He is called one of the most famous representatives of the new wave. Chance the Rapper has established itself as a performer with an original style - a combination of rap, soul and blues.
The early years of the singer
Hidden under the stage name is Chancellor Jonathan Bennett. The guy was born on April 16, 1993 in Chicago. The boy had a good and carefree childhood. He spent a lot of time with friends, playing and walking. The family lived in a quiet, beautiful area of Chicago. All this was possible thanks to Ken's father. He connected his life with politics.
The man worked with mayors, and later with future US President Barack Obama. Chance's father continued to work in the administration. Despite the popularity and successful musical career of his son, his father wanted to see him not on stage. The man did not leave the hope that one day Chancellor would come to his senses and go to work in the public service.
The boy attended one of the best private schools in the United States. During my studies, I realized that I wanted to play music professionally. It all started in the 4th grade with a victory in a musical parody competition. Later, together with a friend, he created the band Instrumentality. The songs were created in the style of hip-hop, but the future star chose a different direction - rap.
The guys posted their first works on the local music digital platform. It was specially created to unite creative youth. Unfortunately, at school, the guy did not find the necessary support from teachers. Moreover, the teachers did not consider music a serious occupation. They did not believe that singing could become a profitable job and that they could become successful.
The beginning of a musical career
The first solo work of Chance the Rapper appeared in 2011. It was a track, and later a video for it. By the way, the work had an interesting history. At that time, the guy was still in school. He was suspended from school for drug use. Actually, the song is dedicated to this event. As a result, the composition was noticed at the local level, which gave the musician strength.
A year later, the singer released his debut mixtape. He took preparation seriously. After the release, the novice musician was noticed by representatives of one site and wrote about him. The mixtape has been downloaded about half a million times. In the same 2012, the guy was mentioned in the music column of Forbes magazine. And in the summer, Chance the Rapper recorded a feature with Childish Gambino. He invited him to act as "opening act" during the American tour.
Chance wasn't about to stop. Gradually, other musicians began to learn about him. The novice artist was invited to participate in competitions and festivals. On the back of its success, Chance released a second mixtape in 2013. The work received a positive response from critics, "fans" and colleagues. The track was downloaded more than 1 million times, and the artist went on his first solo tour. It became clear that a new star appeared on the music scene. This has led to new interesting possibilities. For example, the guy became part of the MySpace advertising company.
The next year the artist spent on tour. He performed with many concerts and became one of the highest paid rap artists of the new generation. He was invited to appear in commercials for famous brands. And at the end of 2014, the mayor of Chicago presented the musician with a diploma as the most famous young performer of the year. He was given many awards, and the rapper released a short film. He then gave a lecture to students at Harvard University.
Chance the Rapper today
The artist continues to be often invited to various events. He was a special guest at the concerts of other musicians, co-author of tracks. In 2016, a dream came true - to record songs with his idol Kanye West. He has collaborated with Alicia Keys, Justin Bieber, Busta Rhimes and Jay Cole.
The third mixtape was released exclusively on Apple Music, debuted on the Billboard 200 chart. Well-known brands continued to offer collaborations. One of the singer's most striking collaborations was with Nike. Especially for their commercial, Chance the Rapper wrote a song. In 2016, the track No Problem entered the top 10 best songs of the year.
The popularity of the artist continued to increase. He did not sign a contract with any label. He preferred to act as an independent artist. In one interview, he said that he does not like labels.
Personal and public life of a musician
Chance the Rapper has been dating Kirsten Corley since 2013. In September 2015, their first child, Kinsley, was born. A year later, the couple quarreled, then broke up. However, they soon reconciled, and in March 2019 the wedding took place. And in the summer, the couple had a second daughter, Marley Grace.
The musician stands for equality, social justice and against violence. He is an activist in the "Save Chicago" movement, which aims to eradicate cruelty and violence on the streets of the city. According to Chance the Rapper, this idea is close to him as a person, in particular as a father of two children. He worries about their future and safety in their native country.
Interesting facts about Chance the Rapper
- Even in his school years, he had problems with marijuana. He was caught and suspended for 10 days.
- The rapper says that his work was most influenced by the music of Kanye West, Lupe and Eminem.
- At school, he won the Michael Jackson lookalike competition.
- Positions himself as a Christian rapper. Chance the Rapper was outspoken against violence and the use of weapons.
- The artist's wedding was attended by idol Kanye West and his wife.
- Chance provided the voice of Bob Marley in the series.
- In 2018, the musician made his film debut.
- A year earlier, he was included in the list of 100 most influential people in the world (according to Time magazine).
- He acted as a representative of the Dockers clothing brand.
- The musician was supposed to receive a UNICEF humanitarian award. However, the ceremony was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Achievement in music
Despite his young age, the artist quickly conquered the musical Olympus. He has a full studio album and four mixtapes. The musician received his first award in 2014. It was the Chicago Outstanding Youth of the Year Award, and he won it. A year later, Chance the Rapper ranked 7th in the Forbes "30 under 30" rating in the category of musicians. Then there were the awards for "Best New Artist", "Best Rap Album", "Best Collaboration", etc. He has several Grammy and Black Entertainment Television Award (BET) awards in his arsenal.
