News RoundUp • Chance Tops Apple Music Charts, Reggae Fest Announced & More
Chance The Rapper Tops 'Apple Music' Charts
If you haven't heard, Chance The Rapper released his highly anticipated third mixtape just before the weekend. A few days later and it's already charting at the top of the Apple Music charts, where it is being exclusively streamed.
While Chance is definitely loading the numbers by keeping it solely on AM for the time being, it's a feat nonetheless and one that puts him atop mainstay heavyweights like Drake's Views..., Kanye West's The Life of Pablo and Rihanna's ANTI. Also charting was the single "No Problems" featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz which was second only to Drake's "One Dance" and subsequently followed by both "All We Got" featuring Kanye and the Chicago Children's Choirs and "My Mixtape" with Lil Yachty and Young Thug. It appears Lil Chano has arrived, we'll see where the ride takes us next.
Reggae Fest Coming To University Village
If Chicago's summer festival lineup wasn't already packed solid, add another one to the list as Reggae Fest was announced Monday to take place at Addams/Medill Park on Aug. 13 and feature a wide mix of intonations of the genre.
Everything from reggaeton to ska will be represented across a pair of stages with performances from Toots & the Maytals and Lee “Scratch" Perry. Tickets will be available online beginning Friday.
Fun side story on Toots & the Maytails via DNAInfo:
“The fest’s debut will coincide with the legendary Toots & the Maytals’ return to Chicago — the band hasn’t played in the city since 2010 and hasn’t played at all since 2013, after frontman Frederick “Toots” Hibbert endured a concussion after being struck by a bottle on stage.”
Sidewalk Chalk Performs on 'Windy City Live'
The city has been putting it's arm around the arts scene that exists within it as of late and that continued this week as Sidewalk Chalk performed on Windy City Live, a stage that is quickly becoming a benchmark for local artists to get one of their first on-air performances.
This time around, one of the city's most talented multi-piece acts shows off some new work alongside the WCL team. Past performers have included Lili K, Anthony Pavel, Eryn Allen Kane and many more. Check out the full set above!
Chance The Rapper Calls for New Mayor
If you've opened your eyes at all in the last couple of weeks it's inevitable that you've come across some sort of news concerning Chancelor Bennett, better known to the world as Chance The Rapper, who continued a fever-pitch of press by covering Complex Magazine alongside 'Hamilton' creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
In the story, Chance makes a bold statement of sorts, saying that he believes there should be a new mayor of Chicago the next go around, and his choice is none other than current President Barack Obama. It's an interesting idea, and one that isn't wholly impossible. While there hasn't been a former president to hold office post-POTUS since Andrew Jackson, there also isn't a law prohibiting it. With Barack's ability to connect with the youth, evidenced by his "rapper's summit" last month that counted Chance amongst the participants, he stands a perhaps the only figure in recent memory that could tackle the city that vaulted him to the White House. If anything, we'd hope he could at least do better than his former Chief of Staff.
