Chance The Rapper Says Record Deals Suck

Chance The Rapper has had a long relationship with the financial press. While his was mostly a grassroots movement, the first bit of national press he enjoyed was in Forbes. Yesterday (Oct. 7), the XXL Freshman was profiled in The Wall Street Journal, for a story that focused on his decision to forego major label backing. When it came time to explain his train of thought, Chance didn't shy away from the issue: “Label deals suck, that’s just the truth of it, People believe you have to be discovered by a higher power, who hires you and takes a percentage, but in reality, you have to garner a fan base on your own.”

The young Chicagoan has long been outspoken about his commitment to doing music independently, even if that means squandering some of his natural momentum. The fever pitch that began with his 2012 mixtape, #10Day--so named because it was written during a two-week suspension from high school--and continued with the following year's Acid Rap. The latter was a massive success, garnering Chance a sizable fan base and earning rave reviews from critics. Instead of signing a deal and dropping a proper follow-up, he skirted both steps. Instead, he retreated into The Social Experiment, his network of friends and collaborators who together turned out these year's Surf, a mesh of jazz, live band work and spoken word. Below, watch Chance's interview with Willow Smith, courtesy of The Fader.