1.
Some people are so poor, all they have is money.
Chance the Rapper
Some individuals are so destitute, all they possess is currency.
2.
Everybody's somebody's everything
Chance the Rapper
Every person is invaluable to someone.
3.
Depending on the story that you're telling, you can be relatable to everybody or nobody. I try and tell everybody's story.
Chance the Rapper
No matter what narrative you are conveying, you can be sympathetic to all or none. I strive to illustrate everyone's tale.
4.
Sometimes the truth don't rhyme, sometime the lies get millions of views, funerals for little girls is that appealing to you?
Chance the Rapper
Occasionally facts don't match up, occasionally untruths get widespread attention, burials for juvenile females - is that attractive to you?
5.
Whats better than followers, is actually falling in love
Chance the Rapper
'What surpasses followers is being genuinely enamored'
6.
Sometimes the truth don't rhyme
Chance the Rapper
'Sometimes facts do not align with expectations'
7.
The idea of 'talking white,' a lot of people grew up around that, just the idea that if you speak with proper diction and come off as educated that it's not black and that it's actually anti-black and should be considered only something that white people would do.
Chance the Rapper
8.
I think our duty as American citizens is to be involved and engaged in anything that affects us. As an artist, I have to use my platform, and as a dad, a brother, and a black man, I have to be as socially woke and present as possible.
Chance the Rapper
9.
Kanye took me from a kid who listened to music to a kid who lived music.
Chance the Rapper
Kanye elevated me from a casual music fan to an ardent enthusiast.
10.
The whole point of 'Acid Rap' was just to ask people a question: does the music business side of this dictate what type of project this is? If it's all original music and it's got this much emotion around it and it connects this way with this many people, is it a mixtape? What's an 'album' these days, anyways?
Chance the Rapper
11.
Fame or perceived success - it all comes from groupthink.
Chance the Rapper
12.
Music can kind of make you one-dimensional. People see what's on the surface and what you rap about, and they make their decision on who you are from there.
Chance the Rapper
13.
I'm light skinned, and I used to lean on that because that's something a lot of black people pride themselves on, and it's weird.
Chance the Rapper
I utilized my fair complexion as a source of pride in the past, which is an odd thing for many African Americans to do.
14.
For me, performing is the biggest part of being a rapper. There's nothing like the feeling of screaming your story to people.
Chance the Rapper
I relish the opportunity to vocalize my narrative to an audience.
15.
I make money from touring and selling merchandise, and I honestly believe if you put effort into something and you execute properly, you don't necessarily have to go through the traditional ways.
Chance the Rapper
I firmly believe that with hard work and the right approach, you can bypass the more established paths to success.
16.
I made the decision that I was going to make rap music in, like, fourth grade, so it's been something I was saying for a long time.
Chance the Rapper
I resolved in elementary school that I would pursue rap music, so it has been a definite ambition of mine for many years.
17.
People always tell me I'm the complete opposite of Chief Keef and act like I'm supposed to stop him from making his music. But I like Chief Keef, so it's always super awkward. I just make music I like.
Chance the Rapper
18.
Rap music is a combination of many different arts to make something new. There's always been a stigma that its existence would be short and only appeal to a certain group - but it's the biggest music in the world.
Chance the Rapper
19.
A cool & diversified version of a mix tape. The BreakBeat Poets is a thorough and complete summation of Golden Era writers who continue to build the scene of literary and performance poetry.
Chance the Rapper
A fresh & varied compilation of tracks. The BreakBeat Poets is a comprehensive and exhaustive overview of Golden Era authors who keep building the milieu of literary and spoken word poetry.
20.
I don't really have control over my direct impression on people anymore. I used to be the person putting my CD in people's hands. But I'm kind of a mainstream artist now. Not by choice.
Chance the Rapper
I no longer have sway over how people perceive me. I was once the one giving out my music to everyone. However, nowadays I'm a more widespread artist, not by choice.
21.
I think it's so dope that I'm here in Chicago and contributing to the music scene that's thriving. People are so happy Chicago's shining that everyone is willing to say 'I represent Chicago.' That wasn't always the case.
Chance the Rapper
22.
My favorite artist in the world is Michael Jackson, and he revolutionized the music video aspect of music.
Chance the Rapper
My beloved artist Michael Jackson has transformed the landscape of music videos.
23.
Chance the Rapper' is many things. I'm constantly evolving.
Chance the Rapper
24.
The weird thing about rap is that you don't get compared in the same way that athletes do, even though it's probably the most competitive sport in music. In basketball, they look at a player and say: 'This guy was the best in his prime at this sport.' But in rap it's not until you're dead or retired that people think about it like that.
Chance the Rapper
25.
I've never met Eminem; you don't meet Eminem. He has his own secret service.
Chance the Rapper
26.
I don't know where people think I'm from, but I'm from Chicago. It's really just that. People wanna romanticize it and say, 'There's two sides to it, and it's a beautiful love/hate story of violence and music.' But it's really just a very scummy place where people don't have respect for other people's lives.
Chance the Rapper
27.
One of the first times I ever performed in front of a big group of people was at my kindergarten graduation. I did, like, a Michael Jackson impersonation as, like, a five year old. I had the suit and blazer, the glove and the fedora, and I just performed a whole Michael Jackson song. I'm sure it was 'Smooth Criminal.
Chance the Rapper
28.
The whole tape [Dedication 5] is amazing. It's my favourite accomplishment [working with Lil Wayne] and I say that with thought. It's the biggest accomplishment I've made today, because Lil Wayne is probably the biggest reason why I'm sitting here right now, rapping and doing what I do. I'm a huge Wayne fan forever.
Chance the Rapper
29.
I dont really like meetings, I like recording and performing music. I need to set myself up for when the time does come that I need better distribution or just a bigger team behind me.
Chance the Rapper
30.
It wasn't until I left that I realised it's not weird to grow up in certain cities and, by the age of 27 or 28, for all of your friends to still be alive. I can think of a lot of kids that I knew in Chicago who were supposed to grow up but didn't.
Chance the Rapper
31.
I think even before I knew I wanted to be a rapper, I wanted to be an entertainer. I was really into Michael Jackson as a kid.
Chance the Rapper
32.
My come-out record, '10 Day,' was the thing people were supposed to hear and figure out 'he's good' or 'he's not good.' 'Acid Rap' is the comeback tape, and it asks way bigger and better questions than, 'Is he good at rapping?
Chance the Rapper
33.
My dad is probably the most proud person when it comes to me, and we have a great relationship. If people have a compliment about my character, they usually say they can tell I was raised right, and that's the truth.
Chance the Rapper
34.
People wanna say that they're part Native American or mixed, or anything other than black. We're raised to believe that there's something better about not being fully black, something eccentric about it. I'm saying I used to tell girls that I was mixed, which is a bold-faced lie!
Chance the Rapper
35.
Both of my parents graduated from high school, both attended college, both have government jobs now. They've always been very adamant about me finishing high school and finishing college.
Chance the Rapper
36.
Chicago is a beautiful city - the architecture, the food, everything in the city is awesome.
Chance the Rapper
37.
To me, I feel like basketball and hip-hop have always been kinda conjoined because they're very similar in their competitive nature, you know what I'm sayin'? It's about technical skill, and then there's just God-given talent.
Chance the Rapper
38.
Jeremih has been my favorite artist to collab with.
Chance the Rapper
39.
It's important to go against the grain. My favorite celebrity, across arts and sports and everything, is Muhammad Ali. And he was famous for speaking inflammatory things that were polarizing but also were important to building who he was as a man and his legacy. And in the end, he was right about most of the s... he was talkin' about.
Chance the Rapper