| "Cocoa Butter Kisses" | |
|---|---|
| Song byChance the Rapper featuringVic Mensa andTwista | |
| from the albumAcid Rap | |
| Released | April 30, 2013 |
| Genre | Hip hop |
| Length | 5:07 |
| Songwriters | |
| Producers |
|
"Cocoa Butter Kisses" is a song by American rapperChance the Rapper from his second mixtapeAcid Rap (2013). The song features fellow American rappersVic Mensa andTwista, and was produced by Chance himself, alongsideCam O'bi, and Peter Cottontale, who are also credited as writers alongside Chance, Mensa, and Twista.
Despite not being released as a single, the song is one of Chance the Rapper's most popular songs to date and was ceritified gold byRecorded Music NZ (RMNZ), becoming the only song from the album to be certified, despite not charting. The song has also been covered by English-Albanian singerDua Lipa.
At the time when the song was written, Vic Mensa was staying at an apartment inHumboldt Park, Chicago with his manager Cody Kazarian. Chance the Rapper visited one day and showed Mensa a verse and hook he had written earlier. Soon, Mensa began composing his part for the song. In an interview with DJ Booth, Cam O'bi stated that both Chance and Mensa wrote the song while "onmushrooms".[1][2]
The song was originally recorded on a different instrumental and titled "Babies and Gunshots: Fuck Hawaii Pt. 2" (which, according to Mensa, was because "we were ruminating on the effects of violence in our community"). The original producer had already given the beat to another rapper and did not let Chance to use it, so Mensa put Cam O'bi in touch with Peter Cottonwood. The rappers asked the producers to remake the beat. In a jam session, Chance and Mensa repeatedly sang the hook while O'bi provided the drums onFL Studio and Cottonwood played chords on the keyboard. Once the producers had a chord progression and bassline ready, Mensa (as a member ofKids These Days) and Chance had to go on tour together for about a week. Upon Chance's request, O'bi finished production by the time they came back.
Chance the Rapper already had an idea of bringing Twista on the track as well. A few weeks after Chance and Mensa finished their verses, Twista recorded a third verse for the song. According to Twista, the song reminded him of being young, as well as memories of smoking marijuana when he became an adult.[1][2][3]
Fred Thomas, in anAllMusic review ofAcid Rap, wrote that the song "folds church organ swells and synthesizer swirls into its huge, straightforward beat".[4] Lyrically, the song centers on how the rappers' lifestyles of smoking and drugs has caused them to be apart from their families due to their disapproval.[5][6] In his verse, Chance the Rapper sings about missing the memories of his childhood, such asVHS tapes ofNickelodeon shows andChuck E. Cheese pizza.[7]
In October 2013, English-Albanian singerDua Lipa released a cover of the song on herSoundCloud channel.[8] Its description reads:
"Hey guys this cover was not made to show my vocal abilities, It was simply just for fun while jamming in the studio with the amazing @marlonroudette . I kept it on a one tone range... as trying to sing/rap quickly was adventurous enough for the time being haha! Hope you like it, this is Cocoa Butter Kisses originally by Chance The Rapper"
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[9] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
