Watch: Chance the Rapper Performs Stevie Wonder’s “They Won’t Go When I Go” During Surprise Tiny Desk Concert

Share:

Early in June, Chance the Rapper took the staffers at NPR by surprise by coming by their office unannounced (until everyone found when it was announced over a PA system) and performing a Tiny Desk Concert. The moment was well-documented by staffers expressing their surprise/glee on social media, of course:

…but today the full video of the concert was released on NPR as well. With a three-piece band, Chance played Coloring Book‘s “Juke Jam,” fortunately sans any appearance by Justin Bieber (who’s featured on the album version of the track). He also recited a poem that he’d just written on his way to the NPR office from his hotel room, called “The Other Side.”

“Forgive me, I haven’t written a poem in a long time,” he said as he introduced it. Soon after he started, though, he was stopped by an announcement over the PA system calling someone into the mailroom — but he recommenced, telling people that the poem was meant to be humorous in parts, and they shouldn’t feel too reverent about it. Finally, he played a cover of Stevie Wonder’s 1974 track “They Won’t Go When I Go,” with a group of backing vocalists chiming in, and all of them giving a commanding performance that’ll make you forget about the tiny desks and potential office PA interruptions altogether.

Watch:

[Via NPR]