Chance the Rapper and Kanye West to Record Album in Chicago
Chance the Rapper is bringing Kanye West back to the Chi. The rappers are scheduled to start recording an album in their hometown of Chicago this month.
Fresh off his engagement, Chance stopped by local daytime talk show “Windy City LIVE” to discuss his upcoming 7-track album with Mr. West.
“Kanye West is like my first image of a free black man in the industry, and I’ve just always loved him for that,” said Chance. “Loved his music, loved his creativity, loved his voice, loved his fearlessness. Working under him, working with him on his albums is crazy. But having him tell me that he wants to produce my album and come to Chicago and work with me is like…”
The two plan to start recording in Chicago this month. When asked the last time West had been to Chicago, Chance said, “He comes to Chicago, but he doesn’t make a big deal about it,” adding, “I probably shouldn’t have said that on TV.”
The music on the album will be “very very personal,” according to Chance, who also opened up about his engagement to longtime girlfriend Kirsten Corley.
As soon as he proposed on the Fourth of July, photos and videos of the moment started circulating on social media from guests who were in attendance. “Our stuff was out there immediately before I could even really get up and make a toast,” said Chance.
While he was disappointed, it inspired him to share his side of the story. “It immediately makes you want to shy away from the public and have more moments to yourself, but as an artist, it gave me a lot to work with because it showed me how small a perspective everybody can have with the little information they get about my life and made me want to clarify.”
Next up, Chance will headline and produce the Special Olympics 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert featuring Usher, Francis & The Lights, Daya, Smokey Robinson, and Jason Mraz, which will be held on July 21 at Northerly Island in Chicago. “We’re tryna make sure we can take away the stigma attached to intellectual disabilities and make sure that we are all about inclusion,” he said.