5 things to know about Chance The Rapper
Spencer Bodian | Staff Photographer
Chance the Rapper will perform at Block Party 2016 in the Carrier Dome. He is co-headlining with The Chainsmokers and Jon Bellion will open the show.
Chance the Rapper will co-headline this year’s Block Party with The Chainsmokers, University Union announced Sunday. The Chicago based hip-hop artist will return to Syracuse University where he last performed in 2014 to a sold-out crowd in Schine Underground.
The 22 year-old artist will play the Carrier Dome Friday 29 at 7:30 p.m. alongside The Chainsmokers and warmup act Jon Bellion. Here are five things to know about Chance before you go.
1. Chance is not signed to a record label
The singer has remained independent and in an interview with Rolling Stone, he explained why in few words: “There’s no reason to. It’s a dead industry,” he said.
2. In December 2015, he became the first ever independent artist to perform on “Saturday Night Live”
He performed on the iconic late night show in collaboration with Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment. The group features Chance, Donnie Trumpet (Nico Segal), Peter Cottontale, and Nate Fox. The Social Experiment released an album “Surf” in May 2015.
3. “Surf is available on iTunes for free
The highly anticipated mixtape features artists such as Big Sean, J. Cole, Busta Rhymes, B.o.B and Janelle Monae and is available on iTunes for free. They also released a video for “Sunday Candy” in April 2015.
4. Chance wrote his first mixtape, “10 Day” when he was suspended from high school
The artist, real name Chancelor Bennett, was suspended for 10 days for smoking marijuana at school. The mixtape took a year to complete after he started recording. In an interview with hiphopdx.com, he said the album is an analysis of how he felt before and during the suspension. “10 Day” and Chance’s other mixtape, “Acid Rap” are available for free download on the artists’ website.
5. The first album Chance bought was Kanye West’s “The College Dropout”
Chance bought the album in fifth grade and was inspired to start rapping. West and Chance hail from the same city of Chicago and Chance said in the interview with hiphopdx.com he was able to relate to the album. The first time Chance rapped, he recorded over Kanye instrumentals.
Published on April 3, 2016 at 8:01 pm
Contact Rachel: rcgilber@syr.edu
