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Mentor Poet: Chance the Rapper

 IGH! An unfamiliar sound to most, this is what echoed throughout the concert venue when Chance the Rapper performed. Not knowing who he was, I thought that Chancelor Bennett was just a typical rapper, composing songs about money, drugs, and violence. As this was my first time intently listening to him, I was surprised at the message in his music. He was on stage rapping about how growing up in inner-city Chicago, summers were fraught with violence and murders. But, the songs that he followed up with were about his faith in God. The polarity in content struck me, and I wanted to learn more about Chance and his testimony. The progression of his albums, I discovered, depicted the profound transformation in his life. His first album focuses on his high school experience and his 10 day suspension- appropriately titled 10 Day. Acid Rap talks about his experimentation with illicit substances. Coloring Book, his third album, is about him accepting Christianity. At the tail-end of this transformation, he founded a charity for youth empowerment called Social Works and donated over $2 million to Chicago Public Schools. Coming from a rough upbringing, Chance was not only able to become successful despite the odds against him, but was able to aid in rebuilding the community. In understanding Chance the Rapper’s inspiring story, it has challenged me to create positive outcomes of every situation, regardless of the conditions. Now, when I am faced with hardships, I do not allow myself to be a victim of my circumstances, rather I proactively seek out ways to improve my standing and better myself.


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