Chance the Rapper (real name Chancelor Jonathan Bennett) announced this week that he has purchased a major Chicago website as he called on the city’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign.
Bennett bought Chicagoist, a website that covers news, politics and culture in Chicago. He announced the acquisition in a new rap song, in which he said he would use it to “run you racist b****** out of business.”
Chicagoist.com has not been active since November 2, “when owner Joe Ricketts, the billionaire founder of TD Ameritrade and patriarch of the family that owns the Chicago Cubs, shut down the site along with Gothamist, DNAinfo and others,” the Chicago Tribune reported.
“I’m extremely excited to be continuing the work of the Chicagoist, an integral local platform for Chicago news, events and entertainment,” Bennett said. “I look forward to relaunching it and bringing the people of Chicago an independent media outlet focused on amplifying diverse voices and content.”
Bennett has been a big player in Chicago. The 25-year-old who grew up on the South Side supports arts education in Chicago public schools and has vocally opposed City Hall’s plans for a West Side police training academy.
In his new song, Bennett “took a swipe at Emanuel over a proposed program, costing $95 million, to train police officers after the U.S. Justice Department determined that Chicago cops used excessive force against black residents, according to Reason Magazine,” Fox New reported.
“And Rahm you done I’m expectin’ resignation/An open investigation on all of these paid vacations for murderers,” Bennett sings.
“Emanuel indicated that [he] may not be the fan of the rapper, walking out of Chance’s speech to the city council last year in November, in which the rapper suggested instead using the money to fund public schools and mental health programs,” Fox reported.
The move follows Bennett’s foray into national politics in April. He set the internet on fire when he wrote on Twitter: “Black people don’t have to be democrats.”
The Grammy Award-winning musical talent has been open about his support for Democrats like twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. His tweet was certainly not an assertion to Republican ideology, but, more importantly, an expression of support for freedom of thought, seemingly taking a note from Kanye West.