NBCBLK28: The Wizard of Rap: Chance the Rapper’s Very, Very Good Year – WBNews

Chance the Rapper, 23 Rapper/Activist Strategically unconventional. That’s one way to describe Chance the Rapper’s ascent to the top of hip hop superstardom and his subsequent takeover of all things culturally cool, all while making money and releasing music on his own terms. Let’s recap. Not even one week ago, Chance the Rapper put on a “thank you Obama” t-shirt, created by fellow Chicagoan Joe Fresh Goods, and the merch sold out within days. Not even a half a year ago, Chance became the face and voice of Kit-Kat. He sang a bluesy rendition of the candy maker’s famous treat, prompting a flurry of Halloween sales and knowing nods from industry insiders who knew that this Chicago South Sider’s brand was so on point it could enhance damn near anything. Not even one year ago, Chance released an album “Coloring Book,” but you could only stream it. As a result, “they” told him it wasn’t eligible for the Grammys, but lo and behold, “they” changed the rules and “Coloring Book” made history as the first streaming album with a Grammy nod. No, make that seven Grammy nods. CHECK OUT THE FULL LIST OF THE #NBCBLK28 HERE! Chance has refused to leave Chicago, instead reminding the world that the Windy City does in fact have its good parts. He was the first-ever unsigned musical guest performer on Saturday Night Live. He performed a special homage for Muhammad Ali at the ESPYs. He just joined the board of the DuSable Museum of…more detail