Just saw another article on Chance on my TL
Chance The Rapper is the world's first truly independent artist

Chance The Rapper is the world's first truly independent artist
“There’s no reason to [sign with a label],” Chance told Rolling Stone in 2013, making his mission of total independence clear. “It’s a dead industry […] What’s an album these days, anyways? ‘Cause I didn’t sell it, does that mean it’s not an official release?”
It’s not that labels haven’t sought to sign him. He claimed he had meetings with “nearly every major label” three years ago and memorably turned down an offer from Kendrick Lamar’s TDE label. He could have followed the path taken by Drake, who used mixtapes to build his profile and then signed to Universal. He also developed a tight promotional relationship with Apple, being the spotlight star at the launch of Apple Music last June as well as having the technology company bankroll his Hotline Bling video. He reciprocated this largesse by giving the company a two-week exclusive on his Views album at the end of April. Yet Chance, in sharp contrast, is ploughing an independent furrow, making most of his money on the hoof from branding deals and touring.
