The list of nominees for the 2018 49th NAACP Image Awards have been released, featuring top celebrities such as Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Sza and more. The NAACP Image Awards are presented to honor outstanding people of color in film, music, and literature. Each of the 40 plus categories are voted on by members of the NAACP. The honorary awards include; the President’s Award, the Chairman’s Award, Entertainer of the Year and the Hall of Fame Award.
This year Ava DuVernay, Bruno Mars, Chadwick Boseman, Chance the Rapper, Issa Rae, and JAY-Z have been nominated for the Entertainer of the Year award. Jay-Z is in fact nominated for five awards this year, with his latest album 4:44 in almost every musical category. However, Chance The Rapper was awarded the Outstanding New Artist of the Year from the NAACP just last year. He also just received three grammys in the past year for Best New Artist, Best Rap Album, and Best Rap Performance. Chance The Rapper has been trailblazing ever since the popularity of his first album Coloring Book. He is a new artist taking over the music scene through not only his music, but his activism in his home city as well. This makes him a tough opponent against the other five nominees for the award.
Chance The Rapper is a 24 year old South Side Chicago independent rapper, singer, songwriter, philanthropist, and record producer. He began making music in 2011, during his ten day suspension from Jones College Prep High School. His first mixtape titled 10 Day led to him getting acknowledged by Complex magazine in 2012 in a list of “10 New Chicago Rappers to Watch Out For”. He then proceeded to created his second mixtape titled Acid Rap in 2013. This mixtape in particular put Chance on the map. It was downloaded and streamed over 1.5 million times. The fame from Acid Rap served as a base for his success in and out of Chicago. The mixtape presented various commercial opportunities and awards. In 2016 Chance released Coloring Book, his first album that pushed him into mainstream media. Since the popularity of his album he has been offered countless sponsorships, advertising opportunities, and major awards. Outside of his musical popularity and achievements, Chance has done several acts of activism for the city of Chicago. He has led marches to encourage young people to vote, he has co-created the Warmest Winter campaign to buy coats for the homeless, he has hosted countless free open mics at Harold Washington library and most importantly he recently donated 1 million dollars to Chicago Public Schools.
His musical work and individual acts of philanthropy allow him to stand out as a rapper with a positive image. Contrary to the negative stereotypes placed on black men in Chicago, Chance rises above the world’s expectations for what will come out of such a tough inner city. Chance is on the rise and has been since 2011. There is no where else to go but up at this point and at the rate he is going, the momentum he has now will carry him far.
The 2018 NAACP Image awards will premiere live on January 15th 2018, Martin Luther King’s Day. There is no doubt that the ceremony will be eventful considering the various artists nominated this year. Keeping in mind, Chance The Rapper specifically it will be interesting to see if he is able to achieve yet another award acknowledging his new positive face in the media as he has plenty of other times just this year.