Although Chance included the title in his rap name, and asked you to "please say" it in one of his best-loved tracks, "The Rapper" hasn't been the only occupation that the 21 year old MC has taken on since rising to fame with acclaimed mixtapes. "The Activist" is another hat Chance often wears, what with his #SaveChicago initiative and the unflinching attention he seems to pay to his city's youth violence problem, and today, he's been recognized for that aspect of his career. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel presented Chance with his city's "Outstanding Youth of the Year" award, which the rapper went on to call "The most important award I will ever win" on his Instagram.
In another post, he added:
"It was this group of 100 Chicago teens that nominated and chose me as the recipient of the Outstanding Youth Award. The plaque is awarded to those who earned it based on youth leadership and an ear for the common issues that plague young Chicagoans. I consider it an honor to teach and a duty to learn, so I plan to wear this proudly and continue to lead the city in conjuction with the Evangel World Outreach Center and other organizations devoted to the next generation. I was ecstatic to see how pleased everyone was with my win, but let me clear to those who speculated. I was chosen by the children, the mayor was only in attendance. #LongLiveTheYoung"
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