NEW YORK — The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that three-time Grammy® Award winners and Chicago natives Chance The Rapper and Common will headline musical performances at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 16 at United Center in Chicago. Chance The Rapper’s brother, fellow rap artist Taylor Bennett, will perform at halftime of NBA Rising Stars on Friday, Feb. 14 at United Center.
The 69th annual game will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.
On Sunday, Feb. 16, Grammy-, Emmy-, Golden Globe- and Academy Award-winning hip-hop artist, actor, author and activist Common will welcome fans to Chicago with a moving narrative about what basketball means to the city prior to introducing players from both teams before tip-off of the NBA All-Star Game. At halftime, multi-faceted rapper, singer, songwriter and humanitarian Chance The Rapper and special guests will perform a medley of chart-topping hits, including tracks from his first studio album, The Big Day, which debuted at number two on Billboard®’s Hot 200 chart in July 2019.
Chance The Rapper and Bennett have also teamed up to serve as “NBA All-Star Ambassadors,” partnering with the NBA, the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Sports Commission to develop community and fan-driven programs.
At his non-profit organization SocialWorks’ third annual Night at the Museum event today at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, Chance The Rapper announced his participation in NBA All-Star. The holiday event for youth and families is part of SocialWorks’ Warmest Winter campaign that aims to raise awareness and provide relief for individuals experiencing homelessness and extreme hardship throughout Chicago. NBA Cares, the league’s global social responsibility program, and the Bulls are supporting SocialWorks’ Warmest Winter events, including Night at the Museum and Taste for the Homeless, in the lead up to NBA All-Star in February as part of the team and league’s seasonlong community initiative.
About the Artists
CHANCE THE RAPPER
Chancelor “Chance The Rapper” Bennett, is a humanitarian and three-time Grammy Award winning artist who has undoubtedly changed the music industry forever without signing a record deal. In addition, Bennett seeks to bring that same level of freedom and empowerment to youth around the world with his charitable efforts through his organization, SocialWorks. At just 26 years old, the Chatham native has made it a point to use his ever-growing popularity to give back to his hometown, Chicago. In 2014, Bennett used #savechicago to stop gun violence for 42 hours and since then, there was no looking back. During the next five years, whether it be through hosting a monthly high school OpenMike series at Chicago’s Public Library, donating $1 million to mental health services in Chicago, or raising over $4 million for Chicago’s Public School system, Bennett makes it a priority to help in any way he can. As the Founder and President of SocialWorks, his nonprofit created to empower youth through the arts, education, and civic engagement, Bennett will continue to reshape what is possible through freedom and access for the youth of Chicago and across the globe.
COMMON
Academy-, Golden Globe-, Emmy- and Grammy Award-winning artist, actor, author and activist, Common appeared on the music scene in 1992 with his first studio album ‘Can I Borrow A Dollar?’ Since his debut, Common continues to break barriers, garnering several critically acclaimed, diverse roles and continued success in all aspects of his career. He starred in the Oscar nominated film, ‘Selma’, and won the Academy Award and Golden Globe in 2015 with John Legend for “Best Original Song in a Motion Picture” for their song “Glory” which was featured in the film. For the past few years, Common has dedicated countless hours to social justice and advocacy work around mass incarceration, mental health and voting. After the success and impact of his Imagine Justice concert in 2017 and his Hope & Redemption Tour to eight different prisons, Common decided to establish and launch Imagine Justice as a new nonprofit in 2018. Centered at the intersection of art and activism, Imagine Justice is dedicated to leveraging the power of art to advocate for communities around the country, to fight for justice and equality and to stand united against injustice wherever it appears. Common recently released a new album titled ‘Let Love’ which was inspired by his experiences while writing his second memoir, ‘Let Love Have the Last Word.’ The memoir was quickly deemed a New York Times best seller in its first week of release.
TAYLOR BENNETT
Chicago-born Taylor Bennett is not just the younger brother of Grammy-winning Chance The Rapper, but he’s carving his own path as an independent music artist, entrepreneur and advocate. His career began in high school when he released his debut mixtape, The Taylor Bennett Show. While still prioritizing his studies over music, Bennett was next able to release his debut studio album in 2015 and sophomore album in 2017 which included a 13-minute short film. Taylor is currently promoting his latest EP, “The American Reject,” which is a completion to his trilogy. In 2019, Taylor performed at diverse festivals including Governor’s Ball, Hangout, Outside Lands, Music Midtown, Life is Beautiful, and Austin City Limits. He also headlines Chicago’s Complexcon.
ABOUT SOCIALWORKS
SocialWorks, founded by Grammy Award-winning musician and humanitarian Chance The Rapper, aims to empower the youth through the arts, education, and civic engagement. Since 2016, SocialWorks has created 5 initiatives that present youth the opportunity to learn and act on their passions. SocialWorks’ programming focuses on education, mental health, homelessness, and performing and literary arts – directly affecting thousands of youth yearly. Through the initiatives, OpenMike, Warmest Winter, Kids of the Kingdom, The New Chance: Arts & Literature Fund, and My State of Mind, SocialWorks hopes to inspire creativity, build dreams, and advocate for youth success in all its forms. Visit www.socialworkschi.org for more information.
