 

Chance came back on the stage, having traded in his white marijuana-designed hoodie for a Chicago Black Hawks baseball T-shirt. With a three-piece instrumental band surrounding the outer stage, the rapper stood behind his microphone stand and dedicated “Everybody’s Something” to the ladies. 

With his eyes closed and hand clasped tightly around the microphone, Chance slowly gyrated his hips and sang, “Everybody’s somebody’s everything/I know you’re right/Nobody’s nothing/That’s right.” It marked the beginning of a captivating, soul-driven performance that exemplified the rapper’s talent and artistry. 

Chance continued to paint masterpieces of illusion and reality, injecting pieces of a chaotic yet endearing Chicago with “Pusha Man,” while standing at the edge of the stage. He frequently made direct eye contact with the front-row audience members and stood still so that his fans could get the perfect photo. 

Returning behind his microphone stand, Chance asked, “Sounds so beautiful, don’t you agree?”  

Unexpectedly, the recognizable Coldplay track, “Fix You,” began to play, and Chance began to sing. His distant, glossy-eyed stare into the spotlight was chilling as he continued to sing, “I will try to fix you.” 

Chance left the stage once more, leaving a starry-eyed crowd breathless. 

He then reappeared, now shirtless, and started to perform “Juice.” The rapper and the crowd’s excitement came back in full swing, and audience members rhythmically bobbed up and down, putting their hands in the air and singing the chorus. Two members of his crew joined Chance and leaped off the stage into the zealous crowd. 

The two were thrown back onto the stage as Chance began to perform “Interlude (That’s Love),” a song during which his live band grabbed hold of the audience’s attention and took the spotlight. 

“Chain Smoker” was the closing song of the performance, which energized the crowd and left them wanting more, chanting, “One more song! One more song!” 

With sweat dripping from his face, the gracious rapper came back to the stage, but he wasn’t alone. Chance and Vic Mensa closed out the show with “Cocoa Butter Kisses,” illustrating their dynamic, magnetic talents and clairvoyant support for one another — a sincere ending to the rapper’s first performance of his Social Experiment tour. 

Amanda is a senior in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that DJ Rashad, in addition to DJ Spinn, opened for Chance The Rapper. The article should have stated that DJ Spinn was the only opener for Chance The Rapper. The Daily Illini regrets the error.