With Chance the Rapper’s buzz increasing once again due to single releases, his comments on current events and his work in his hometown of Chicago, we took a look back at the artist’s 2016 project The Coloring Book, specifically the song “Smoke Break.” The song was written by Chance, Future, and Garren Langford (a.k.a. GARREN). Langford also produced the song.
“Smoke Break” features Future, who was arguably at the peak of his career in 2016 and riding the wave of success from 2015’s DS2 release going 2x platinum. The Atlanta-based rapper had one verse on “Smoke Break,” and it definitely added a certain spice to the tune that made it truly memorable.
The song discusses Chance’s relationship with his girlfriend, Kristin Corley, and the stresses of raising a child while having to deal with the music world, particularly in the first verse. He believes that he has no time to spend with his girlfriend anymore since he is always on tour, and she is always watching their child. This narrative is expressed through lines such as: “We just been smokin’ a bowl, we don’t got no time to roll” and “I’m always out on the road, she don’t got time for a whole.” Whether Kristen is stressed out watching their child or Chance is worried because he feels as if he doesn’t have time for them, there is pain and fear on both sides of the relationship.
The chorus of the song emphasizes what Chance thinks is the solution to all of their relationship problems: a smoke break. He muses that “we deserve, we deserve, we deserve a smoke break,” which would take the two back to their youth where they could relax and have fun in each other’s presence through drugs. The chorus puts the listener in a trance, as Chance’s vocals over GARREN’s soothing beat makes the listener feel as if all of their problems will be lifted, much like how Chance believes the couple’s problems will be lifted with a smoke break.
In the second verse, Chance talks about the past experiences that they both shared, such as when he raps, “We used to Netflix and roll, I used to pass her the smoke, she used to laugh at my jokes.” It is clear that he misses the times that they had, smoking and actually being able to spend time with each other. It seems as if the two were the closest they had ever been during this time, as they were able to bask in the joys of young love. This makes it all the more emotional once the listener realizes that Chance can’t have a life like this anymore as long as he is big in the industry. The listener is left wondering if he should settle down and step away from the spotlight in order to have a calm and normal life.
In comes Future’s verse, where the tone shifts. Here, the Atlanta-rapper talks about his own experiences around not having time for relationships but focuses more on the aftermath of the situation. He mentions the arguments that he and, presumably, his girlfriend would get into when he raps, “Told me my mom was a whore.” After describing the tension in his relationship with the woman, he talks about how they self-medicated through the use of Percocet and weed. Overall, Future talks about his adult life and how, much like Chance, his tours and performances got in the way of things. The difference between the two is that a child added tension in Chance’s life, while drugs had a similar impact on Future.
The song “Smoke Break” summarizes the broken relationships that performers have to suffer through. Case in point, they lose their free time and don’t have as much fun anymore with people they used to share these experiences with. Chance and Future are able to capture this feeling perfectly, with their caring tone as well as strong vocals. Future’s verse helps emphasize the meaning of the song that Chance laid out in his verses, as they are both singing about broken relationships, and both describe different paths that they can lead to. It isn’t all too bad, however! There is peace in these situations through drug medication. This is shown throughout the song, as Chance sings to his girlfriend and paints a picture for the listener.
This image is a broken relationship, one plagued with unaligned schedules, stress at home as well as on the road. It has a cloud of smoke, signifying the one thing keeping them sane: a smoke break.
Tell us what you think of the song in the comments!