GET TO KNOW CHANCE THE RAPPER
Chancellor Johnathan Bennett, popularly known as Chance the Rapper, is a hip-hop recording artist from the United States who rose to fame through his rap songs. Bennett, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, had a love of singing from a young age. He aspired to be a musician, despite his father's wishes for him to get a white-collar career.
Bennett and a buddy developed their own hip-hop duo, 'Instrumentality.' Bennett, a soul and jazz fan, became interested in hip-hop after hearing Kanye West's debut album, 'The College Dropout.' Bennett abandoned his studies to pursue a career in music.
Despite the fact that he released many tracks and a mixtape, it was his second mixtape, 'Acid Rap,' that really established his career. Bennett's career trajectory accelerated with the release of his third mixtape, 'Coloring Book,' which won him three 'Grammy nominations. It was also the first streaming-only album to be nominated for a Grammy. Bennett has collaborated with a variety of musicians in addition to his solo projects. He worked with the lead singer of the band 'The Social Experiment' to create the successful album 'Surf.'
Childhood & Early Life :
Chance the Rapper was born Chancelor Jonathan Bennett to Ken Williams Bennett on April 16, 1993, in West Chatham, Chicago, USA. His dad, a former adviser to former Chicago mayor and senator Richard M. Daley, is now the deputy chief of staff to Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Bennett has a younger brother, Taylor Bennett, who is also a rapper.
Bennett graduated from 'Jones College Prep High School.' During his freshman year, he and a buddy founded the hip hop duo Instrumentality.' His first performances took place in the 'YOUmedia Lyricist Loft' in the 'Harold Washington Library.'
Career :
- Despite being humiliated by his professors, Bennett's love of music did not fade. Instead, he went all-in on his dream, releasing his debut mixtape, '10 Day,' in early 2011. He closed the year with a song called 'Windows.'
- Bennett's mixtape was released in April 2012 to rave reviews. The mixtape was both financially and critically successful. It has been downloaded over 500,000 times via 'Datpiff' since its release. The mixtape was featured in the 'Cheap Tunes' column of Forbes magazine.
- Bennett released his second mixtape, 'Acid Rap,' in April 2013, following a collaboration with American rapper Childish Gambino on the latter's mixtape 'Royalty.' The mixtape, which has been downloaded over 1.5 million times, has been lauded by music reviewers and fans alike. It was even nominated for 'Best Mixtape' at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards.
- 'Acid Rap' debuted at 63 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was also named one of the '50 Best Albums of 2013' and peaked at number 26 on 'Rolling Stones.' It came in fourth place according to 'Complex.' It was also one of NPR Music's "50 Favorite Albums of 2013."
- He released the single 'Paranoia' for the 'Songs from Scratch' series in May 2013. Following that, he appeared on Childish Gambino's album "Because of the Internet," which was released on December 10, 2013.
- Bennett established his name as a model in March 2014, just as his singing career was taking off. He starred in a shoppable web video for 'Dockers,' which promoted the brand's spring collection.
- Bennett released a short film named 'Mr. Happy in 2015. It is directed by Colin Tilley and focuses on the protagonist 'Victor,' who is depressed and suicidal until he meets 'Mr. Happy.'
- Bennett's album 'Surf' was published as an iTunes Exclusive in May 2015 on the American iTunes store. Music critics praised the CD greatly. He quickly followed it up with a performance for the super jam concert collection at the 'Bonnaroo Music Festival.' During this period, he also appeared as a guest with the popular band 'Earth, Wind & Fire,' alongside fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar.
- Bennett and Lil B collaborated on a mixtape named 'Free Based Freestyles Mixtape,' which was released in August 2015. He then released a video for his new song, 'Family Matters.' The song was a remake of Kanye West's 'Family Business,' which appeared on the latter's 2004 album 'The College Dropout.'
- Bennett released a brand-new song named 'Angels' on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on October 27, 2015. Later that year, he appeared on 'Saturday Night Live,' when he debuted another song, 'Somewhere in Paradise.'
- Bennett co-wrote and performed the song 'Ultralight Beam' for Kanye West's album 'The Life of Pablo in 2016. 'Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1,' 'Famous,' 'Feedback,' and 'Waves' are among the other songs he wrote for the album.
- Following his collaboration with West, he appeared on the tune 'Need To Know on the album 'This Unruly Mess I've Made' with hip-hop combo 'Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.' He then made an appearance on Skrillex's remix of Hundred Waters' "Show Me Love."
- Bennett released his third mixtape, 'Coloring Book,' in May 2016. The mixtape was only available on Apple Music and debuted at number eight on the 'Billboard 200.' The mixtape's score was well received by both the public and the reviewers.
- Bennett's work includes the track "We the People," which he composed for the Nike ad "Unlimited Together." He even appeared in it, as well as the 'Nestle Kit Kat' commercial.
- He launched the 'Magnificent Coloring World Tour' in San Diego in September 2016. He organized the first-ever music event at 'US Cellular Field' in Chicago's South Side
- In February 2017, he appeared at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. Later that year, his song "Last Christmas," which he sang on "Saturday Night Live," was nominated for an "Emmy Award."
- Bennett headlined day three of the 'Lollapalooza Music Festival' in August 2017. The next year, he appeared on the song 'Logout,' from Saba's album 'Care for Me.' He also appeared on Cardi B's debut album, 'Invasion of Privacy,' in the song 'Best Life.'
- In November 2018, he released two new singles for his upcoming first studio album, 'My Own Thing' and 'The Man Who Has Everything.' He also appeared in Ed Sheeran's song "Cross Me."
- Bennett's first studio album, 'The Big Day,' was quietly released on July 26, 2019. The album came in at two on the 'US Billboard 200' and received positive reviews. His wedding, which took place in March 2019, had an impact on the album.
Major Works :
After releasing his third mixtape, 'Coloring Book,' Chance the Rapper established himself as a hip-hop artist and musician. It was the first release to chart solely on streams, debuting at number eight on the 'Billboard 200.' The mixtape received widespread praise from reviewers and earned three 'Grammy nominations, including 'Best Rap Album.' It was also the first streaming-only album to be nominated for a Grammy.
Awards & Achievements :
Chance the Rapper received Chicago's 'Outstanding Youth of the Year Award' in November 2014 from 'Mayor Outstanding Youth.' He also was rated seventh on the 'Forbes 30 Under 30 2015' music list in January 2015.
Bennett's third mixtape, 'Coloring Book,' was nominated for three Grammys, including 'Best Rap Album.' It was the first streaming-only album to be nominated for a Grammy.
Personal Life & Legacy :
In 2013, Chance the Rapper began dating Kirsten. In September 2015, the couple had their first child, a girl called Kensli. The pair split up in 2016 and no longer live together. They eventually reconciled and married on March 9, 2019. Marli, the couple's second daughter, is due to arrive in September 2019.
Bennett is a devoted Christian who frequently references Christ in his lyrics. He is a vocal supporter of the #SaveChicago campaign. The campaign aims to put an end to cruelty and gun violence. He also met with then-President Barack Obama to discuss the 'My Brother's Keeper Challenge,' a US Federal Government effort to inspire civic leaders to intervene in the lives of young men of color to address their specific problems and promote racial fairness.
Awards :
Grammy Awards :
2017 - Best Rap Performance - Winner
2017 - Best Rap Album - Winner
2017 - Best New Artist - Winner