Chance The Rapper Says He'll 'Never Run For Any Office'

By Stephen Gossett in Arts & Entertainment on May 31, 2017 4:44PM

Chance the Rapper performing at Magnificent Coloring Day / Photo: Tyler LaRiviere

Chance the Rapper won't be Chance the Mayor any time soon. Nearly two months after fans launched "Chano for Mayor" in hopes of drafting Chicago's favorite hip-hop native son into a run for office, Chance put the kibosh on hopes for any political officeholding in an interview in the June issue of Ebony magazine.

Chance said he has more freedom as an artist to broach issues that are important to him. He told Ebony:

"I would never run for any office or government position. I’m not into it. I think politics is a reason why a lot of stuff doesn’t get done. There’s a lot of favors, and a lot of people are held back by their intentions of being re-elected or the things that they owe their party or constituents. I think when you’re in my position as an artist, I can say what I want and talk about the issues that matter."

The idea that Chance might have harbored higher political aspirations is far from ridiculous—and not just because he once rapped, "They screamin, "Chano for mayor," I'm thinkin' maybe I should." His civic outreach speaks for itself. Most notably, Chance donated $1 million to Chicago Public Schools, famously telling Gov. Bruce Rauner to "do your job" and earning praise from the former First Lady in the process. He also established an arts and literature fund for CPS, and last November he led a "parade to the polls" following a get-out-the-vote concert. He and Jamila Woods recently reached out to CPS high school students to help make their next video. There's his bi-monthly youth open mic series at Harold Washington Library.

He also comes from a political family—one that has ties to Mayor Rahm Emanuel—Chance's father, Ken Bennett, was once an aide to Emanuel. Still, that hasn't stopped Chance—who last year said Chicago needs a new mayor—from speaking out against Rahm. Looks like it'll have to be somebody else. Anyone?

[H/T Stereogum]