While many look to Michael Jackson's incredible artistry as a muse for creative inspiration, Chance the Rapper explains that the King of Pop's contributions off the stage has motivated him to be a pillar for his community.
When analyzing the music industry, few artists have been more open with their charitable contribution than Chance the Rapper. Not only has he donated millions of dollars to uplifting his hometown of Chicago, but he's also worked with organizations like WE Day to increase global social activism. As a result, Forbes' Steve Baltin sat down with Chano to figure out who inspired this philanthropic spirit.
"The greatest of all time, highest I think maybe for overall celebrities, but most philanthropic musician is Michael Joseph Jackson," Chance explained when asked what artist prompted him to blend music and charity. "The only person I can really think of off the top when I think of charity that's a musician is Michael Jackson."
As the interview progressed, Chance went on to explain that community activism is what solidifies one's greatness. The biggest example of this was Chance's response to who is the NBA's G.O.A.T. in his opinion. Throughout his career, Chance has become synonymous with his hometown. Although he did ask how many rings Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won before answering the question, Chance crowned Kareem the greatest over Bulls icon Michael Jordan because of Abdul-Jabbar's political presence.
"I just rock with Kareem because he does great things for the community," Chance stated. "So I'm gonna go Kareem. I think Kareem is the great for sure."
Like Chance the Rapper, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ascended to the top of his field while also shining a light on social injustices. As a result, fans have been highly anticipating the follow up to his Grammy award-winning mixtape Coloring Book. This return to music will come in July when Chance drops his official debut album.
