There’s a very real possibility that this is going to turn out to be something significantly more mundane than it seems, but it also very much looks like there’s a chance (lol) that Chance the Rapper is gonna take a crack at running for mayor of Chicago.
The rapper — who already plays a big part in public projects in the city through things like regular youth events and massive donations to education and mental health services — has dropped a few hints via his Twitter account that something is in the works:
Im thinkin maybe I should
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) October 15, 2018
That tweet seems very much to be a very specific reference to his song Somewhere in Paradise. Quoting from the song:
They say I’m saving my city, say I’m staying for good
They screaming Chano for mayor, I’m thinking maybe I should
A bit of a stretch? Maybe. Paired with this, it maybe seems like it could be something:
City Hall pull up pic.twitter.com/RO31aO9bPI
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) October 15, 2018
Chicago’s current mayor, Rahm Emanuel, announced back in September that he wouldn’t be seeking re-election. In a recent interview with Genius, Chance was critical of Emanuel:
Rahm is the mayor of Chicago. My dad used to work for him. He just doesn’t need to be mayor anymore. I’m pretty sure he’s seeking re-election in Chicago, but he’s closed, I think, over a hundred schools in Chicago, tried to hide and settle the Laquan McDonald tapes when he was murdered by the police. It’s important that people know we have a shitty mayor, but I’m sure everybody else has shitty mayors that they need to worry about. I just really hope that he’s not actually gonna run again because it’s over for his ass, yo. It’s over for his ass.
There’s also a very distinct possibility that Chance will just be using his celebrity and standing in the city to endorse a candidate that he supports and, maybe, given the world’s track record with celebrities getting into politics, this might be for the best.
