According to Apple Music’s Carl Chery, Chance the Rapper’s unsigned success is an exception, not the rule.
During a recent appearance on #EverydayStruggle, Chery, Apple Music’s head of artist curation, discussed the Chicago rapper’s unconventional rise to the top and how it may give other artists false hope.
"Chance is an anomaly. He’s special. […] But the success is misleading," Chery explained. "Now you have all these other aspiring artists thinking you don't need a label. Chance is special, he's charismatic, he's smart as hell, he's just special."
In response to Chery’s remarks, DJ Booth published an interesting editorial that examined Chance’s unlikely winning streak as an independent rapper. The piece basically echoes Chery’s statements, and argues Chano’s career path isn’t a realistic model for most aspiring musicians:
"It's easy for young, independent artists to see Chance's late-night performances, his sponsorships, and his awards, and to assume that all of that can be attainable for them too, but watching someone's every move and trying to follow in their footsteps doesn't guarantee success […] Since before he released his acclaimed Acid Rap mixtape, Chance has been repped by Cara Lewis, the most powerful booking agent in the industry. Does Lewis' representation of Chance mean that he isn't truly independent? Depending on who you ask, the answer will differ—we know, we did it earlier this year—but either way, Chance doesn't owe anyone an apology for his success. He should be allowed to talk about leading the independent artist charge while knowing full well that the level of success he has achieved isn't realistic for everyone."
Shortly after the piece was published, the rapper went to Twitter to criticize the notion that most independent artists will never attain the same success as he has. This criticism resulted in a small, but thought-provoking, debate between Chance and DJ Booth.
Check out the thread below.
