Chance the Rapper

Chance the Rapper became the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album with a streaming-only project when Coloring Book took the prize at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. Born Chancelor Johnathan Bennett on April 16, 1993, he is a Chicago rapper whose 2013 second mixtape, Acid Rap, brought him widespread recognition and placed him among the leading figures in Chicago hip-hop and independent music.

Coloring Book, his third mixtape, arrived in 2016 to critical acclaim. Its single “No Problem,” featuring 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne, won Best Rap Performance, while Bennett also received the Grammy for Best New Artist. His debut album, The Big Day, was released in 2019 and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. He followed it with his second album, Star Line, in 2025.

Beyond his solo releases, Bennett is a member of the Chicago collective Savemoney and serves as a lead vocalist for the hip-hop band the Social Experiment. He has also appeared as a featured artist on Kanye West’s “Ultralight Beam” and DJ Khaled’s chart-topping single “I’m the One.” His work has extended to screen projects, including roles as a judge on Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow and a coach on The Voice. In 2017, he earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for writing “Last Christmas,” a song performed during an appearance on Saturday Night Live.

Bennett’s honors include three Grammy Awards, three BET Awards, and a Soul Train Music Award. He is also among the highest-grossing hip-hop touring artists and has pursued philanthropic work in Chicago, including advocacy for the city’s public education system.