Accompanied by a burning cigarette, destroyed pen, and scribbled paper, Acid Rap artist, Chance the Rapper has truly received the title for one of the most successful independent rappers.

Chancellor Bennett is a writer from Chicago, Illinois; just at the age of 18, Chance the Rapper recorded his first mixtape, 10 Day during his 10-day suspension from his senior year of high school. This mixtape consumed much attention and popularity- Forbes magazine even covered his story.

This growing popularity compelled Chance to find a suitable manager, one that understood his intentions and background as an artist from Chicago. Pat Corcoran met the rapper in a Hooters in April 2012- they have been making history ever since.

Both Bennett and Corcoran possessed the same intentions to portray life as a teenager who had experiences from tragedies to breakups. Chance’s debut mixtape, 10 Day presented his life as a confident, yet troubled teenager in Chicago. Just a year later, Chance, along with the assistance from his manager produced Acid Rap, an album that reflected his confessions and mistakes as a young adult.

Three years later, Coloring Book was released- this received several nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards and the BET Hip-Hop Awards. This album resembled his adulthood and success in being sober. Coloring Book displayed his extensive reliance on the purity of music, his maturing dedication to God, and ultimately being high just from the emotions of life.

Coloring Book gained much attention from musicians throughout the country. This album featured reputable, experienced artists such as Kanye West, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Jeremih, Future, and Justin Bieber. The diversity on this album does not compare to any other rapper’s releases, for Chance strived to include the most knowledgeable modern writers.

Chance’s intelligence surpasses many current, well-liked rappers- his ability to illustrate his transition into adulthood is impressive. He chronicled the past four years of his life in three albums, addressing his public concerns, deepest regrets, and dramatic recovery.

In multiple interviews, manager Corcoran stresses how he and Chance have declined numerous record label offers from Universal Records, Sony Records, and Columbia Records. Corcoran detailed that signing onto a label is just not their thing.

Some of Bennett’s songs hit the Billboard Top 100, and Coloring Book is the first streaming-exclusive album to be on the Billboard 200 Chart.

Chance is different- he did not release his music through iTunes, where fans have to purchase his album in order to listen to it. Instead, Chance decided to make his albums public through SoundCloud and Apple Music, for free. He wanted to discover the best possible method for his music to be heard, regardless if his fans purchased it or not- he wanted to make it as easily accessible as possible.

As a twenty-three-year-old with an overwhelming amount of fame, Chance’s popularity has excelled over the past four years. His ability to connect with an audience through his lyrics is unlike no other, and I cannot wait to hear what he has planned for the future.