Chance The Rapper Calls Michael Jackson His "Role Model" For Philanthropy

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Chance The Rapper speaks onstage at WE Day California at The Forum on April 25, 2019 in Inglewood, California.
Chance The Rapper sits down for his first WE Day.

Michael Jackson's at the center of controversy these days due to Dan Reed's Leaving Neverland documentary. Many prominent figures in the entertainment industry, including some of Michael Jackson's collaborators, began to distance themselves from his name after the controversy broke out, once again. In a recent interview with ForbesChance The Rapper revealed that his philanthropic inspiration comes from the "Man In The Mirror" singer.

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Chance The Rapper attended his first WE Day in Los Angeles where 16,000 students from 475 California schools attended the event. Chance spoke about his appreciation for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as well as Drake and Kanye West. But what really stood out in his conversation was when he revealed his philanthropic inspiration. Michael Jackson did a lot of charity work while he was alive and Chance The Rapper said that he considers the pop icon a role model when it comes to blending art and philanthropy.

"The greatest of all time, highest I think maybe for overall celebrities, but most philanthropic musician is Michael Joseph Jackson. I think he donated over $600 million to charities and more afterwards," he said. "Obviously in his music it was extremely provocative, gets the people going. The only person I can really think of off the top when I think of charity that's a musician is Michael Jackson. That's how I've always thought about it cause most of the people that I grew up listening to were hip-hop artists and I don't really remember there being a lot of...Ye gave back to the people, but it was in a very different way. It was always through his music. I can't really think of anybody else."


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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