Chance the Rapper kicked off 2016 by appearing on the opening track to Kanye West’s Life of Pablo, an honor he’d pay back when West lent his presence to “All I Got,” the cut that launches Chance’s Coloring Book. That album, released in May, became the first streaming-only full-length recording to crack The Billboard 200’s top 10, marking the beginning of a new era as West called Chance “the future” at last month’s MTV’s Video Music Awards. Chance’s ebullient reaction at that passing of the torch was part of why he’s been embraced by the pop music world, and he’s visiting Las Vegas as part of his Magnificent Coloring world tour.
The Chicago-born rapper—he’s the son of Ken Williams-Bennett, deputy chief of staff to Mayor Rahm Emanuel—freely expresses positive enthusiasm through social media, popularizing the hashtag #blackboyjoy for an audience in need of a break from the barrage of negativity in mass media. Chance is playing the music industry game with full confidence too, retaining a label-less free-agent status and making bank through sponsorships and live appearances, such as the last-day headlining spot of this month’s Apple Music Festival in London, which featured industry titans Elton John, Alicia Keys and Calvin Harris. A superstar has arrived.
Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, 7 p.m. Sept. 18, sold out. 702.862.2695
