Chancelor Johnathan Bennett, professionally known as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer from Chicago.
PHOTO Courtesy | PARAS GRIFFIN/GETTY
He debuted with his mixtape “10 Day” in 2012, gaining mainstream attention with his second mixtape, “Acid Rap,” released in 2013.
His third mixtape, “Coloring Book” (2016), received widespread critical acclaim and achieved commercial success, reaching number eight on the Billboard 200 chart.
Chance the Rapper’s Management Clarified the Details of his Illness
Chance the Rapper’s team disclosed that his recent illness resulted from “a combination of the flu virus and tonsillitis.”Hospitalized on April 20th, the 21-year-old musician from Chicago had to cancel his performance at the second weekend of the Coachella festival.
As per his manager’s statement, Chance awoke on Sunday morning with a high fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) and was unable to speak due to throat inflammation.
He promptly received intravenous fluids and medication at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital to regulate his body temperature and relieve pain caused by the illness.
Despite returning home to Los Angeles and anticipated full recovery, the statement revealed that he would need to cancel the remainder of his scheduled shows for the week. His upcoming performance is slated for May 2nd at the JMBLYA festival in America.
Additionally, the rapper, recognized by his real name Chancelor Bennett, is scheduled to appear at the Glastonbury Festival in June and the Wireless Festival in July.
The statement concluded by noting that Chance will consult with a specialist this week to assess if surgery is necessary and expressed gratitude for the public’s concern and well wishes.
Chance Talk on Mental Health
Chance The Rapper, though relatively quiet in the music scene this year, recently participated in actress Taraji P. Henson’s Facebook series, Peace of Mind With Taraji, set to air in full on November 1.
In a sneak peek of the episode, Chance reflects on his battle with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) following the tragic murder of his friend when he was 19 years old.
“I witnessed my friend’s murder at 19, and I’ve witnessed strangers getting killed too,” he recounted. “You start to become desensitized to it, like someone else died last week, but it sticks with you, you know? And you don’t realize until later — I have lasting effects.”
Taraji, a fellow Chicagoan, inquired if mental health discussions were prevalent in Chance’s household, to which he confessed that wellness wasn’t a focal point.
“Wellness wasn’t something we were aware of, you know?” he admitted.
“There are probably numerous situations where people we knew, we simply dismissed them as crazy or thought they were acting strangely, but they were actually grappling with chronic mental health issues.
I believe this is something that we’re all beginning to recognize, that health encompasses more than just our physical well-being.”
Chance The Rapper’s close friend, Rodney Kyles Jr., tragically lost his life in a stabbing incident in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood in 2011.
The Social Experiment rapper touched on Kyles’ death in his song “Acid Rain” from the album Acid Rap in 2013, reflecting on the profound impact of the loss.
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