Chance the Rapper gave a group of high school students a surprise graduation present on Monday – in the form of Childish Gambino.
Chance was hosting one of his regular charity shows for students in Chicago when he brought Gambino onto the stage.
“My next guest needs no introduction,” he said. “So let’s try it.”
As the first notes of Childish Gambino’s politically-charged single This Is America played over the PA, the audience rushed the stage.
The song, which reached number one in the US, tackles issues such as police brutality and gun control – while its shocking and violent video has been praised for challenging viewers and raising questions about black identity, violence and the entertainment industry.
Childish Gambino, the musical alter-ego of actor Donald Glover, had not been billed to appear at the event in Chicago; and students who got to see the performance were overwhelmed.
The surprise came during Chance The Rapper’s 30th “Open Mike” event in Chicago, which is part of his mission to support and reinvigorate the city’s public schools.
The star’s SocialWorks charity has so far raised $2.2 million (£1.65 million) for the Chicago Public Schools’ arts programmes; and is launching an awards show recognising “teachers, parents, principals, and students that convey leadership” in Chicago-area schools.
Earlier this year, Chance hinted that his long-rumoured collaborative project with Childish Gambino “probably will” happen this year.
“We perpetuated that rumour for a long time without recording anything,” Chance admitted to Pitchfork in March.
However, he said, the pair have since hooked up in the studio and cut some “amazing” new tracks.
Source: BBC news
