“I’m keeping it 2,000 up here!” an excited Chance the Rapper told the audience during his interview with journalist Adrienne Samuels Gibbs as part of the Museum of Contemporary Art’s collaborative discussion series with Chicago-based Pitchfork Media, “In Sight Out.”
Chance’s sit-down with Gibbs started late, ran long and was overdue after initially being canceled (with the promise to reschedule) in November 2017. None of that mattered to the crowd, largely made up of fans — some of whom spent nearly two hours in line before doors opened, many others proudly sporting the rapper’s signature ‘3’ cap.
Introduced as a “hometown hero,” one that “exemplifies the goals of the program,” Chance talked with Gibbs about his process, the source of his “blessings,” and his role as philanthropist and activist through his nonprofit organization, SocialWorks and New Chance Arts and Literature Fund.
While the three-time Grammy winner seemed to want to keep it on the lighter side — he appeared much more animated when discussing his friends and collaborators Kanye West and Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino), his appearances on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ and his growing interest in acting and production — he couldn’t escape questions about his involvement with Chicago Public Schools and the recent vote to close and consolidate four high schools on the South Side; from both Gibbs and audience members.
“I kind of went hard for CPS for a long time,” he said. “Doing that work in the schools got me closer to the students and the faculty and the schools and the teachers and allowed me to step back and understand the difference between CPS — the students, the teachers, the faculty — and CPS, basically the business.”
As the conversation continued to touch on the conspiracy theory that he’s some sort of “industry plant,” art he collects (special Hebru Brantley pieces and an original drawing by Michael Jackson that was a birthday gift from manager and best friend, Pat Corcoran) and recent tweets siding with comedian/actress Mo’Nique in her boycott of Netflix over color and gender bias, adding “Black women, you deserve better” — it quickly came back to local politics and policy.
About the school closings specifically, the 24-year-old said he feels “cheated,” “angry” and “vengeful.”
“You grow up feeling like you’re fighting against the man, or like you’re fighting against this faceless entity of people who are out to get you — but these people have names, know what I’m sayin’?” he asked as he answered a question about how he’s going to continue to use his voice to continue to combat these issues from digital media platform, The Triibe.
The rapper faulted leadership under Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other Democrats without answers, but ultimately said it starts with all ages coming together at the ground level to effect change.
“It starts on the my neighborhood, my ward, my block type s—,” he said. “It starts with block club presidents. It starts with starting a block club. But all those levels are accessible, you know?
“But I’m here, I’m posted. I’m not going anywhere. I’m gonna live in Chicago until the day I die. I’m gonna leave every once in a while, I’m gonna travel, I’m gonna do some tours — get that bag. Then I’m gonna lobby for y’all.”
As the crowd roared, Chance the Rapper smiled.
“I think this was a good a— interview, I think I did it.”
Twitter @jessitaylorro
