Chance the Rapper has been having a pretty big year, from the release of his fantastic Coloring Book, to hosting his inaugural Magnificent Coloring Day Festival in his hometown of Chicago, to writing the new jingle for Kit Kat, and receiving an invitation to perform at the White House this Christmas. On top of that, Chance's project is receiving Grammy buzz and the rapper was handpicked by Billboard to be on the cover of their 2017 Grammys preview issue.
It only makes sense that the unorthodox rapper would be spotlighted ahead of this year's Grammys after the Recording Academy announced earlier this year that streaming only recordings will now be eligible for Grammy consideration, making Chance's high profile Coloring Book mixtape eligible for the big award.
In the interview, Chance does not shy away from the challenges that people of color and women face when it comes to the Grammys and the music industry. "Pretty much the same challenges that they face throughout the rest of the world in terms of being overlooked, underappreciated and held back from a lot of stuff," Chance tells Billboard. "Colorism and racism don’t stop when you’re a musician or when you have wealth or when you’re in any given position."
The conversation also touches on who has Chance's vote in the election this November with the rapper stating he will be voting for the Democratic presidential nominee. "Hillary Clinton, by far...I can't really speak on her policies but I feel a certain connection to Hillary Clinton that's just not there with Donald Trump." Soon after, Clinton thanked Chance for his support, tweeting:
In other Chance news, you can currently catch him on the road for his Magnificent Coloring World Tour through October 21. Hinting at what fans can expect from the show, Chance tells Billboard, "My new tour is based off a few of my favorite Broadway productions: Hamilton, The Wiz, The Sound of Music and, more than anything, The Lion King."
It should be noted that Chance says if he is nominated, he'll throw a party in Chicago and invite all of his friends. "We'll celebrate the Grammys' recognition of grass-roots independent artists and this new way of releasing music by nominating me. Well fucking go crazy for, like, two days straight." You can read Chance the Rapper's full Billboard interview right here and stay posted for the announcement of this year's Grammy nominees.
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