Here Are All the Unconventional Ways Chance The Rapper Premieres New Music
The Midwest first started paying serious attention to Chance The Rapper after his 2012 mixtape 10Day, a stellar debut project with 14 tracks and no big-name (at the time) features. Upon first listen, you might notice his off-kilter flow, nasally voice and unique adlibs. But after multiple spins, you'll begin to notice his lyrical acrobats, nuanced rhyme pattern and influence from Lil Wayne and Eminem.
The nation caught wind of Chano after he dropped his follow-up mixtape, Acid Rap, in 2013. The cadence-based, scatter-brained, paranoid-sounding project made him an "overnight celebrity" in the game, as Chance's mentor Kanye West might put it. This was around this point in time (spring 2013) when Chano could've signed with pretty much any label of his choosing - but he bet on himself instead.
And that's because Chance The Rapper has never been one to succumb to industry pressures and norms. The 23-year-old Chicago MC remains an independent artist to this day, and his third mixtape, Coloring Book, became the first streaming-only project to chart on the Billboard 200 (not only did it chart - it opened in the Top 10). Coloring Book also forced the Grammys to change their rules and allow streaming-only albums and tracks to win awards.
Chano's decision to forgo physical copies has turned out well for him, to say the least. But the Chi-town rhyme slinger also has other ways of delivering music, to his advantage, that go against the grain. He's an artist who eschews the traditional route of debuting songs on radio for something a bit more special. From unleashing a new single on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, to dropping a new Kanye collaboration on Saturday Night Live to delivering a never-before-heard verse in a Nike USA Basketball commercial, the young man is paving his own way through the music industry. He even dropped a new freestyle just to participate in the #SoGoneChallenge sweeping the Internet.
As a result, XXL has compiled a list of all the unconventional ways Chance The Rapper premieres new music. When it comes to hearing a new verse from Chano, chances are it's going to be an event like no other.
- 1
2016 ESPY Awards
In early June, the world lost Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all time. But Ali was more than just a fighter: he was a social rights activist, a poet and a father.
Of course, the ESPYs wanted to pay tribute to Ali at the annual sports awards show, and they picked Chance The Rapper for the job. On July 13, Chano performed an original song that he wrote himself in front of the superstar athletes in attendance and the millions watching at home on ESPN. Props to Chance on a tasteful tribute to the greatest of all time.
- 2
Nike Commercial
Both the men's and women's USA basketball teams are expected to take home the gold at the Summer 2016 Olympics in Rio. America's hoopers are simply too talented for the rest of the world.
Nike is outfitting the teams, and the clothing giant recently released a new commercial for USA Basketball featuring none other than Lil Chano from 79th. Throughout the Hiro Murai-directed clip, Chance spits his never-before-heard song “We the People” over a piano-laden instrumental, which accompanies video footage of Kevin Durant, Brittney Griner and company.
- 3
Saturday Night Live
Looking back, the build-up to Kanye West's Life of Pablo album can be described in one word: chaos. Instead of sticking to a rigid structure for promoting the album, 'Ye decided to randomly drop unfinished songs and tracklists, a move which confused many fans. However, the project was still a big success.
One of Kanye's smartest moves was going on Saturday Night Live with Chance The Rapper to perform "Ultralight Beam," which is now considered one of the best songs in both 'Ye's and Chano's discographies. That performance, replete with Yeezy throwing himself to the ground, is going to be remembered for years to come.
- 4
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
"Blessings" is one of the standout tracks on Coloring Book, and Chance unleashed the record on another major network TV program, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Fans went crazy about the appearance. Not only did many of them love the song, but they also got even better news: during the set, Chance announced the release date for Coloring Book.
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