Chicago-born Chance the Rapper — real name Chancelor Jonathan Bennett — dropped some big news on his newly released single, "I Might Need Security" Thursday.
The 25-year-old rapper-songwriter announced his purchase of the website Chicagoist.com, which has been dormant since billionaire owner Joe Ricketts (founder of TD Ameritrade) shut down the site along with DNAinfo and New-York based Gothamist in 2017.
» RELATED: Chance the Rapper engaged to longtime girlfriend Kirsten Corley
"I'm extremely excited to be continuing the work of the Chicagoist, an integral local platform for Chicago news, events and entertainment," he said in a statement to public radio station WNYC, which initially owned the Chicagoist when it acquired the Gothamist in February 2018. "WNYC's commitment to finding homes for the -ist brands, including Chicagoist, was an essential part of continuing the legacy and integrity of the site. I look forward to re-launching it and bringing the people of Chicago an independent media outlet focused on amplifying diverse voices and content."
Ricketts shut down the sites belonging to his "ist" brands (Chicagoist, Gothamist, DCist, LAist) after writers decided to join a union. But public radio stations like WNYC in New York, KPCC in California and WAMU in Washington helped pick up the properties as Gothamist's founders searched for backers, according to the Washington Post.
» RELATED: Photos: Chance the Rapper sells out the Tabernacle
In the new single, Chance the Rapper also calls for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign.
Last year, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, Chance attended a Chicago City Council meeting to oppose the city's plans to spend $95 million on a new police training academy. Emanuel walked out before Chance could speak.
In the recent vote on Chicago Public Schools' closings, which Emanuel was involved in, Chance in March said he felt "cheated, angry, vengeful" about the decision, according to the Sun-Times.
» RELATED: Chance the Rapper bought out theaters so people can see 'Marshall' for free
“I’m gonna live in Chicago until the day I die, and I may go away a bit and tour but I’ll always come back and lobby for y’all,” he added.
In addition to “I Might Need Security,” the rapper dropped three other singles this week: “Work Out,” “65th & Ingleside” and “Wala Cam.”
You can stream the new music from chanceraps.com or via Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, Tidal, Amazon Music and SoundCloud.
About the Author
