Many people have heard of Chance the Rapper, the 22-year-old artist from Chicago making waves in the rap music industry. You may have seen him perform on our campus last May, you may have heard his name before, or maybe you've never heard of him. Regardless of your familiarity, Chance the Rapper is an amazing artist and humble individual who deserves more appreciation.
Last week, Chance performed on Saturday Night Live and made history by being the first independent artist to ever be featured. He is not and has never been signed to a record label and has yet to release a debut album. Chance performed two songs on the show, the first being a new song titled Somewhere in Paradise, in which other Chicago rapper Jeremih was featured. The second performance was an acoustic version of Sunday Candy, backed by Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment, a band consisting of Chance, Nico Segal, Peter Cottontale, Greg Landfair Jr., and Nate Fox, and a full gospel choir. I had full-body chills throughout both performances and thought he was absolutely amazing.
See his SNL performances below:
Somewhere In Paradise
Sunday Candy
After the performance, SNL posted photos of Chance on their Instagram and Facebook accounts about his performance. I was shocked by the amount of negative comments and feedback people were giving on his performances, some even saying he has no talent and should consider another career choice. I realize that the internet is full of haters and that I shouldn't read so much into the negativity, but it still upset me that people aren't understanding who Chance is as an artist and judging him and his music based on one performance or because his style doesn't fit their particular taste.
Chance, born Chancellor Bennett, is a unique lyricist, very talented musician, and humble individual. He shares all his fame with his band, Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment, instead of being selfish with it. He is passionate about writing and producing music he believes in and hopes will inspire others, so much so that he offers all his music for free by downloading it on his website. His latest album, Surf, was downloaded 618,000 times in the first week on iTunes, with 10 million individual track downloads. He has been featured in numerous songs from artists like Lil Wayne, Skrillex, Tinashe, and Childish Gambino. He uses his fame to shine light on issues that are affecting people, such as the high murder rate in Chicago. He has hosted several open mic events, allowing young individuals to perform what they are passionate about. He made history on Saturday Night Live, a television show that has been on air for 40 years, by being the first independent artist. All this, and he's only 22.
I had the amazing opportunity to meet Chance the Rapper this May, gave him a piece of my artwork, and hang out with him before his performance at the Kibbie Dome. Although I was only with him an hour or so, I could tell how humble and genuine of an individual he was and how dedicated he is to what he's doing.
Chance the Rapper is genuine, diligent, and one of a kind. He is a huge inspiration to me and I can't wait to see his fame and success grow even more.
If you want to check out his music, go download it for free!
10 Day (2012)
http://www.datpiff.com/Chance-The-Rapper-10-Day-mi...
Acid Rap (2013)
http://www.datpiff.com/Chance-The-Rapper-Acid-Rap-...
Surf (2015)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/id998076113?mt=1
