Coloring Book also proved to be Chance’s most adventurous work as an artist, with a bold turn to gospel and soul-searching lyrics to match. (Apple put up an undisclosed sum in exchange for the exclusivity.) Coloring Book not only became the first streaming-only album to chart on the Billboard 200, it opened in the top 10 and - now that the Grammy Awards have rewritten their rules to make streaming-only albums and songs eligible for awards - is hotly tipped for a nomination.
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In May, Chance and his handpicked, mainly Chicago-based team - who put out his two earlier mixtapes as free downloads - partnered with Apple Music to release his third album, Coloring Book, as an exclusive two-week stream. Dana Edelson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images (It went, in part, “You can feel the lyrics, the spirit coming in Braille/Tubman of the underground, come and follow the trail.”)Ĭhance The Rapper performs with musical guest Kanye West on Saturday Night Live on Feb. 13, 2016. He performed on Saturday Night Live as the show’s first-ever unsigned musical guest in December 2015, then returned to the show two months later with West, delivering a guest verse on the latter’s “Ultralight Beam” that was hailed as a poetic knockout. He emerged as 2016’s most highly praised rapper, an heir to Kanye West (his mentor) and Kendrick Lamar (who in a recent issue of this magazine named Chance as a favorite MC), all without signing a record deal or even charging money for a single song.
If it seems odd that a rapper who calls himself Lil Chano From 79th would be chosen to eulogize THE GREATEST, on primetime network TV, in front of the world’s reigning celebrity athletes, then consider how Chance has become an iconoclast in his own right.
He nods admiringly at Chance grinding inside the sound booth: “You think Rihanna does this?”Ĭhance the Rapper: The Billboard Photo Shoot “Their voices, the physicality of them, their vulnerability.” Chance’s engineer Jeff Lane has been waiting for five hours to record the completed verses.
“I see so much of my dad in Ali,” says Chance. Chance decides the song needs to be “more sort of liturgical” after his thoughts turn to his father, Ken, a political operative who has been a deputy assistant to President Obama and more recently Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s deputy chief of staff. As a girl on the South Side, she lived near the boxing legend, and she often has recounted how she braved the walk to his front door only to discover that he was out of town. So instead Chance imagines the song as a letter written by his mother, Lisa, to Ali. Whether this means Chance has more influence over the leadership in Chicago is hard to say, but we do know that these connections don't deter Chance from being vocal with his criticisms.Watch Chance the Rapper Perform Moving Tribute to Muhammad Ali at the ESPY Awards Even now, his father works for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has been heavily criticized for his handling of gun violence in the city. This connection puts Chance in an interesting position to critique Chicago legislators, as he's known to do. And Kendrick, you know, he's blowing it up. Chance, I've known for years 'cause his dad was my state director when I was a senator in Illinois, so I first met Chance when he was 8 years old, and so we've been family for a while. Same with Kanye, so there's a lot of talent out there, but when I look at who's breaking new ground, Kendrick and Chance, those guys are doing just amazing work.And they're wonderful young men. I mean, you know, he's got a track record. I love Drake, and the girls love Drake, and, you know, so, he's commercially just doing great, and unbelievably talented. I think the young guys, Kendrick and Chance are doing amazing work. It's a connection that Obama noted this morning as a guest on Sway in the Morning when asked about the top rappers today. Born Chancellor Johnathan Bennett, his father is Ken Williams-Bennett, who served as Barack Obama's state director when the president was a senator in Illinois.
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