In a candid conversation with Ebro Darden on Apple Music 1, the acclaimed Chicago rapper, Chance the Rapper, delves into the 10th anniversary of his iconic mixtape Acid Rap and reflects on his rise to fame.
Recalling the early days, Chance shares, “When Acid Rap dropped, I embarked on a tour with Mac Miller. While on stage, I witnessed a transformative experience as the audience went from disinterested to actively participating and singing along. It was a remarkable shift.”
But before the era of Acid Rap and even prior to adopting the moniker “Chance the Rapper,” Chancelor Johnathan Bennett, who is now widely known as Chance, had a brief encounter with an entirely different stage name. With a hint of nostalgia, he muses, “For a short period, my original name was Tony Jizzle. It would have led me down a completely distinct path, but ultimately, I find myself in the same creative space.”
Chance reminisces, “I reveled in the rhyme possibilities with ‘Jizzle,’ and Tony was a name I had always admired. As a child, I desired a name like Tony or Max. I must admit, I had a fascination with names that sounded cool, perhaps even possessing a white or ‘Scott’ vibe.”
While acknowledging that Tony Jizzle fit him during that chapter of his life, he acknowledges that “Chance the Rapper” was the right choice. Explaining his perspective, he states, “I believe ‘Chance the Rapper’ is equally captivating. The scarcity of individuals named Chance, coupled with the simplicity of the name, allows for intrigue. When someone asks ‘Chance who?’ in Chicago, the reply is ‘Chance da Rapper.’ Well, technically, they say ‘Chandler rapper.'”
This isn’t the first time the artist behind hits like “Cocoa Butter Kisses” has opened up about his alternative rap alias. In a May 2023 interview on Late Night With Seth Myers, Chance revealed his middle school alter ego, Tony Jizzle, stating, “During eighth grade, I went by Tony Jizzle… Thankfully, that chapter of my life is behind me. It was undoubtedly befitting of an eighth-grade persona.”
