Angels
Intro: Chance The Rapper
Angels (Na-na, na-na, ah)Verse 1: Chance The Rapper
I got my city doing front flipsWhen every father, mayor, rapper jump shipI guess that's why they call it where I stayClean up the streets so my daughter can have somewhere to playI'm the blueprint to a real manSome of these niggas toss they tassel for a deal, manI ain't goin' to hell or to HillmanAh, ah, ah, ah for my real fansI got caught up with a little XanCouldn't stop me, but it slowed me, thoughYeah, a nigga famous, you don't know me thoughBut every DJ still play me, thoughDamn, I don't even need a radioAnd my new shit sound like a rodeoGot the old folks dancing the do-si-do'Til they fuck around, sign me to OVOOoh, I just might share my next one with KeefGot the industry in disbelief, they be asking for beefThis what it sound like when God split a atom with meI even had Steve giving out apples for freeChorus: Saba
They was talkin', "Woo, this woo wap da bam"City so damn great, I feel like Alexand'Wear your halo like a hat, that's like the latest fashionI got angels all around me, they keep me surroundedPost-Chorus: Chance The Rapper
Who is you, and who the fuck is you and who is him?All of a sudden, woo wap da bam, you can't touch meNa, na, na, na, I got angelsI got angelsVerse 2: Chance The Rapper
I ain't change my number since the seventh gradeThis for my day one, ten years, seven daysA week, niggas never tired on they Kevin GatesAnd if they rest in peace, they bunny hopping Heaven's gatesIt's too many young angels on the southsideGot us scared to let our grandmamas outsideYou gon' make me take the campers way downtownYou gon' make me turn my BM to my housewifeI just had a growth spurtIt done took so long, my tippy toes hurtYou can keep the nose ring, I don't have to soul searchI'm still at my old church, only ever sold merchGrandma say I'm Kosher, mama say I'm cultureGCI, 107.5, angel goin' livePower 92, angel, juke, angel gon' jukeGCI, 107.5, goin' livePower 92, angel gon' juke, juke, juke, jukeChorus: Saba & Chance The Rapper
They was talkin', "Woo, this woo wap da bam"City so damn great, I feel like Alexand'Wear your halo like a hat, that's like the latest fashionI got angels all around me, they keep me surroundedRefrain: Saba & Chance The Rapper
Wap da bam (Na, na, na, na)I got (I got angels)I got angels all around me, they keep me surroundedNa, na, na, naI got, I got angelsChorus: Saba & Chance The Rapper
They was talkin', "Woo, this woo wap da bam"City so damn great, I feel like Alexand'Wear your halo like a hat, that's like the latest fashionI got angels all around me, they keep me surroundedPost-Chorus: Chance The Rapper
Who is you, and who the fuck is you and who is him?All of a sudden, woo wap da bam, you can't touch meNa, na, na, na, I got angelsI got, I got angelsOutro
Na, naNa, naI got, I got—What the song means
"Angels" is Chance the Rapper's celebration of his rise and his hometown, Chicago. He boasts about his success, his influence on the music scene, and the people who helped him get there. Saba joins on the chorus, and the song keeps returning to the idea that Chance feels protected by a circle of guardian figures. Behind the bragging is a sense of gratitude and a wish to stay loyal to where he came from.
The song moves from pride to self-reflection and back. The opening verse describes the city lifting him up while other powerful people abandon ship, and Chance frames his work as building a better future for the next generation. The second verse slows down to look at his roots: old friends, his grandmother's and mother's values, and the neighborhood's dangers. The radio station references show how deeply his success is tied to Chicago's local culture. The chorus then pulls these threads together, with the "angels" standing for loyal friends, family, and the people who keep him grounded.
Some images carry the meaning. The halo worn like a hat shows that Chance treats his good fortune casually, without losing his humility. The repeated "angels" are the people who support him, and the closing lines fade into a chant that suggests a feeling of safety and belonging.
Key phrases explained
- caught up with a little Xan
- got tangled up with a bit of Xanax — "Xan" is slang for the prescription anxiety drug Xanax, and the line admits a brief struggle with it.
- sign me to OVO
- sign me to the label OVO — OVO (October's Very Own) is Drake's label, so the line is a playful wish for a big-name deal.
- toss they tassel
- throw away their graduation tassel — The image describes rappers who drop their education or principles for a record deal.
- do-si-do
- a square-dance move of circling partners — The rodeo and square-dance images are playful comparisons for his catchy new music that gets people dancing.
- GCI, 107.5, angel goin' live
- GCI 107.5 radio, the angel is going live — Chicago radio station names are used to show his music reaching the whole city.
Song info
- Release date
- 2015-10-26
- Album
- Coloring Book
- Written by
- Nico Segal, Nate Fox, Peter CottonTale, Lido, Saba, Chance the Rapper
- Produced by
- Chance the Rapper, Peter CottonTale, Nate Fox, Nico Segal, Lido, The Social Experiment
- Featuring
- Saba
- Interpolates
- Kanye West – Can’t Tell Me Nothing
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