Chicago's very own Chance the Rapper became the first independent artist in Grammy history win an award, after the South-Side product took home three Grammys yesterday, all while making all his music free to the public.
While it may be hard to believe that there are people who didn't know about the now superstar rapper before last night, but "Chano's" rise has been meteoric since truly breaking onto the scene in 2014 with his 2nd mixtape, Acid Rap.
So, being the self-titled giant Chance fan that I am, I figured I'd try to let the public try and appreciate everything I love about my favorite artist currently. Here's my list of ten things most people don't know about Chance the Rapper.
Childish Gambino, also known as Donald Glover, heard about Chance after he released 10 day and asked him to tour with him in 2012 around the country. Chance started to get more recognition while touring with Childish Gambino, which helped make his next mixtape, Acid Rap, a major hit. The two hit it off, with Gambino even referring to their relationship as having a "big brother/little brother" dynamic in a song he released to promote his sophomore album, Because Of The Internet. Childish Gambino also was featured on one of the more popular songs off Acid Rap called "Favorite Song", while Chance sings the chorus in "Worst Guys" from Childish Gambino's Because Of The Internet.
The two remain close today, and have been long rumored to be collaborating on mixtape that has yet to see daylight. Who knows if we'll ever get that mixtape, but it's safe to assume Chance has Donald Glover to thank for exploding so quickly.
1. Chance's Real Name Is Chancellor Bennett
Chance is a nickname to his real name, Chancellor Jonathan Bennett, and started going by chance when he started doing some of his early performances at Harold Washington Library. Here's a young Chance freestyling in 2009.
2. Chance Grew Up With Derrick Rose
The two grew up in the same neighborhood on the southside, West Chatham, and the rapper has even reference Rose in a few songs. First in "Hey Mama' on his first mixtape 10 day, saying"Hey Ma, Hey Mama Jan; God just gave me another chance Rod just gave me another line, probably gave me another fan 7-7-3, Oh, since Kanye was a three-old Down the street from D. Rose, was practicing his free-throws"Then again in song he was featured in by another Chicago rapper, BJ the Chicago Kid's 'Church' from 2015
"Loud like church folk, heavy like work load How you like miracles? Never sang, Kirk F, bang like Kirko Ankle like Kurt came back like Derrick Rose"Chance refers to Rose as a big brother to him and a lot of the kids in their neighborhood and even tweeted at Rose when he was traded this past summer to the Knicks.
Can't wait see my big bro go crazy wit Phil Jackson & Melo. NY just got a real blessing! Thanks for everything u gave that team & this city.
— Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) June 23, 2016
3. He Was Suspended From High School
It's no secret Chance has partaken in a few drugs, with his second mixtape being titled Acid Rap, but the rapper actually was suspended from Jones College Prep High School, a school he was accepted into after scoring high enough on tests, after he was found on campus with marijuana. Chance had to serve a ten day suspension, which would eventually become the name of his first mixtape, 10 day. Teachers and school personnel thought of Chance as a burnout, and didn't think much of his aspirations to become a musician, partly because he was constantly dropping acid or smoking weed. However, Chance has clearly shown there are different ways to obtain your goals and become successful. After he released his first mixtape to the internet, Chance would soon be placed on Complex's list of top 10 rappers to look out for coming from Chicago and he would begin to blow up.4. His Father Is Apart Of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Staff
Chance's father, Ken Williams-Bennett is the current deputy chief of staff for Emanuel, but has worked in government for a long time, serving as an aide on former Chicago mayor Harold Washington's staff and worked for Barack Obama was he was an Illinois senator. Ken always dreamed of seeing his boy run for office someday, but has always been supportive of Chance and his aspirations. Chance actually interned for Barack Obama when he was 15 years-old, but the performing arts hooked him in early, and he quickly shifted gears to getting on stage and rapping. Chance's connections with Emmanuel created some controversy when he spoke out on director Spike Lee's film "Chi-Raq", who incidentally is also Chance's uncle. Chance had this to say about Lee and his film in a series of tweets from last March. I just complied the tweets into one quote, below:“Come on now This guy promoting this offensive unsuccessful flop of a movie … about the Southside…in fucking Evanston…” Chance says referencing the town that the college is located in. “And then get mad when students at the screening challenge him on his sexist, and RACIST movie and he wanna point the finger at me. Boy. You are a lame. But more importantly a liar. Now stop tweeking for I get to releasing audio of you begging me to be in that trash ass movie.”Lee had this to say in response:
“Chance the Rapper’s a fraud,” Lee said, according to North by NORTHWESTERN. “Straight-up fraud. He puts himself up as a speaker of the people, but that means you have to put truths that you see. That doesn’t mean you can pick and choose what you talk about.”Lee is referring to Chance's father and his link to the Mayor Emmanuel, someone the movie is extremely critical of.
5. His young brother is a rapper as well
Taylor Bennett is successful rapper on his own, but is largely seen as Chance's younger brother. But the two have both been rapping since they were kids, and the two are very close. Chance is featured on Taylor's song "Broad Shoulders" which is biggest song off Taylor's mixtape with the same name, Broad Shoulders. His brother also just recently came out as a bisexual.6. He Is An Officially Ambassador For The White Sox
Chance is very publicly a White Sox fan, which makes sense growing up near Comiskey Park/U.S. Cellular Field/Guaranteed Rate Field, but the connection goes a little deeper than that. Chance used the White Sox logo as shorthand for his Rap/R&B group the Social Experiment, calling them "SOX" for short. Together, the group released the album Surf, which was also a free-streaming album, similar to Chance's most recently solo album Coloring Book. He and his band group would wear and sell merchandise covered with Sox logos, and eventually the White Sox saw an opportunity and started a branding campaign with Chance and let him design his own custom White Sox hats, which were released at the start of the 2016 season. Here is a commercial from the ad campaign.
9. He Was sorta "Discovered" By Childish Gambino
