How ‘The Voice’ Coach Chance The Rapper Picked His Stage Name
Trae Patton/NBC Reading Time: 2 minutes
Chance the Rapper is a household name in the music industry, with his unique style and refreshing attitude towards the rap genre. However, what many people may not know is that his stage name has a deeper meaning, inspired by his father’s advice and his own personal beliefs.
Chance The Rapper Reveals The Inspiration Behind His Name
One of the main influences to Chance the Rapper’s moniker is his real name. Born as Chancellor Jonathan Bennet in 1993, he revealed that his real name played a crucial role in shaping his identity as an artist.
Bennet began his rap career in high school, releasing his first mixtape 10 Day in 2012. A year later, he released the widely acclaimed Acid Rap on SoundCloud, which launched him into stardom. But why did he choose the name Chance the Rapper?
“I remember one day I was with my best friend, who has always been really good at school, really smart, really good at speaking to people,” Bennet said. “They would ask, ‘What’re you going to be when you grow up?’ Justin’s f*cking seven years old talking about, ‘I’m going to be a biomedical engineer.’ You know, he’s just that guy. I remember they asked me, and I said a rapper. And my dad laughed it off, like, ‘No, he doesn’t’ You know?”
Chance’s desire to challenge the negative connotations associated with the term “rapper” led him to adopt the moniker as a way of redefining the genre. He permanently adapted the term to his stage name, fully embracing the type of artist he always wanted to be.
The Significance of His Number Three Hat
Chance the Rapper is known not only for his music but also for his fashion style, particularly his signature number three hat. The cap has become a staple in his wardrobe, and fans have been curious about its meaning. In a 2017 interview, Chance explained the significance of the number and also the hat.
According to Chance, the hat represents several things. First and foremost, it represents his third mixtape, The Coloring Book. This project was a major turning point in Chance’s career and it also helped establish him as one of the most innovative and talented artists of his generation.
The number three also represents the Holy Trinity and has spiritual significance for Chance, who is known for his faith and often incorporates religious themes into his music. Additionally, Chance says that the “3” represents the three important people in his life: himself, his daughter, and his wife.
