Chance the Rapper: “I Might Actually Sell This Album”

“I kind of hate the fact that I can't chart, really”
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Chance the Rapper is the subject of a new Complex cover story. In the interview, he discussed fatherhood, the Grammys, and the follow-up to Coloring Book. At one point, he revealed that he’s considering selling his upcoming album, as opposed to making it a free release as he has done with all his full-lengths thus far. “I might actually sell this album. That's, like, a big step in itself. I kind of hate the fact that I can't chart, really. I can chart, but the way they have the streaming shit set up is weak as fuck. It's unfair,” he said. “1,500 streams is the equivalent to one [album sale], and that's just that's unfair. Nobody listens to their songs [1,500] times when they buy it—fuck outta here! So, it makes it hard. I can't really compete with other people. Not that the charts matter at all, but c'mon.” (Coloring Book debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 upon its release and was the first streaming-exclusive release to do so.)

Chance was quick to then point out that at this point in time, “This is all hypothetical. There is no album. I can feel fans squirming in their chair, like, ‘Oh shit, he's changing!’ This is an idea... I’ve got songs recorded but I’m not working on a Coloring Book or an Acid Rap.” Check out the full video interview below.

Chance recently made a $1 million donation to Chicago Public Schools, for which Michelle Obama has thanked him. It followed his meeting with Illinois governor Bruce Rauner. Immediately after the meeting, Chance admitted that he was “a little bit flustered, just a little bit frustrated.” At the press conference, he proclaimed, “Gov. Rauner, do your job!”

Chance goes on tour next month. Find his upcoming dates here. Read Chance’s foreword to Kevin Coval’s A People’s History of Chicago on the Pitch.