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Watch the music video HERE
Today, Chance the Rapper released a new song, art and accompanying music video for the self-directed “A Bar About a Bar.” The video, featuring cinematography by Chicago filmmaker Troy Gueno, opens with Chance mid-writing exercise when, friend and frequent collaborator, Vic Mensa interrupts to see the work he’s produced. Chance turns to Vic and begins to weave an intricate story filled with bars about bars and lines about lines, as the video portrays highly cinematic vignettes of the far fetched tale.
As the story weaves in and out, the viewer sees Chicago-based painter Nikko Washington bringing a new art piece to life in Chance’s House of Kicks studio in Chicago. The painting depicts the ideas being discussed and is also interwoven into scenes playing out in the video. In the same signature style as Chance’s “Child of God” video, the lyrics are displayed intentionally across the screen as the tale unfolds.
“A Bar About a Bar” is the second piece and art experience by Chance the Rapper as the unconventional and trailblazing musician continues to explore the relationship between music, cinema, and contemporary art, redefining the concept of ‘album art.’ Nikko’s artwork was inspired by “Abar, the First Black Superman’s” unorthodox, Afro-futuristic, and surrealist depiction of racial inequality, racial integration, and classism in the suburbs of white America.
Nikko and Chance unveiled the piece at the Art Institute of Chicago on Wednesday, May 25, which will remain on exhibit through the weekend.
In March, Chance dropped his groundbreaking single and art experience “Child of God” in collaboration with Gabonese global artist and painter Naïla Opiangah. The critically-acclaimed work explores the relationship between music, cinema, and contemporary art redefining the concept of album art. Chance performed “Child of God” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and the work was prominently displayed at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art and EXPO CHICAGO. Watch his performance HERE
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