DJ Khaled Collab Propels Chance the Rapper to First Independent Artist to Go Diamond

Photo Credit: Shore Fire Media / Keeley Parenteau

Chance the Rapper has been propelled to new heights on the back of his 2017 collaboration with DJ Khaled, Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Lil Wayne. “I’m the One” has surpassed 10 million sales and stream equivalents in the U.S.—making Chance the Rapper the first independent artist to go Diamond.Chance the Rapper was the first independent musician to receive multiple Grammy’s in the same year. While the collaboration was released on the DJ Khaled album Grateful released via Epic Records & Sony Music Entertainment, Chance himself was not signed to the label. He was officially given his Diamond certification during a New Year’s Eve ceremony at the NHL Winter Classic in Chicago.

“‘I’m the One’ has been such a special record for me since the day we created it,” the rapper shared at the ceremony. “To see this track go Diamond is a testament to the connection it’s made with so many people. Shout out to Khaled, Quavo, Justin, and Wayne! Every time I perform this song, it brings an undeniable energy and the fans’ love for it never wavers. Getting to play it live on New Year’s Eve in front of my hometown crowd, in the greatest city in the world—there’s truly nothing better and I’m beyond thankful!”

Chance went on to perform at the NHL Winter Classic, playing favorites including “No Problem,” “Cocoa Butter Kisses,” and “I’m the One.” While the rapper has been quiet concerning new music, he’s been teasing an upcoming mixtape called Star Line. The album takes inspiration from Marcus Garvey’s steamship corporation named Black Star Line.“I went out with Vic mensa just to visit Ghana at the end of January 2022 and fell in love with the culture,” Chance told BET. “I learned a lot about the political independence of Ghana, and how their first Black president learned from Marcus Garvey about Pan-Africanism. He worked that into the very fabric of the country when it was founded. He also promised that Ghana would never be colonized again which led to the emancipation of other countries on the continent.”

Concerning the album, Chance says, “It’s a bunch of music that I created with some of the greatest collaborators and I really put intention in my writing. I’ve been collaborating with a lot of different recording artists and visual artists to make all these pieces come to life. I’m excited about it.”