Will Hagle recommends The Cobbler on Netflix
There’s never been much animosity between the 213 and the 312. Chicago loves the summer. It’s always summer in LA.
This mix is an homage to two cities that have always been more closely linked than it seems. From Phil Jackson to Open Mike Eagle to Freddie Gibbs, many Bulls fans have achieved greatness in Los Angeles. The migration pattern trends westward, but the respect flows both ways.
The best example of the 213 – 312 connection also happens to be the greatest summer anthem of all time. “Happy Summertime” encapsulates the best aspects of summertime Chi, and Snoop Dogg shows how to make the most of your time while visiting from the west coast. R. Kelly’s got the sun shining like California; Snoop is two-steppin on Lake Michigan. Snoop also proves he knows how to properly enjoy the season back home, on 213’s “Another Summer.” That beat comes courtesy of the 312’s own Kanye West.
Snoop is the king of summer, but the season has changed since the G Funk Era. Warren G and The Dove Shack remind us what summertime in the LBC was like in 1995, and it sounds much breezier than the way Vince Staples describes it in 2015 (and/or ’06).
“Summertime” isn’t really about the season, but it’s fitting that Vince has as dark a take on summer as another member of his generation. Chance The Rapper’s anxiety about guns and warm weather on “Paranoia” is the best retrospective evidence that, aside from the part about hating crowded beaches, Chance The Rapper has found a better life in Los Angeles. Summer in Chicago in 2015 doesn’t necessarily equal Old Styles on a Jumbotron-obscured rooftop. The Cool Kids know that Chicago summers don’t have to be as depressing as Chance thinks they are, but even Chuck Inglish claims to be drinking Carlo Rossi with his west coast posse on “Summer Vacation.” Especially if you’re paying attention to the statistics, it’s easy to feel trapped in the middle of the map. You can’t fault Chance for trying to join Phil, Mike, and Freddie.
The mix’s final two songs are self-indulgent, but if you made it 17 minutes into this mix then you obviously have nothing better to listen to anyways. The first is “Summer In The City,” a song I dug up from my past that fits the theme because it’s about the summer and is by the best rap group to ever call both the 213 and (137.6 miles south of) the 312 home. The second is just a reminder to watch more baseball. You can even put ketchup on your Dodger Dog if you want. It’s summertime. Heed Snoop’s words and enjoy yourself.
Tracklist:
1. “Happy Summertime” by R. Kelly and Snoop Dogg
2. “Another Summer” by 213
3. “Summertime In The LBC” by The Dove Shack
4. “Summertime” by Vince Staples
5. “Paranoia” by Chance The Rapper
6. “Summer Vacation” by The Cool Kids
7. “Summer In The City” by Bread Basket
8. “Go Cubs Go” by Steve Goodman
