Chance the Rapper is a nimble and athletic MC. His rapping of late has often seemed like a personal challenge to fit as many possible words into his sentences, which he then delivers in short bursts like a flurry of punches. It is not a surprise that he would be drawn to the concept of sparring—the dance between boxer and trainer in preparation for a fight—nor, given the gospel flourishes within his discography, the Old Testament's story of Jacob's tussle with God.

"Israel (Sparring)", a one-off featuring frequent collaborator Noname Gypsy, touches on both concepts in what is easily one of his best songs in an increasingly fruitful year. If there was a criticism to be made of Chance's contributions to his band's Surf, it's that his rapping had grown increasingly showy to a less clear end. Too much floating like a butterfly, and not enough stinging like a bee. Here, he slows up considerably, his words landing square over a cooled-down beat of plucked upright bass and fluttering keys.

As he often does, Chance deftly juggles silliness and severity, letting historical correctives about Egyptian slaves rub up against his claim to be "the scariest jack in the pumpkin patch," a playground boast that recalls his disarming verse on Action Bronson's brief hit "Baby Blue". With Gypsy's calm rasp offering a center of gravity, Chance stacks the tensions in his own life up against some of the great struggles of the past: Jacob versus God, yes, but also Dame versus Jay. He ends with his chest puffed out: he's not afraid to fade any mentor, though the track dissolves in a fit of giggles nonetheless.