The 59th Grammy Awards was a night to remember. As we know music is a way for people to express themselves. The performances at the Grammy’s tackled issues involving the recent election, this was time for artists to stand up for what they believed in. We saw performances from Queen B, Adele, Katy Perry, A Tribe Called Quest, and more. But the person who really stood out at the 59th Grammy Awards was Chance the Rapper. Chance won three Grammy Awards for his mixtape Coloring Book and guess what: he is an independent artist and releases his music for FREE! Yes, you heard it for FREE! Chance the Rapper’s music is available on streaming sites such as Apple Music, Spotify, and Soundcloud.
Chance the Rapper is from Chicago which as a result has motivated him to give back to his community. He comes from a family of community organizers. Last year, Chance partnered with nonprofit The Empowerment Panel to launch a project called, “Warmest Winter 2016, where Homeless parents from local shelters are hired to make self-heating and water-resistant jackets for the homeless, that can be converted into sleeping bags and over-the-shoulder bags. This project is amazing because it gives the parents an opportunity to earn a stable income, find secure housing and also give back to people who are in similar situations. The project ran from December 16 through January 13 and raised over $100,000 from 1,000 coats for the homeless. Chance the Rapper also helped with The Save Chicago Campaign, to help stop shootings in Chicago. The campaign resulted in a 42 hour period without any gun-related homicide. Chance also gives back to his community by hosting an event called, “Open Mike” which is a tribute to his mentor Brother Mike. The Open Mike is hosted at the Chicago’s Harold Washington Library. The Open Mike gives students a safe space to have the opportunity to showcase their talents. During his tour last year, Chance the Rapper had the NAACP register people to vote at his concerts.
I believe Chance the Rapper grammy performance was phenomenal! If you watched the performance you saw his love and passion for GOD. His cousin Nicole who sung the opening vocals was amazing and looked gorgeous with her silver dress. He also had help from Kirk Franklin, Tamela Mann, Francis and the Lights and a gospel choir! You could see Chance the Rapper’s excitement in his performance with him jumping around the stage and hitting his heart. I believe Chance hitting his heart was a sign that in order for you to accomplish your dreams you need to have HEART! Chance the Rapper is a prime example to youth that you do not always have to go through the traditional way of life. You can make your own path and still succeed. Chance the Rapper has inspired and motivated me to keep dreaming big because no goals is unreachable.