Surf

The Social Experiment

Surf is easily one of the most powerfully Chicago-influenced albums of all time. The contributions of several Chicago artists on this album provide a symphony of the culture and vibe of the city. The jazzy, R&B, psychedelic blues influences are spoon-fed to the listener as they are embraced in a world of comfort within the improvisation and beat. 

Released in 2015, this album brought the influence of The Social Experiment to light in a much more individual way. The Social Experiment was widely known as the band for Chance the Rapper. Of course Chance was on his way up to the top of the charts at the same time, independent of the band, but they released this album at the perfect interim between his album releases. One of the biggest names in the band is Nico Segal. He is the lead trumpeter and producer for The Social Experiment. His stage name previously was Donnie Trumpet, but for obvious reasons, he detached from any association with Donald Trump. This is another wonderful example of a Chicago musician making a drastic change to their artistic persona in order to remain on the right side of history. His musical contribution remained transcendent, and he was not associated with any negative connotations just from his stage name.

Surf is an album that is made by and for Chicagoans. With features from artists like Chance the Rapper, Jamila Woods, Saba, Noname, BJ the Chicago Kid, and Jeremih (just to name a few), this album was untouchable in the Chicago music scene, and used its diversity to branch into several genres of Chicago sound, making it a truly versatile album. One of the most popular songs released on the album was by far Sunday Candy. Chance the Rapper went on to perform this song on SNL, and we were given a truly well-deserved feature and highlight from Jamila Woods. The song was so widely known because so many Chicagoans saw themselves in the story of it. The lyrics provided an experience that is shared amongst a lot of the Chicago community from mentioning church and the religious experience, to the relationships that are explored in his family and the dynamics within them. This song was reaching out to the Chicago community to say ‘I see you’ in the best possible way.

Segal included multitudes of his jazz influences throughout the album, creating a sort of journey as the album went on. Some of the songs are made up entirely of Nico blowing the trumpet and through that sound he tells his own short story in a way. His talent on the trumpet is so gorgeously coated in Chicago influence. The trumpet doesn’t have a monotonous feeling, but he uses it as a tool to tell a story, to accentuate the vibe, to sometimes be the only thing that is heard and create a world of its own musical beauty. You have to applaud the storytelling ability that Segal brings to the table with the notion of Chicago sound and his contribution to the inspiration behind the entire album. Simply the contrast between the 4th song on the album Nothing Came to Me, and the 13th song on the album Something Came to Me show the journey that he went on as an artist in the creative stage, let alone the journey we’re taken on as the audience. The improvisational aspects of it are directly linked to the flourishing jazz scene in Chicago, and show how the talents that come out of Chicago never leave their roots, and will always contribute to the pulse of the city.

This album is truly a building block for the Chicago music industry. I believe it is imperative that every Chicago native and resident hear this album, as it explains everything that you really need to know about the city. Just walking down the lakefront and listening to this album all the way through brings you on a journey of warmth, acceptance, excitement, anxiety, sadness, and overall appreciation for everything that the city is. The album provides an index for the Chicago traveler that doesn’t utilize precision in facts, but provides precision in the energy that the city provides. I recommend listening to the album from start to finish in order before listening any other way, as the story is just as satisfying as the fulfillment you gain from just listening. The city owes a debt of gratitude to The Social Experiment for championing this masterpiece.