GRAMMY nominations: Chance the Rapper finds success without a record deal
GRAMMY-nominated Chance the Rapper continues to make history in the rise of streaming-only music success stories.
The 23-year-old has famously resisted working with traditional record companies, relying instead on his SoundCloud account and other streaming platforms for distribution of his groundbreaking hip-hop work -- and it’s been paying off for him.
In May, Chance released his third album, “Coloring Book,” via Apple Music, and it became the first streaming-only release to hit the Billboard 200 charts, peaking at No. 8.
And in June, the Recoding Academy changed its GRAMMYs rules to make streaming-only eligible for awards for the first time.
The GRAMMY nominations were announced Tuesday, and “Coloring Book” was tapped as one of the contenders for Best Rap Album alongside the likes of Drake, DJ Khaled, De La Soul and Kanye West.
Chance is also nominated for the coveted Best New Artist GRAMMY as well as Best Rap Song for his “No Problem” and West’s “Ultralight Beam.”
