The Grammy Awards highlight the best of the best in the music world. The top artists and bands ranging from rap to rock n’ roll to country all come together for one culminating evening to celebrate the top artists and songs of the year. So shouldn’t all the top artists be considered for nominations? Well, up until recently, Chance the Rapper was ineligible from receiving a nomination due to his method of using free streaming to release his music to the public. He then petitioned the ineligibility with the support from millions of his fans. Soon afterward, Recording Academy said that streaming-only releases will now be eligible for Grammy nominations. At 23 years old, Chance has already put a dent in the music world. His lyrics are relatable and inspirational to all of his followers and he has used his fame positively for the better. He has continuously helped the city of Chicago in many ways. Back in April, he partnered with nonprofit The Empowerment Plan to launch Warmest Winter 2016, which is creating one-of-a-kind, water-resistant, self-heating jackets for the homeless that can be converted into sleeping bags. Chance is the type of guy who will randomly take a group of students to visit a museum.
He’s also the type of guy who, after performing a free concert, led a parade of voters to a polling place for early voting. Now the main purpose of the Grammy Awards is not to recognize great humanitarian efforts but to honor outstanding achievement in the music industry. When nominations are released on Tuesday, December 6th, Chance will be the expected front-runner for Best New Artist. Over the past year, he has collaborated with mega stars such as Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Justin Bieber and many others. His latest mixtape, “Coloring Book”, was streamed more than 57 million times in its first week. In an article written in The Guardian, Chance is described as possibly "the future of music" due to his success as an independent artist. "He is no fan of the “old” industry system and his achievements to date represent a crystallisation of all the grand theorizing about disintermediation and the “death of the label” that have been kicking around since 1999 and Napster". He is truly transforming the rap music industry. Chance’s contributions to music and his community have been monumental in his first few years of relevance and it looks like his fame and popularity will only continue to grow. Chance the Rapper is on track to do great things in the music industry, but first, let’s give this man a Grammy Nomination.
