Chancelor Jonathan Bennett is a rapper, singer, songwriter, activist and actor born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, US.
Chance the Rapper started his musical career with the release of his mixtape “10 Day” in 2012, and began to gain to mainstream recognition in 2013 as a result his “Acid Rap” mixtape release.
After releasing “Coloring Book” in 2016, Chance the Rapper won three Grammy Awards including Best Rap Album; peaking at number eight on the Billboard 200 charts.
Chance the Rapper released his debut studio album in July 2019, debuting at number two on the US Billboard 200 – becoming his highest charting entry rate until today.
In addition to music, Chance the Rapper has played a prominent role in campaigning alongside his father for Obama’s presidential campaign and continues to vocally criticize the Trump administration’s policies.
Now he is one of the mainstay judges of The Voice as well.
1993
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Kirsten Corley (m. 2019)
$25 million (2022)
Chance the Rapper identifies as a Christian and refers to Jesus Christ in multiple songs, having been raised as such by his grandmother. While he briefly fell out of the faith, he allegedly rediscovered it after his daughter was born with an atrial flutter.
When interviewed by radio host Joe Budden on fellow Chicago native Kanye West with whom he’s worked closely, Chance The Rapper explained that West thinks exclusively about how he will be perceived as an artist in the distant future. Citing West’s adorning of a MAGA hat with a Kaepernick sweater, Chance The Rapper says that West acts controversial in order to get the attention of the masses and thus to get his actions documented in history.
Having worn caps since his early youth, Chance The Rapper’s decision to wear a “3” is to do with his mixtapes and his family. Believing in the Trinity, the 3 cap symbolizes his third mixtape, Coloring Book, and his family: composed of himself, his wife Kirsten Corley and his daughter Kensli Bennet.
Chance The Rapper’s first two projects – “10 Day” (2012), and “Acid Rap” (2013) – were a collection of songs (i.e. a mixtape) and were given away on audio sharing platforms and sites such as SoundCloud for free.
Coloring Book (2016) was released exclusively on Apple Music before being available across various platforms, being the first album to chart on the US Billboard 200 from streams alone. Coloring Book won Best Rap Album at the 2017 Grammy Awards and is the first streaming-only album to ever win a Grammy.
Chance the Rapper became a household name, and his fan base was at an all-time high. However, as seasons passed, Chance began to disassociate himself with his music in an effort to spend more time with his family. Now he only appears in very few and selected songs and collaborations.
Chance The Rapper is born.
Start of involvement in the group Save Money.
Release of 10 Day mixtape.
Release of “Acid Rap” on DatPiff.
Role as Bob Marley in Adult Swim’s Black Dynamite.
Birth of daughter with his (now-wife) girlfriend Kirsten Corley.
Nomination of the MOBO Award.
Nomination for the Soul Train Music Awards.
Nominated for the MTV Music Award 2016.
Release of Coloring Book.
Nomination and win of Grammy for Coloring Book; first stream-only album to win.
Release of first studio album The Big Day.
Chance the Rapper’s Lawyers on the “The Big Day’s” Legal Mess.
Chance the Rapper is still trying to convince use that the “The Big Day” wasn’t that bad.
Together with Niall Horan, Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton, Chance the Rapper joined the judges panel of The Voice 2023.
Chance the Rapper joined the judges panel of The Voice 2024 for the second consecutive year.