In recent years, Chance the Rapper has heard plenty of suggestions that he drop “The Rapper” from his stage name. His response, essentially: no chance. During an appearance on Raven-Symoné and Miranda Maday’s Tea Time podcast, he said he may soon shorten his longtime moniker to something even more definitive, dropping “Chance” altogether. “I’m gonna take off the Chance,” he said. “I just wanna be The Rapper.”
The potential change isn’t about distancing himself from hip-hop – quite the opposite. During the conversation, Chance said the idea has been on his mind for a while, adding, “I just really love the art form, I really love words.” He described writing and performing as the core of who he is, and said he wants his name to reflect that relationship with rap rather than move away from it. “I wanna carry rap the same way that rap has carried me through life,” he explained.
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That idea arrives after a turbulent stretch in Chance’s career. Following the enormous acclaim surrounding Coloring Book, his 2019 debut studio album The Big Day debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 but was later met with a much harsher critical and fan response. Its supporting tour was eventually canceled, and Chance went six years without releasing another album. He has since acknowledged how deeply the backlash affected him, saying in 2025 that the criticism caused him to second-guess himself and his future in music. Star Line, released later that year, marked his first full-length since The Big Day and the beginning of a more deliberate return to the spotlight.
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For now, Chance the Rapper remains Chance the Rapper as he finishes out his “Coloring Book 10 Year Anniversary Tour,” which has him performing the landmark 2016 mixtape in full. The run concludes October 11th in Pittsburgh. His most recent album, Star Line, arrived in August 2025.
