We all know that long-term friendships can be difficult to maintain, especially within the competitive world of hip-hop. How many times have we witnessed two seemingly close artists get into a public dispute over business matters that eventually turned personal? We’ve lost count at this point, to be honest; however, not every relationship has been severed by the industry’s cutthroat nature—just look at Chance the Rapper and Childish Gambino.
In the years since they released their first collaboration, the two artists have consistently shown support for one another. They’ve joined forces on a number of records, have taken the stage together, and have been working on a collaborative project, which Chance opened up about during an interview with Peter Rosenberg on Open Late. It’s great to see two talented dudes, with two completely separate careers, come together time and time again.
In honor of Chance and Gambino’s longstanding friendship, we’re taking a look back at their history with one another—starting with their earliest collaborations to their highly anticipated joint project.
Chance the Rapper Meets Childish Gambino
Chance Lands a Feature on Gambino’s 'Royalty' Mixtape
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Weiner ultimately connected the two rappers on Gambino’s star-studded sixth mixtape Royalty. Chance and Gambino joined forces on the project’s Skywlkr-produced cut “They Don’t Like Me,” officially kicking off their professional and personal relationship.
Gambino Recruits Chance for His Camp Tour
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Chance Appears on Childish's 'Because the Internet'
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In the following year, Gambino released his sophomore album Because the Internet. The 19-track project included appearances by Jhené Aiko, Azealia Banks, and—you guessed it—Chance. The two connected on the standout cut “The Worst Guys,” produced by Gambino’s frequent collaborator Ludwig Göransson.
Chance also made a cameo in Childish's short film Clapping for the Wrong Reasons.
Gambino Announces Collaborative Project With Chance
Chance Reveals Gambino Gave Him the Best Career Advice
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By 2016, Chance had reached a level of success that very few independent artists have achieved. And it was thanks in large part to his Grammy-winning mixtape Coloring Book.
After being catapulted into the mainstream, Billboard asked Chance what the best piece of advice he ever received from another artist was. Unsurprisingly, he pointed to Gambino’s wise words.
“Donald Glover told me when I was, like, 19 to hire a business manage,” he revealed. “He said it was the smartest 5 percent he ever gave up, and I agree, just in terms of structure and planning.”
