Every year, Complex News selects a rapper to be crowned The Best Rapper Alive. The honor is highly coveted by those in the music industry. The award does not signify the greatest financial success or the largest following, but rather the biggest cultural impact on the hip-hop and rap community in that given year. Their most recent recipient goes by the name Chance the Rapper and he took 2016 by storm.

     Notable winners of the Best Rapper Alive include Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Drake  and Chance’s idol Kanye West. Each winner helped shape the rap culture and created their own sound. Chance is more than qualified when it comes to breaking social norms. The massively successful artist does not belong to any label, a seemingly suicidal choice in such a harsh industry. This decision makes his rise to fame even more impressive. The ability to amass such a large following of passionate fans with no record deal has never been done before.

     Chance also differs in his personality and how he expresses it through his music. His music carries a different vibe than traditional rappers; it is joyful and uplifting. He is meticulous about his word choice and loves word play. He is happy and vibrant and it shines through his music. 2016 saw Chance release his “mixtape” the “Coloring Book.” It was a new type of rap. It was full of emotion and of excitement. It carried a sound unique to Chance and was instantly recognizable by rap fans everywhere. His songs “Juke Jam,” “No Problems” and “Same Drugs” saw massive success and become summer anthems. His success also spilled over into features for rap icons like Kanye West and landed him live performances on stages like “Saturday Night Live” and the ESPY’s.
     Chance undoubtedly rocked the boat in 2016 and changed the way people look at rap music. His upbeat persona made him one of the most beloved musicians of 2016. His success from “Coloring Book” has landed him as a headlining act for giant music festivals such as Bonnaroo in 2017. 2016 was an impressive year for the 23 year old Chicago native. Look out for him in the coming years.