Chance The Rapper Receives 'Outstanding Youth Of The Year' Award From Mayor

By Jon Graef in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 9, 2014 8:00PM

Chatham-based emcee Chance The Rapper tweeted Sunday that he had received the "Outstanding Youth Of The Year" award from Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who clearly isn't listening to the young rapper's lines about how it's easier to find a gun than a parking spot in Chicago. [Ahem.]

Nonetheless, Chance the Rapper is awesome, and he has done actual, demonstrable good for the youth of Chicago. As purely ceremonial as an award like this is, it's also quite deserved.

For his part, Chance called the award "most important award I will ever win today" and that it was an "honor to bear" the weight of the award, which is for the recipient's "outstanding contributions to the youth of the State of Illinois."

I received The most important award I will ever win today. The "Chicago's Outstanding Youth of the… http://t.co/fUS66cvlOa

— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) November 9, 2014

"For your outstanding contributions to the youth of the State of Illinois" it's an honor to bear that weight pic.twitter.com/YvsOmxU4SG

— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) November 9, 2014

Despite not [yet?] releasing a proper full-length follow-up to his superb 2013 self-released album Acid Rap, Chance already has had quite the year, most recently guesting on animated TV show Black Dynamite as Bob Marley; releasing new music; and pretty much owning Lollapalooza this year for a hometown crowd. So what the hell? Add this plaque to that already impressive list of accomplishments.