Having considered a career in music throughout his high school years, Chancelor Bennett, aka Chance the Rapper, used a ten-day suspension during his senior year to record his debut mixtape, 10 Day. Uploaded immediately to the Internet in 2012, the tape grabbed the attention of Forbes magazine, which featured it in the publication's Cheap Tunes column, as well as Childish Gambino, who asked Chance to join his 2012 tour of America as opening act. Gambino would land on the Acid Rap mixtape along with Ab-Soul and Action Bronson. With nothing but mixtapes in his discography, he was still popular enough to be a featured artist at Lollapalooza 2013.

In 2016, Chance dropped a surprise mixtape titled Coloring Book, which debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 album chart. The mixtape featured guest appearances from Kanye West, Justin Bieber, and Future; the single "No Problem," featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz, placed inside the Top 40. Coloring Book earned high praise from critics, and helped Chance earn seven Grammy nominations. ~ David Jeffries