Chance The Rapper, Whose Dad Works For Rahm, Says Chicago 'Needs A New Mayor'

By Mae Rice in Arts & Entertainment on May 11, 2016 8:42PM

Chance the Rapper performs in New York in 2015 (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for vitaminwater)

"We need a new mayor, for sure," Chance the Rapper says of Chicago in a new Complex profile, responding to a suggestion from the writer that President Barack Obama could run for mayor here after his presidential term is up.

It's one of many interesting moments in the profile, which covers both both Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of Hamilton, and Chance, who contributed to the Hamilton mixtape and, obviously, has a mixtape of his own coming out Friday.

However, that particular stands out because Chance's father works for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the guy Chance was implicitly criticizing. Ken Bennett, Chance's dad (Chance was born Chancelor Bennett) works as Rahm's Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Public Engagement. He was appointed to both posts in 2014, according to the Tribune.

Back in March, when Chance called Chiraq as a "sexist, racist flop" and began publicly feuding with Chiraq director Spike Lee, Lee called him out for not criticizing Rahm more publicly.

"He’s not criticized the mayor," Lee told Chris Hayes on MSNBC. "Why? His father works for the mayor.”

Chicago Magazine spoke to Chance in December, though, about whether he avoided criticizing Rahm out of respect for his dad, though, and Chance said, simply, "No." He elaborated: "Personally, I don’t really comment on that many things dealing with Rahm because I don’t really follow Rahm’s politics, and the things that I have followed I wasn’t necessarily down to align myself with."

Now, the proof is here. Chance the Rapper—not afraid to have a different opinion from his dad! Which is totally normal, because he is 23 years old and an adult.

It's worth reading the full Complex profile, which touches on topics from fatherhood (both men have young kids) to whether Miranda would cast Chance in the Chicago's Hamilton run ("I would kill it as Burr," Chance said).

[h/t Tribune]