A hallmark of Chance the Rapper’s music is his boundless joy, a quality that is expressed not just in giddy melodies and choirs singing praises to the heavens, but also in his heartfelt lyrics. At times he can feel like the living embodiment of positivity, shining a light of hope and encouragement in a genre that rarely offers such feelings so openheartedly.
Of course, the music barely scratches the surface. Compared to the average person, Chance the Rapper comes close to being a literal saint. His infectious, feel-good nature has extended to the good works he does in the community. Whether it’s getting people to exercise their civic duty to vote, supporting student-led strikes toward gun violence or funding public schools out of his own pocket, Chance is a rare force of unadulterated good in this world.
In honor of his birthday, we’ve rounded up 15 moments where Chance the Rapper proved he’s the nicest person, like, ever.
In May 2014, Chance and his dad started a social media campaign (via his prefered platform of Twitter, naturally) called #SaveChicago, in an effort to curb the city’s escalating murder rate over Memorial Day weekend. The campaign resulted in 42 hours without a single gun-related homicide in Chicago.
when i was in LA My pops asked me to help with a project. He was tryin to get Community Org's in CHI to prevent every murder on Memorial Day
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 27, 2014
Chance was awarded Chicago’s Outstanding Youth Award for his continued involvement in and contributions to youth activity in November 2014.
At the beginning of 2015, Chance, his brother Taylor Bennett, and Sway helped raise $100,000 for Chicago schools through the Get Schooled Program, providing new technology equipment to six local elementary schools.
Lil Chano from 79th has been hosting bi-monthly “Open Mic” nights in conjunction with the Chicago Cultural Center since 2015. Meant to serve as a creative outlet for young artists in the city, it’s a free event for teens with a valid school I.D. Chicago’s own Kanye West has stopped by, as well as Vic Mensa, and more recently Big Sean made an appearance.
Shout-out tho @BigSean for showing up today at @chancetherapper's @OpenMikeChicago pic.twitter.com/HB1nxVtVGv
— Sinai Martinez (@msinai31) April 3, 2018
Thank you so much @BigSean for that historic performance and thank you Justin Holiday for your kind donation to @SocialWorks_Chi today at our 28TH SUCCESSFUL @OpenMikeChicago THIS IS WHERE I STARTED THIS IS WHERE WE ALL START POWER TO THE PEOPLE pic.twitter.com/NcnWMvi7wO
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) April 3, 2018
Following up from his #SaveChicago Twitter campaign in 2014, Chance participated in the Faith In Action campaign in Chicago when Memorial Day weekend 2015 rolled around to help prevent gun violence in the city yet again.
S/O #FaithInAction #PutTheGunsDown #SaveChicago and whoever else is tired of holiday wknds in the summer meaning multiple shooting deaths
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 21, 2015
We finna party and protest and protect all wknd. I watched the city go 42 hours without a reported shooting this same wknd last year
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 21, 2015
In the summer of 2015, Chance organized the first Teens in the Park Festival, a free park concert that featured local acts like his band, The Social Experiment, as well as none other than Kendrick Lamar.
In July 2015, Chance and NoName took a group of 6 to 11 year olds Cole Park Elementary School students on a field trip to Field Museum in Chicago.
COLE PARK FIELD TRIP to the FIELD MUSEUM 6-11 yr olds WE LIT @CHICAGOPARKS
Chano rented out an entire movie theatre in February 2017 so Chicagoans could see Jordan Peele’s Academy Award-winning film Get Out. Then more recently, he doubled his previous offer with two theatres for film enthusiasts to see Marshall.
CHANCE THE RAPPER PRESS RELEASE*** #MarshallMovie pic.twitter.com/IS3llR5cJD
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) October 13, 2017
After the State of Illinois cut public school funding, Chance decided to take the matter into his own hands, donating $1 million to Chicago Public schools in March 2017, getting a shoutout from none other than former FLOTUS Michelle Obama.
Thanks @chancetherapper for giving back to the Chicago community, which gave us so much. You are an example of the power of arts education.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) March 6, 2017
Last September, he hit the grill at Nando’s in Chicago to celebrate the opening of their Michigan Avenue restaurant, to raise money in support of Chicago Public Schools through his Social Works charity
Meet me at @NandosUSA Michigan Ave opening. I’m grilling on 9/5 @ 6pm to #SupportCPS & raise $ for @SocialWorks_Chi pic.twitter.com/AxNhpl1w5L
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) August 29, 2017
In October 2017, our boy Chance and his SocialWorks charity announced a collaboration with transportation app Lyft called Round Up and Donate. It allows Chicago Lyft riders to simply round up their fare to the nearest dollar so that the remainder goes to the New Chance: Arts & Literature Fund.
Chance graced Chicago’s local news station WGN with his presence back in December 2017. Clad in a Gucci belt and his signature “3” hat, the rapper delivered the weather report like a pro.
After Chano called out Heineken for a TV ad that he thought was “terribly racist” on Twitter (where else?), the Dutch beer company pulled the ad. More importantly, Chance started a conversation about representation of race in the media.
I think some companies are purposely putting out noticably racist ads so they can get more views. And that shit racist/bogus so I guess I shouldn’t help by posting about it. But ? I gotta just say tho. The “sometimes lighter is better” Hienekin commercial is terribly racist omg
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) March 26, 2018
Im not saying boucott them or go off im just noticing how often it happens and I think they baiting consumers and tweeters and freelancers and shit. Like I didnt wanna tweet about it so bad ?? but its like how can u not
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) March 26, 2018
