Chance The Rapper Is Suing Anyone Who Bootlegs His Merch
On a very provable level, Chance The Rapper is one of the most generous people in all of hip-hop—if not the entire U.S. But just because he's a good-hearted philanthropist doesn't mean he's cool with you stealing from him,which is effectively what you'd be doing if you bootlegged his merchandise.
According to a report, Chano's filed a preemptive lawsuit in an Illinois district against anyone (“JOHN DOES 1-100, individuals, JANE DOES 1-100, individuals, and XYZ COMPANY") who would try to sell his merch. The precautionary “injunctive and monetary relief” suit is reportedly in preparation for the Chi-Town superstar's next big tour.
Such a measure is definitely understandable. Chano is now a flat-out superstar who's extremely close to being a household name, if it isn't one already. Chance shirts, hats, stickers, etc. should be a very solid source of income, and there's no reason anyone should profit off his brand without his consent. Good move Chano, we respect it.
In other Chance-related news, the ascendant rap phenom was recently named to Time's list of the world's top 100 most influential people of 2017. Making it that much more special was the fact that fellow Chicago native Common wrote his entry for the list.
“Chance upends expectations about what artists, especially hip-hop artists, can do. He streams his albums instead of selling them. He makes music from an unapologetically inspiring and Christian perspective—music that transcends age, race and gender. He gives back to his Chicago community. And he does it all as an independent artist, without the support of a label,” Com wrote, praising Chano for his transformative qualities.
Peep the dates for Chance's upcoming Be Encouraged tour with King Loue and DJ Oreo below.
See Photos of Chance The Rapper's Different Looks Over the Years