what makes this good? I dig the backing track for sure, but when it comes to rap I still have no idea what to look for.
oh I have no idea if it's good. It might be shit. It's probably shit, even. I'll let you know when I listen to it. If you consider yourself new to hiphop/rap overall, check out the top posts at HipHopHeads101. The essential albums post in particular is a good place to start. Or look at the hiphophubski tag. I'll make a post about "what to look for in hiphop" one of these days, that's a good question and different from "can you show me good hiphop." A subtle difference, but it's there.
You are right, this is crap. I always choose to interpret Chance as a sort of semi-ironic rapper. He isn't Das Racist, but he isn't Kayne or any one who really takes it super seriously either. Sort of a more basic, rawer Run the Jewels. He probably doesn't want to be seen this way, and rap isn't my main scene (as I'm sure my examples show), but that's the only way I can figure out his popularity.
I definitely follow #hiphophubski (it's how I found this post!) I look forward to a "What to look for in hiphop" post". As a classical musician, I think that so much can be gained by applying that kind of an eye - an analytical one, classical music has been analysed to death - to all forms of music, especially ones which hold as much significance to a cultural group as rap does. It's just another kind of musicology, fuck that "ethno" label.