Earlier this year, Chance the Rapper revealed he auditioned for the role of Dr. Dre in the forthcoming Straight Outta Compton film. Even though the part was given to another actor, it’s obvious the rejection did not stop Chance from pursuing a career in acting. Chance is set to star in a murder mystery entitled Slice, which follows the aftermath of a pizza delivery driver’s death. The film will be directed by Austin Veseley, who also directed the rapper’s “Sunday Candy” music video.
Chance dropped his Surf album as an unexpected release last month. The project is a collaborative effort with Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, and it is an infusion of hip hop, soul, and pop music. In an interview with Billboard, Chance spoke to the magazine about working with Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment. “[It’s] My music, with their influence and ideas, plus us all coming up with crazy shit to do. But at the end of the day, it’s my directing,” he stated. The rapper also explained the project was recorded with the notion that it had “no musical boundaries.” Led by the singles “Sunday Candy” and “Nothing Came To Me,” the project was downloaded over 600,000 times in its debut week on iTunes. Surf features guest appearances by B.o.B, Janelle Monae, J. Cole, Busta Rhymes, Big Sean, BJ the Chicago Kid, Jeremih, Erykah Badu, and Migos.
Surf is the rapper’s first studio project; to date, he has only dropped a couple of commercially successful mixtapes. Those projects include #10Day andAcid Rap. Acid Rap was released two years ago, and it reached Number 26 on the Heatseekers Albums chart and Number 63 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album features guest appearances by Twista, Vic Mensa, Action Bronson, BJ the Chicago Kid, and Childish Gambino. Even without a major label deal, Chance has appeared on songs with some of music’s most-known artists. The rapper was featured on Justin Bieber’s “Confident,” Action Bronson’s “Baby Blue,” and James Blake’s “Life Round Here.”
This summer, Chance will headline the Pitchfork Music Festival on July 17th through the 19th. The event will be held in Chicago (IL), and it will also headlined by Sleater-Kinney and Wilco. Some of the other artists performing at the festival include Run the Jewels, Chvrches, Panda Bear, iLoveMakonnen, IceAge, A$AP Ferg, Jessica Pratt, Vic Mensa, Future Islands, Courtney Barnett, and Vince Staples.