Chance The Rapper arrived in Ghana last week excited to take in the country once again. This is his second time in Ghana and he made due on his promise to bring a group of people to Ghana. Together with his friend and fellow hip hop artist, Vic Mensa, they brought a group of Chicago students to experience the country for themselves. They want to invest in the youth and share experiences with them that they otherwise may not have had access to.

In January this year, the pair visited Jubilee House and had a meeting with President H.E. Nana Akufo Addo. In that meeting they shared the vision to bring more people to Ghana as well as launch a music festival that would bridge the gap between artists in the diaspora and those on the continent. They have followed through on that with their concert announcement during an event at Free The Youth this past weekend.

They stated that they will be headlining a concert in January 2023 called the ‘Black Star Lines Festival’. They have plans to bring major artists from America and Africa to perform at Black Star Square. This is part of their vision to bridge the gap and give a spotlight to the creativity of African artists while giving more exposure to artists from the diaspora on the continent of Africa.

By Ivy Prosper

“I wish I was in Accra,’ is what American Hip-hop artist Chance the Rapper tweeted in late December. His tweet went viral and within a few days of publicly declaring that wish, he landed in Ghana. The artist spent five days with his friend, Vic Mensa, a Ghanaian-American rap artist who had already travelled to Ghana in December. His time spent in Ghana has been an amazing experience for him and he says he has plans to return later this year.

On his last day in Ghana, the artists paid a visit to meet with President Nana Akuffo Addo at Jubilee House. In the meeting the pair shared their interest in launching a project that would connect artists in the U.S. with artists in Ghana. It would provide a platform to collaborate and amplify the work of talented artists in Ghana and the rest of the African continent. Upon arrival, Chance the Rapper and Vice Mensa made their first stop at an art gallery that features a collective of artists so their commitment to supporting creatives is genuine.

During the meeting, Chance recounted a story of how his family built a school in Jamestown as well as a church near Nungua and he made it a point to go visit the congregation on Sunday. There he met Bishop Nkansah, who he said knew his great grandmother. He truly felt at home knowing he had historical connections with Ghana. He also mentioned that his great grandfather was a Pan Africanist and a captain under Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Shipping lines.

Vic Mena, whose father is from Koforidua, Eastern Region, spoke of how he’s been visiting Ghana since he was 11 years old and has continued to visit and stays true to his roots in the community where his family still resides. He spoke of the contrast spending time in his father’s hometown versus the vibrant city and nightlife of Accra. His passion to create and stay connected to his roots in Ghana was evident and he has plans to continue doing more over the years when it comes to working with the creative community.

Chance the Rapper says the trip was an amazing experience and he will definitely return to Ghana later this year.