Chance the Rapper Earns Major Honor From Chicago Magazine

Chicago magazine named Chance the Rapper "Chicagoan of the Year" for his work to encourage positive change in the Windy City, particularly in the lives of young people.

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The 22-year-old rapper, who recently became a father, credits his baby daughter making him more mature. “Anywhere past age 13 — 10 if you live in Chicago — you have a relationship with death as you’ve seen it depicted in media, or around you, if you’ve watched somebody die,” he explained. “Until you have your own seed — and this is just me being religious — come from God and come to you...it’s a new understanding of life and of love.”

Chance, born Chancellor Bennett, is the son of a former aide to Barack Obama and well-known political figure in the city. Earlier in the year, Chance, along with his father and brother, championed the #SaveChicago social media movement to help bring an end to the city’s gun violence. In addition, Chance surprised Chicago students with a field trip and threw a free concert for local teens over the summer.

Having come from a long line of activists, it’s no wonder Chance wants to leave a mark. “Being from the family I’m from — my great-grandmother marched with [Dr. Martin Luther] King — I have things that I have to do.”  

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(Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for vitaminwater)