- Credibility:
DOWNTOWN — Chance the Rapper sharply criticizes Mayor Rahm Emanuel and announces he’s bought the defunct Chicagoist website in a new song.
The song, called “I Might Need Security,” was released late Wednesday along with three other tracks. In it, Chance said he’s expecting Emanuel’s resignation and an investigation into the desk duty Chicago Police officers are put on after shooting people.
The song comes just a week after Officer Robert Rialmo was cleared of wrongdoing in the shooting death of Quintonio LeGrier. In December of 2015 incident, Rialmo shot and killed both LeGrier and his neighbor who opened the door for police, Bettie Jones.
“And Rahm you done, I’m expectin’ resignation,” Chance raps. “An open investigation on all of these paid vacations for murderers.”
The mayor and the Chatham rapper have bad blood that goes back years: In 2016, Chance said Chicago needs a new mayor. Rahm walked out of a speech Chance gave at City Council in 2017. And during a 2017 Lollapalooza performance, Chance told a crowd, “Come at me, Rahm.”
Listen to the song:
But the mayor’s not the only target in “I Might Need Security:” Chance also takes aim at the Chicago Sun-Times, which once published a column from writer Mary Mitchell detailing a child support spat between Chance and the mother of his child, who is now his fiancee. Chance raps that he’s been called a “deadbeat daddy” despite raising money for Chicago Public Schools.
“I donate to the schools next, they call me a deatbeat daddy,” Chance sings. “But Sun-Times get in that Rauner business.”
Chance then raps that he bought Chicagoist, a local news blog that closed when DNAinfo Chicago was shuttered in 2017.
“I got a hit list so long I don’t know how to finish,” he sings. “I bought the Chicagoist just to run you racist b—— out of business.”
WNYC, a public radio station in New York City that bought DNAinfo and Chicagoist’s assets after it closed, confirmed Chance had acquired Chicagoist’s assets in a news release. WNYC also gifted Block Club Chicago the assets of DNAinfo last month.
“I’m extremely excited to be continuing the work of the Chicagoist, an integral local platform for Chicago news, events and entertainment,” said Chance The Rapper, according to a news release. “I look forward to re-launching it and bringing the people of Chicago an independent media outlet focused on amplifying diverse voices and content.”
