Nine years ago, Chance the Rapper stood before a sold‑out crowd of 18,000 at the then‑Scottrade Center and said something I had never heard at a hip‑hop show before or since.
“I want to get to Heaven, and I want all of you to get to Heaven too,” he told the crowd.
It was the final number of the night — a Sunday night, fittingly — and he closed with songs that reflected the spiritual walk he had been sharing with listeners since the release of Coloring Book. the chorus of “Blessings” rang out — Are you ready for your blessing? Are you ready for your miracle?
That St. Louis stop on the Be Encouraged Tour came a year after Chance had already changed the music industry with Coloring Book — the breakthrough independent mixtape that redefined what an artist could accomplish without a major label behind them.
Next week, St. Louis will be one of the cities where Chance marks the 10th anniversary of that genre‑defining project. He’ll bring an intimate show to The Pageant on Wednesday, October 7. St. Louis fans will get a chance to be right there with him — revisiting the record that reshaped his path and rewrote the rules for the industry he disrupted.
In an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last week, Chance described the anniversary tour as a check‑in — not just for him, but for the people who grew up with the project. “There’s so many people, you know, mainly me, whose lives were greatly impacted and maybe changed by this project,” he said.
He was only 24 years old at the time of its release.
“In the 10 years since it came out, we’ve gone through many more changes,” Chance told Fallon. “I think this is an opportunity for us to check in with each other and reach back to this nostalgic moment — but also sing along about all the changes that have happened since.”
Those changes began the moment Coloring Book arrived in May 2016. The mixtape blended gospel, hip‑hop and warm live instrumentation into a sound that felt familiar but still pushed the genre forward. The record was a celebration of faith, joy and the creative lineage Chance came out of in Chicago. He built it with the people who had been shaping that sound with him for years: Nico Segal, Peter Cottontale and The Social Experiment, with additional production from Kaytranada, Brasstracks and Francis and the Lights.
But the music was only part of the story. Coloring Book broke barriers because of the way Chance chose to release it. It dropped independently, without a major label, and fully digital at a time when streaming was still changing the landscape within the industry. It became the first streaming‑only project to land on the Billboard 200, and the first independent release to take home a Grammy. Chance earned three in all: Best Rap Album, Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance for “No Problem.”
That win forced the industry to rethink what success could look like outside the traditional system. It also cemented Chance as a new kind of star — one who built his career on community, collaboration, and ownership rather than the machinery of a label.
The accolades didn’t stop there. During the project’s tenth anniversary year, Coloring Book officially went Platinum — a milestone that once felt out of reach for a project Chance gave away for free. Eleven tracks earned new certifications, including 4x Platinum for “No Problem,” 2x Platinum for “Juke Jam,” and Platinum honors for “Same Drugs,” “Smoke Break,” “Summer Friends,” “Angels,” “All We Got,” and “All Night.”
Chance’s rise set him apart from the artists around him. While many of his peers were tied up in label politics, he carved out his own lane. He paved it with intention that was focused independence, Chicago’s creative ecosystem and a willingness to blend gospel warmth with hip‑hop’s urgency. His music carried a sense of uplift that reached across audiences. He spoke to church kids. It activated rap purists. It was life-affirming music for folks who simply needed something hopeful to hold onto.
In the decade since Coloring Book, Chance has continued to evolve. He released Star Line, a full‑length project that blends Chicago’s soul traditions with global influences and explores growth, fatherhood, identity, and community. He’s collaborated across genres, expanded his philanthropic work in Chicago, and remained committed to the independence that shaped his early career.
But for many fans — especially those who were in that arena nine years ago — Coloring Book remains the moment when Chance’s vision crystallized. It was the project that shifted his trajectory and reshaped the industry. It also reminded listeners that joy, faith, and community could sit at the center of a hip‑hop record without losing its edge.
Ten years later, he’s coming back to St. Louis to celebrate that moment — and to see how much everyone has grown since.
The Coloring Book 10th Anniversary Tour with special guest La Reezy will stop at The Pageant at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors) on Wed., Oct. 7. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com.