"To the lost" — Chance The Rapper posts photos of legendary African leaders carrying guns in reaction to Trump's election win
In a thought-provoking social media post, Chance The Rapper has sparked conversation by sharing striking images of legendary African leaders holding guns, accompanied by a powerful phrase amid Trump's presidential win.
On November 12, 2024, Chano shared pictures of African leaders holding guns, to his Instagram account. These leaders included Malcolm X, Field Marshal Musa Mwariama, Harriet Tubman, and many more.
The most significant aspect, however, was his caption, which many interpreted as a direct response to Donald Trump's victory on November 5, 2024. Chano wrote —
"To the lost," on Instagram.
Chance The Rapper's post garnered significant attention, mainly because he had remained relatively quiet since 2019. His sudden reappearance with a post amid the noise of the presidential election drew widespread focus, amplifying the impact of his message.
Chance The Rapper posts images of African figures amid Trump's presidential win
On Tuesday, Chance the Rapper took to his Instagram to share 12 black-and-white photographs of African leaders holding guns. Many of these leaders are shown holding a weapon, whether a sword or a firearm.
According to Hot New Hip Hop, many netizens perceived this post as a statement from Chance opposing Donald Trump.
Another reason why many believe Chance The Rapper's Instagram post was directed against Donald Trump could be his long-standing, positive relationship with the 44th U.S. President, Barack Obama — a connection marked by mutual respect and admiration.
The positive relationship began in 2016 when, during an appearance on Sway Calloway's Sway in the Morning, Obama praised Chance as an artist doing "amazing work."
Obama also mentioned that he had known Chance for many years, as Chance's father served as his state director, even referring to Chance as "family" —
"When I look at who's breaking new ground, Kendrick and Chance, those guys are doing just amazing work. And they're wonderful young men. Chance, I've known for years 'cause his dad was my state director when I was a senator in Illinois... And so we've been family for a while," Obama said.
Additionally, in May 2023, on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Chance The Rapper reflected on his relationship with Obama, noting that he first met him as a child and later reconnected after rising to fame. Chance suggested that this rekindling marked the beginning of their meaningful and lasting connection —
"It was very cool. And then I got to meet him after I got famous, too... After when I put out some music, and I was older, and I had a new name." And this was just the start of a beautiful friendship!" Chance said.
It's not only Chance The Rapper's connection to Obama that has led many to interpret his recent post as a critique of Trump. In April 2018, Chance addressed his followers on X in a lengthy message, expressing regret in case people perceived him to be a supporter of Donald Trump.
In the post, he also criticized Trump, stating that Trump's career has been defined by promoting hatred, racism, and discrimination. Chance captioned the message as follows —
"My fault yo".
Chance shared this lengthy message after Kanye West's Saturday Night Live performance in April of the same year, which received public praise from Donald Trump on X. Trump posted, suggesting that Kanye's performance was the best for the Black community
In response, Chance The Rapper took to his X account and suggested that Black individuals are not obligated to support the Democratic Party. This statement sparked confusion, so he stepped in to clarify his stance but did not indicate for whom he meant that tweet.
It remains to be seen whether Chance The Rapper's recent Instagram post was directed at Trump, as he is yet to provide further clarification on the meaning of his caption or the timing of the post.
