If, for some reason, you’ve always wanted to see Chance the Rapper accompanied by a ukulele, here’s your chance. On Tuesday, the Chicago native posted a new Instagram video of himself spitting a fire rendition of the Coloring Book-era rarity "Grown Ass Kid" while backed by the ukulele player turned Instagram star Einer Bankz.
“Everybody can finally say it out loud, your favorite rapper a Christian rapper,” Chance spits, showing off his lyrical dexterity and a keen flow (ukes are not known for providing sturdy beats), while also obliterating negative connotations associated with Christian rap. Indeed, Chance is in demand for brands and youth alike, and is insanely positive, but the clip's a reminder that he's got bars.
As for Einer Bankz? Strumming on his ukulele for famous rappers has kind of become his thing. In the past, he’s performed with Trippie Redd, Rich the Kid, Denzel Curry, Squidnice, Yung Bans, Lou The Human, IDK, and Rich Brian, among others.
But his beginnings with the ukulele were fairly random. “I was living at this house and there was a ukulele in the garage,” he told Pigeons & Planes. “One night I got drunk, picked it up, and this girl I was with was like, ‘Play a Snoop Dogg song. So I made this little video. Then the next morning, I woke up and Snoop Dogg had posted it. My shit was so lit up, I didn't even know what to do.”
After that, he began doing covers of local rappers in the Bay Area, and soon enough, artists came knocking on his door, asking him to record freestyle videos while he was playing. The videos started to go viral. After a chance meeting with Fat Joe in Atlanta, everything started to escalate.
Now, Bankz has a project under his belt, 2017’s Uke Nukem, and is on the road while racking up the collabs.
