For those of you with your heads still in your textbooks, the Grammys just happened this past Sunday (whether you care or not). The night saw big wins for Adele (and by extension, Beyonce) and the late David Bowie. However, the biggest winner of the night was arguably Chance the Rapper, aka last year's Fling headliner that you may or may not have glazed over. After fans petitioned the Grammys to allow award eligibility for streaming–only albums, Chance’s newest mixtape, Coloring Book, was nominated for not one, not two, but three Grammys. Ultimately, Chance came out on top, winning “Best Rap Performance,” “Best Rap Album,” and “Best New Artist.” Chance’s big Grammy night is exciting for all the fans that have followed him since his previous mixtapes, #10Day and Acid Rap. However, Chance’s Grammy wins transcend that fateful night for a host of reasons—he's changing the face of rap as we know it.
1. It’s great for the city of Chicago
Anyone who listens to just a few Chance songs is likely to pick up on several references to Chance’s hometown. Coloring Book is littered with references to Chi–town, with some songs solely focused on the city. “Angels” is an ode to Chicago and the people Chance loves within it, while “Summer Friends” is a cry for attention to the violence that plagues the Southside.
Coloring Book as a whole is very much a conglomerate of both Chicago artists and music styles. The album features big Chicago names like Kanye West and Jeremih, lesser known artists such as rising female hip–hop artist Noname and Saba and straight–up obscure voices like the Chicago Children’s Choir and His “Cousin Nicole". The list goes on and on beyond these features. Through his following, Chance has essentially designated himself as the unofficial voice of Chicago. He's a club ambassador of sorts for the Chicago White Sox. He also works to improve Chicago life for individuals by helping the homeless community and speaking out against gang violence. Coming off the Chicago Cubs recent termination of their 108 year World Series drought, Chance’s Grammys night is huge for the morale of the city. When Chance makes his way up, he brings his whole city with him.
2. He proves there’s a place in rap for unwaveringly joyful music
As opposed to most rap albums, Coloring Book oozes jubilation and ecstasy. Relative to other Grammy winning rappers, Chance puts a bubbly spin on any music he creates and constantly shows gratitude for the life he has. During both renditions of “Blessings” on Coloring Book, Chance shows appreciation for everything he’s been blessed with: his family, his city, his faith.
Chance’s outspoken love and appreciation for his daughter, his girlfriend and his friends encourages listeners to acknowledge the beauty behind the everyday things in life that we often fail to recognize. You can’t possibly listen through Coloring Book and not smile at Chance’s childhood references, his pleasant nostalgia or his positivity that radiates throughout every track.
3. He makes it cool to be religious
Chance’s religion's not just a minor detail of this album—his faith drives the album. Chance consistently praises God throughout Coloring Book and has never been one to hide his faith. Biblical references are present in his lyrics, and he devotes two and a half minutes of “How Great” to a gospel intro which repeatedly asks, “How great is our God?” Although many artists drop references to their faith, Chance revels in it with confidence, exciting religious people everywhere.
4. He gives hope to independent artists
For all who don’t know Chance’s vision of the music industry, he essentially believes that labels are restrictive and outdated. Therefore, he chooses to remain an independent artist. He finds that it gives him more leeway to produce the music he wants to make, without relying on the approval of record labels. He strives to publicize himself without a label by taking a grassroots approach to self–advertisement and appealing directly to his fans. Chance’s victories at the Grammys as an independent artist are unprecedented. He shows that artists can make it on their own and can rely on their own visions and skills rather than deferring to the demands of record labels.
5. He shows that tangible change is possible in the music industry
To Chance, the future of the music industry lies in streaming and downloads. This belief led him to utilize music sharing websites like SoundCloud and DatPiff for the release of his mixtapes. Chance doesn't believe in selling his music, so Coloring Book was available for streaming but not for sale. This presented an issue to his fans, as streaming–only albums weren't eligible for Grammy nominations. A Change.org petition asking for the Grammys to change their rules quickly caught steam. Ultimately, the Grammys chose to allow streaming–only albums to qualify for nominations. While the Grammys claimed that they'd previously considered changing this streaming–only rule and that the rule change had nothing to do with the success of Coloring Book, the amendment can largely be credited to Chance. You could argue that this change was inevitable, but Chance undeniably accelerated the process. His success and popularity played a major role in this drastic change to the biggest musical awards show in the world. Chance’s Grammy wins are emblematic of that change and a symbol that individual artists have the power to reshape an industry.
Listen to the award–winning Coloring Book here:
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