Last week on WGN’s The Download, host Justin Kaufman asked local rapper William Dalton, aka the Boy Illinois, about what unites local MCs as Chicagoans. “I wouldn’t say it’s a sound per se—it’s a vibe and it’s a lingo,” Dalton said. He’s well-versed in the nuances that connect local rappers, despite the obvious sonic differences that make it tempting to sort them using specious categories—most notably the “Chief Keef vs. Chance the Rapper” duality that continues to dominate national discussion of the city’s scene.
When it comes to fighting back against the expectations placed on local rappers, Taylor Bennett has an uphill battle to fight—Chance the Rapper, who’s shaped so many of the public’s ideas about current Chicago hip-hop, is his older brother. Even if he wanted to hide this fact, the press wouldn’t let him: when the 21-year-old came out on Twitter earlier this year, the Chicago Tribune ran the news with the headline, “Taylor Bennett, Chance the Rapper’s brother, reveals he is bisexual.” I’ve got a lot of feelings about this sort of toxic celebrity reporting—isn’t it hypocritical to deem a person’s tweet newsworthy but simultaneously signal that he’s only notable to you because of a famous relation?—and Taylor has held up well in the media shadow of his brother. He’s creating room for his own voice, not trying to give the public Chance 2.0.
