Chance the Rapper’s contributions to his community are well documented.
When he’s not helping bring back spicy chicken nuggets, the noted philanthropist is donating $2.2 million to public schools in his hometown of Chicago. In October 2018, the 26-year-old pledged a $1 million donation to Chicago mental health services.
When asked about his countless charitable efforts in a recent interview, Chance revealed he was inspired by the late King of Pop. Chance cited the way Michael Jackson used his influence as an artist to do good for others.
“The greatest of all time, highest I think maybe for overall celebrities, but most philanthropic musician is Michael Joseph Jackson,” he told Forbes. “The only person I can really think of off the top when I think of charity that’s a musician is Michael Jackson.”
The “Angles” rapper also admitted he admired retired NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Chance dubbed the former Los Angeles Lakers player the greatest of all time, besting Michael Jordan, mainly because of his community activism.
Chance’s quotes about Michael Jackson comes after the beloved singer was recently surrounded by controversy. In March, HBO aired “Leaving Neverland,” a two-part documentary which featured two men alleging Jackson sexually abused them when they were young.
The fallout of the documentary caused several radio stations to ban Jackson’s music and an episode of “The Simpsons” featuring the performer to be pulled from broadcast and streaming.
Following the backlash, several prominent figures, including T.I. and Diana Ross spoke out in defense of Jackson. However, Drake reportedly removed his song featuring the pop star from his tour’s set list.
In related news, Chance’s debut album, yet to be titled, is expected to drop sometime this Summer.