Chance The Rapper Says It Was Difficult Telling Kanye West That He Wanted To Stay Independent
(By Ben Dandridge - Lemco| Published on December 22, 2016 for Fader.com)
"It's definitely hard keeping that resistance, but I want to teach people that it’s doable without."
In a new segment from ABC News, the network follows Chance the Rapper through the final days of his Magnificent Coloring World tour, examining his rise from Chicago to international stardom and his desire to remain an independent artist, despite an offer from mentor Kanye West.
"It's not easy at all, definitely not telling Kanye," Chance told ABC's Robin Roberts regarding Kanye's efforts to sign him. "It's definitely hard keeping that resistance, but I want to teach people that it's doable without."
Chance mentioned that one of the biggest themes thus far in his career has been access. "I wanted to give the idea of freedom back to artists and one of the biggest things is control of how you release your music," he explained. "So, streaming and free releases—I figured that'd be a good beacon to have people at least pick up on what i was doing as an independent artist."
Today, Chance and fellow Chicago artist Jeremih surprised fans with a Christmas mixtape entitled Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama. Listen to the tape below and watch Chance's segment on ABC News above.
