Chance the Rapper considers changing name to The Rapper

I’m gonna take off the Chance. I just wanna be The Rapper, Chance the Rapper stated during an appearance on the Tea Time podcast. The artist is seriously considering dropping his first name entirely from his longtime stage name.

Chancelor Jonathan Bennett Explores Moniker Shift

The Chicago-born artist, whose legal name is Chancelor Jonathan Bennett, explained his thought process to hosts Raven-Symoné and Miranda Maday. The 33-year-old musician has been turning the idea over in his mind for a while, driven by a deep affinity for the linguistic craft of hip-hop. A girl from his high school originally gave him the moniker, and people urged him to change it throughout his career as he grew beyond the confines of a traditional MC.

Rather than distancing himself from the genre, the name change would bring him closer to it. I wanna carry rap the same way that rap has carried me through life, the artist told the podcast hosts. He emphasized that the greatest rappers operate as etymologists and linguists at heart, valuing wordplay and social critique over constant personal disclosures.

Career Reflection Following The Big Day Backlash

This contemplation of a name change arrives after a turbulent period in the artist’s professional life. Following the immense commercial and critical success of his 2016 mixtape Coloring Book, his 2019 debut studio album The Big Day debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart but faced severe criticism from both fans and critics. That reception led to the cancellation of his supporting tour and a six-year hiatus from releasing full-length studio albums.

The severe backlash caused the musician to second-guess himself and his future in the music industry. He eventually returned to the spotlight with the August 2025 release of his full-length album Star Line, marking a deliberate pivot back to active recording and touring.

Coloring Book Anniversary Tour Dates and Pittsburgh Finale

While the potential name change remains under consideration, the artist continues to perform under his established stage name. He is currently wrapping up his Coloring Book 10 Year Anniversary Tour, a live concert run dedicated to performing his landmark 2016 mixtape in its entirety. The commemorative tour concludes on October 11th in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Sometimes it’s good to just make a song that’s not about what I did that day… Sometimes it’s good to hold things just for me and my family as opposed to making it all fodder for the masses.