Headlines for the Grammys have rolled in, but history being made has its own name—Chance The Rapper.
News dropped on the morning of Tuesday, December 6, wherein The Recording Academy unveiled their official list of nominees for the 59th annual Grammy Awards, and along the chunk of music heavyweights, including Beyonce, Drake, Adele, sits the young Chicago emcee, who's already been making history with his critically-acclaimed Coloring Book project.
Since it's initial debut back in May earlier this year, the stream-only album (which Chance considers to be a mixtape) peaked as high as #8 on Billboard charts, not to mention accounting over 57 million streams in its debut week. Moreover, Coloring Book just became the first stream-exclusive album to receive a Grammy nomination.
A total of seven potential awards gravitate around the emcee from the windy city, ranging from Best New Artist to Best Rap Song to Best Rap Performance, the latter alluding to his hit-single “No Problem” which currents boasts over 89 million streams on Spotify.
What's astounding about Chance, apart from his unconventional mixtape potentially about to make history, is the fact that he's been skyrocketing his career devoid of record label support, which the Grammy Awards committees themselves acknowledge when they write, “the only record label responsible for Chance The Rapper's feat is Chance himself.”
Fans are already erupting on social media, voicing their support and already casting their votes on their pick, who may very well walk home with seven awards in the bag. Nevertheless, Chance The Rapper embodies living proof that indie artists can, as written on Forbes, “release chart-worthy albums, tour domestically and internationally, and receive Grammy nominations.”
By Jods Arboleda for RAPStation.com
