Chance The Rapper isn’t a fan of the new Chi-Raq movie which opened today.
In a series of tweets on Friday afternoon, the 22-year-old artist recently named a ‘Chicagoan of the Year‘ by Chicago Magazine voiced an opinion that sums up the way a lot of folks around Chicago feel about the Spike Lee satire that is centered around the violence that takes place on the city’s streets.
Speaking on behalf of the people of his hometown, Chano was direct and clear with his position.
Let me be the one from Chicago to personally tell you we not supporting this film out here
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) December 4, 2015
That shit get ZERO love out here. Shit is goofy and it's a bunch of ppl from NOT around here telling u to support that shit 🙅🏾🙅🏾🙅🏾
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) December 4, 2015
Chance continued on, touching on the fact that many of the people that participated in the making of the film were not from Chicago and thus didn’t properly understand their portrayal. For an artist who is as embedded in his community as Chance is in Chicago, taking school kids to museums, hosting open mic nights for public school students and throwing free events like his summertime Teens In The Park show, his feelings on the film are quite understandable.
The people that made that shit didn't do so to "Save Lives". It's exploitive and problematic
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) December 4, 2015
Also the idea that women abstaining from sex would stop murders is offensive and a slap in the face to any mother that lost a child here
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) December 4, 2015
You don't do any work with the children of Chicago, You don't live here, you've never watched someone die here. Don't tell me to be calm
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) December 4, 2015
The storm over Lee’s head, which has grown since the first trailer was released last month, is just beginning to form as the general public gets it’s first peeking at the controversial movie today.
Chicago is a proud city and New York’s own came in and sullied a subject that is very personal to many. I’m just glad we can actually be proud of a man that represents us, that represents Chicago.
Well said, Chance.