Chance the Rapper stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday to deliver a chilling performance of his new single, “Child of God.”
With sounds similar to his Grammy-winning third mixtape, Coloring Book, the 28-year-old Chicago native says he created the track as an ode to artistry through fine art. He did so after experiencing a “life changing” trip to Ghana, where he connected with song collaborators Moses Sumney and Naïla Opiangah.
Sitting in front of an original 6-by-12-foot painting by Opiangah, one that was recently displayed at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art and that is also featured in the song’s official video, Chance spoke the poetic lyrics: “Just do your thing, child // Do your thing // Truth be told, I got the ball on a string // Carried the weight of the world, but it came with some handles // I drag it to the basket, Moses with the passage // Safely Lord God, please make an example.”
Speaking about the song’s name change from “Do Your Thing Child,” which was inspired by the Opiangah’s artwork, Chance told Colbert, “The piece itself is an embodiment of Blackness. It’s a lot of Black bodies in the piece, and not only is it a multitude of them, but they’re all women.”
“Having the autonomy… and the agency to name it [the painting & song] how we want is just a powerful thing,” he added.
Chance also shared on Instagram recently that April marks the 10th anniversary of his first-ever mixtape, 10 Day.
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