Anthony Pavel • "Mixtape" & "Cocoa Butter Kisses"

The other day I caught a tweet from our very own Eric Montanez likening the talent in Chicago today to that of the Soulquarians of the 90s. While it might seem like blasphemy for those who came of age in that era, the point is a valid one. Evidence of that is in the deep layers of quality musicianship that has been radiating from the city with increasing frequency. One of the voices of that scene that has only begun to emerge is Anthony Pavel, who took some time recently to cover Chance The Rapper's "Mixtape" and "Cocoa Butter Kisses".

Able to catch it all on video, the Chicago Justin Timberlake continues to build on the momentum from his well-regarded debut project, Windows by continuing to, well, sing good. In all seriousness, the kid has some God-given talent that has been surrounded by a well-informed team that seems to place him in winnable positions often and here he shows there's no tricks up his sleeve as he strips down the singles off Chance's last two albums. It remains to be seen how this run of talent in Chicago will be remembered in time, but it's been a hell of a lot of fun watching everyone step to the forefront. Watch Pavel do so briefly above and expect plenty more soon.