Chance The Rapper is dealing with a profound loss. His beloved Aunt Carolyn passed away, coincidentally on the same day his youngest daughter, Marli, turned five. His heartbreak intensified when her service fell on the birthday of his oldest daughter, Kensli.
Taking to Instagram, Chance shared his grief and memories in a heartfelt post. “My favorite person in the world, my Auntie Carolyn passed away on August 29th, which was also the day my youngest turned 5 years old. As you’d imagine I dealt with the hard task of masking my emotions to give the best birthday party I could,” he revealed.
Chance expressed regret for not bringing his children to the funeral, wanting them to know their incredible lineage. “I didn’t bring my children to the funeral because they’re young, unfamiliar with funerals and I didn’t want them to see me so broken and full of tears on a day that was meant to be celebratory. But I really wish I had,” he explained.
Aunt Carolyn, as he fondly called her, was a remarkable woman. She ran an illegal daycare from her home, adopted children from her neighborhood, and even took in adults in need. “Complete strangers became her family and by extension, a member of my family. I have so many cousins because of Auntie,” Chance noted.
She was also a pillar of her community, founding a vacation Bible school and fiercely advocating for children. “Everything you ever saw me do as a supporter or advocate of the youth was influenced by her and in tribute to her. She showed me and every niece and nephew she had, blood or not, that we were special and belonged to her,” he added.
His post concluded with an emotional note of continued love and legacy. “I am in grief. Deep grief. I once heard that grief is love with nowhere to go. But aunty showed me where my love should go. And I will continue to love on my children and all Gods children in her legacy. And these tears will be in joy because I know the Lord told her JOB WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.”
Despite the sorrow, Chance is pushing forward with his career, preparing for his new album, Star Line. However, he recently expressed frustration about fans not using the album’s official name. In a video on Instagram, he clarified, “I’m not finna drop the album until y’all start calling it Star Line. I’m not gonna drop the project, I’m not gonna do these installations — I got so much ready. But I hope that y’all understand that.”
Chance continued to urge his followers to use the proper name, emphasizing the uniqueness of his project. “‘Drop the album’ — that’s for all the other artists. But what I’m doing is something different. It’s called Star Line. If y’all gonna press me for the project, don’t put ‘drop the album’ in my comments ‘cause it makes me feel like y’all don’t know what’s going on. I’ve been saying one specific phrase for like two, three years now.”
Despite the setbacks, Star Line appears close to release, with Chance hosting special listening events. This highly anticipated album will be his first since his 2019 debut, marking a significant milestone in his career.
It’s clear that Aunt Carolyn’s legacy deeply influences Chance The Rapper, guiding him as he moves forward with his life and career. Her impact is evident not just in his music, but in his dedication to the youth and his community.
