Lil Chano From 79th: Chicago Rapper Makes It Big While Staying True To Himself
These days you can’t turn on the radio or scroll your social media feeds without hearing about Chance the Rapper. Aside from being an AMAZING artist, (Don’t try to tell me otherwise! You will lose!!) Chance, born Chancellor Johnathan Bennett, has made major waves in both the world of music and most recently in politics. While other rappers currently dominating the charts are signing 360 deals and constantly tied up in legal battles, Chance has sold millions of records and broken down barriers all the while doing so on his terms. But the road to success hasn’t always been easy for young Chance.
Like most teenagers, Chance found himself running around with the wrong crowd but little did he know that something that he thought to be just a hobby would turn out to be his saving grace. During his senior year of high school, Chance was busted for possession of marijuana on campus and received an out of school suspension. Instead of using the time to play video games and goof off with his friends, Chance used the time to record his first full-length length, a mixtape by the name of #10Day. Two months later, he caught the eye of Complex Magazine and landed a spot on the magazine’s “10 New Chicago Rappers to Watch Out For”. To anyone hearing Chance’s story, it would seem that he was king of the world, but truth be told, his life was falling apart.
In 2013, Chance followed up with his second mixtape, Acid Rap, and the offers from major record labels came in in droves. No one’s perfect so naturally the fruits of his success went to his head. His drug use had spiraled into dangerous territory and if he didn’t get help soon, his life would be cut short and all his work would be for nothing. After losing a close friend to the streets and being kicked out of his parents’ house, Chance was forced to find himself and get back on the right track. Around the same time, he found out that his blessings were only growing more and more by the day when he found out that his girlfriend was going to make him a father. Unfortunately early on in the pregnancy, the couple was told that their daughter, Kinsley, had a dangerous heart condition. Chance credits baby Kinsley as the one thing that brought his faith back full force. God has been answering his prayers continuously as he began to work on his newest album, Coloring Book. He was determined to send a different message with this album than the ones that he released in the past. Instead of focusing on drugs and sex, the themes that flow throughout included God, love, dance, and the great city of Chicago. All of Chance’s hard work had finally paid off. On February 12, 2017, Chance the Rapper finally was rewarded by becoming one of the first “unsigned” artists to take home not one but THREE Grammys.
Since the big victory, not only has Chance turned down the like of Russell Simmons and other millions of dollars worth of recording contracts but he has also used his influence in the city of Chicago by donating $1 Million to the Chicago Public School system. Let's not leave out the fact that he was able to singlehandedly put together an entire music festival in the city of Chicago, Magnificent Coloring Day.
Much love Chano! Looking forward to what you come up with next.
