I believe hip hop has the capacity to change the world. More than any other genre, hip hop has the capacity to tell a wide range of stories from many walks of life, often as cautionary tales or inspirational fables. It addresses politics, economics, the pulse of a culture, and a love of language and poetry. It also can make a room explode with joy and celebration, dancing, singing, and embracing the jubilance of humanity. There is more power in these words and beats than people give it credit for. This is a newer revelation for me, though I have been a hip hop fan for a long time. Lately, it is hitting harder than ever before, and I have been addicted. This has sent me deeper into the genre than ever before, and with that comes so much discovery that like a Midwest dad in a Bass Pro Shop, I’m giddy about hooks and grills and hanging on every line.
One of my favorite artists I have been turned onto in the last year or so is Buffalo, New York’s Ché Noir, who is an absolute force to reckon as both a sharp and inspiring emcee and a soulful producer. Ché has been on an incredible run: teaming up with Griselda artists like 38 Spesh and Benny The Butcher, artists like Jynx716, 7xvethegenius, and The Musalini, as well as legends like Black Thought, Apollo Brown, and Rhapsody. She has been prolific, with her last album, produced by Superior, Seeds In Babylon, dropping only three months ago. Now, Ché Noir gives us a sequel to a 2024 EP called The Color Chocolate.
On The Color Chocolate 2, Ché Noir isn’t spitting the firebrand politics of Dead Prez or The Coup or aiming for the arena-filling chart toppers like Kendrick or Megan Thee Stallion. Instead her impact on the world lies closer to artists like Common, Skyzoo, and Queen Latifah where justice, intelligence, and the survival instincts of poverty manifest in clear, poignant lyricism and storytelling. ‘Hunger pains, I was starving for food/on this road to riches y’all drove, I had to walk to commute/Body language stronger than words, mine hard to refute/I got a cadence you can hear with the volume on mute,’ she raps on “Painting Class” over a nearly drumless beat by C For. These bars closely sum up what Ché Noir is about. Her story is deeper, of course, and her skills more diverse.
On the self-produced “Buy vs Sell”, she tells a heartbreaking story of a tragic drug addict named Wanda. Ché does this without judgement of either Wanda or her dealer, letting humanity carry the narrative over a boom bap beat. “Buy vs Sell” echoes Nas and Ghostface Killah‘s storytelling skills, painting scenes with vivid detail. “Who’s The Greatest?” is more than a flex track. Ché isn’t comparing diamonds and cars, but realness, ‘greatness is defined by the people that you involve/but its hard to carry when most of them don’t evolve,’ she raps, ‘it’s all hunger, I’m giving specials on free food/bars come in cups but the wisdom measured in teaspoons.’ Elzhi drops in, matching Ché’s energy, but focusing on the greatness of others, fathers, doctors, Biggie, and Mohammad Ali. Both rappers fit very well over this medium-paced beat from Marche Avery.
7xvethegenius joins Ché once again on “Show & Tell” over a Drew Dave beat that feels inspired by Juicy J. This track goes hardest on the EP. I love both Ché Noir and 7xvethegenius independently, with their respective albums The Lotus Child and Death Of Deuce among my favorite albums of last year, but whenever these two get together, they bring out a unique energy together that begs for their collaboration album to come soon. The final guest spot on The Color Chocolate 2 is the final track, “New Beginning” where Son Little lends his voice for the hook while Ché tells stories and connects the importance of legacy with your children, a proud mother who is keenly aware of mortality making it a hopeful and powerful closing track.
My favorite bars on the EP come on the Evidence produced “Blink Twice,” when Ché says, ‘penny for my thoughts, all intellect when I spit these dimes/it gave me that It factor, guess I was Pennywise,‘ layering metaphors about poverty and lyricism with a double entendre about a timeless, murderous clown. This kind of wordplay is like catnip to me, pupils dilate and my inner poet can only bat at a string. ‘It takes intellect just to read my verses/if my body language was written it would be in cursive,’ she concludes, continuing to defy the industry norm of making female rappers into sex objects by simply out rapping most any emcee, male or female.
The Color Chocolate 2 is under 25 minutes, but that is over twice as long as its namesake predecessor. Ché Noir doubles down on depth, metaphor, and pure skills as an emcee and producer. I am thankful that the Ché Butter Queen is as prolific as she is, because every release is quality and leaves me craving more. We can witness in real time Ché Noir‘s ascent to the Queen of Upstate Rap as she defies the coke rap that has made the Buffalo scene with heart and intelligence and an unstoppable love for the game. Her lyrics are relatable and empathetic, and each connection Ché Noir makes with each listener feels like building a resilient community of good humans, the kind of ground work often overlooked in hip hop’s penchant for opulence. Realness wins.
