Chance the Rapper, the renowned artist known for his innovative approach to music and storytelling, has once again captured hearts with his latest release, “Together.” Produced by the legendary DJ Premier, this soul-stirring track both celebrates the home-front while also presenting a rallying cry to protect it. The self-directed visual centers on lyrics of reminiscence and pride, against a backdrop of vintage personal home video and archival footage from community-led political movements through history.
Nostalgic footage of Block club parties, barbecues, and Black Panther rallies contextualize the varying nature of Black communal spaces. While the first verse works to highlight the community built with the home, the second verse looks outwardly, toward the importance of organizing with those in your neighborhood. Housing Justice, displacement, and gentrification are alluded to throughout the record and Chance explicitly calls for a community benefits agreement from former President Barack Obama in the development of the new Presidential Library in the residential neighborhood of South Shore in Chicago, Il.
“‘Together’ is really a call to action for Housing Justice in Chicago and abroad. It’s one of the key themes of the Star Line project, and for this song I wanted to try to paint that point with nostalgia rather than trauma. Losing granny’s house is a fear and reality a lot of us deal with and instead of lingering on the negatives of that reality I wanted to highlight why those spaces are so important: they’re where we build memories, move family when they need somewhere to stay, raise our kids, do hospice. All of it,” states Chance the Rapper.
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