Chance the Rapper has built his career the independent route, and that grassroots movement has featured the Chicago MC dropping three mixtapes—not albums—for free.
Back in November, he mentioned he was working on what he considers his debut album. Now, it sounds like his proper follow-up to Coloring Book may be something he puts up for sale.
"I might actually sell this album. That's like, a big step in itself," Chance says in his Complex cover story.
He notes this idea comes as a potential way to gain more success on the Billboard charts, which still cater to sales over streams. "I kind of hate the fact that I can't chart, really. I can chart, but the way they have the stream shit set up is weak as fuck. It's unfair. And, you know, I don't know if it's— it's like 1,500 or 1,700 streams is the equivalent to one unit, and that's just, you know— that's unfair. Nobody listens to their songs 1,700 times when they buy it, fuck outta here. So, it makes it hard. I can't really— I can't compete with other people. Not that the charts matters at all, but like, come on."
Chance makes it clear he's still deciding what comes next, and how it will come. "I think having it for purchase would be dope. Also, I'm talking about... this is all like, hypothetical. There is no album. I don't have something sitting... I can feel, like, fans squirming in their chair like, 'Oh shit, he's changing!' This is an idea."
What Chance can guarantee is that his next project, which he's already recorded songs for, will be much different than what he delivered on his three solo mixtapes. "I think whatever this album is, it would just be— it wouldn't be so centered. Acid Rap and 10 Day and Coloring Book was like a trilogy in itself. One aesthetic, one goal, and this is like, whatever my next thing is, it'll be, I think, just a bit bigger. Like maybe it'll... there'll be some type of visual component to it. Like it'll be a movie, or it'll be a play, or some type of tour."
