Chance the Rapper is thinking of changing his name to just “The Rapper.” That is the takeaway from his latest public appearance, where he told Raven-Symoné and Miranda Maday on their Tea Time podcast that he may drop “Chance” entirely and keep only the title.
“I’m gonna take off the Chance,” he said. “I just wanna be The Rapper.”
The Idea Behind the Name Change
The move would not distance him from hip-hop. Quite the opposite. Chance said the idea has been on his mind for a while, and he framed the change as a way to honor the genre that shaped him.
“I just really love the art form, I really love words,” he said during the conversation. He described writing and performing as the core of who he is, and said he wants his name to reflect that relationship with rap rather than move away from it.
“I wanna carry rap the same way that rap has carried me through life,” he explained.
The Career Context
This talk arrives after a rough patch in Chance’s career. His 2019 debut studio album The Big Day debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, a huge accomplishment for a first record. But the praise did not last. The album was later met with a harsh critical and fan response, and its supporting tour was canceled.
Chance went six years without releasing another album. In 2025, he acknowledged how deeply the backlash affected him, saying the criticism caused him to second-guess himself and his future in music.
Star Line, released later that year, marked his first full-length since The Big Day and the beginning of a more deliberate return to the spotlight.
The Tour Running Now
For now, Chance the Rapper remains Chance the Rapper as he finishes out his “Coloring Book 10 Year Anniversary Tour,” which has him performing the landmark 2016 mixtape in full. The run concludes October 11th in Pittsburgh.
His most recent album, Star Line, arrived in August 2025.
The Backlash After The Big Day
The critical shift after The Big Day was sharp. The album’s debut at No. 2 was a statement moment, proof that his earlier mixtape success had turned into something bigger. But the album’s reception cooled quickly.
Its supporting tour was canceled, and Chance went six years without a new release. The gap followed the backlash directly.
He has since talked openly about that time, saying the criticism landed hard. The acknowledgment came in 2025, the same year Star Line arrived.
The Name Change Proposal
The proposal itself is straightforward. Chance wants to strip away his given name and keep only the title that defines his role.
The logic is that the name should reflect his relationship with rap, not separate him from it. He has said he loves the art form and the words it uses. By removing his first name, he is leaving only the title that defines what he does.
The reasoning behind the name change breaks down into three parts:
- Honor the genre that shaped him
- Reflect his relationship with rap rather than moving away from it
- Carry rap the same way that rap has carried him through life
What Happens Next
Whether the change happens depends on Chance himself. He has not announced a timeline beyond saying the idea has been on his mind for a while.
The timing is notable. He is coming off a period of self-doubt and a comeback album that signaled a return to the spotlight. A name change would be a bold move, one that signals confidence in his identity as a rapper.
The Verdict on the Name Change
The name change would be a bold move, one that signals confidence in his identity as a rapper. It would also be a funny one, a joke that he has been telling for years, now official.
It is a move that honors the genre that shaped him. It is a move that removes any friction with fans who have suggested over the years that he drop “The Rapper” from his handle. And it is a move that keeps the title that defines what he does, while shedding the personal name that some have questioned.
The name change is not a distancing from hip-hop. It is a commitment to it. Chance wants to carry rap the same way that rap has carried him through life.
That is the part worth watching. Whether he follows through is anyone’s guess, but the idea is out there, and it is not going away anytime soon.
See the video the story is built around at Consequence.
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