There’s a million reasons to love Acid Rap—the shifting soundscapes and dripping honesty, the perfectly placed guest appearances and social awareness, the quirky references to cigarettes (of all things). Along with Chance’s uncanny ability to organically embody the best of Golden Era icons Andre 3000, Eminem, Wyclef Jean, for example, Acid Rap triumphs because the artist who crafted it taps into all aspects of his human experience. Chance tackles complex real world issues like gun violence in Chicago with the same ease as his approach to marijuana smoke. To paraphrase his half-bar on “Acid Rain,” Chance is the truth, whether or not he chooses to rhyme.

Check out HipHopDX’s 2013 Year End Awards.