The scene was set for a magical movie night and Chance the Rapper was the leading man. On Friday May 14, Chance brought the red carpet to Chicago. The energy was lively as big names and fans filled the AMC River East 21 lobby for the 7 o’clock world premiere of Chance’s new film, Magnificent Coloring World. Household names like King Louie, JoeFreshGoods, Jamila Woods and Vic Mensa were all in attendance to get a first look at the film.
Chance set the tone by stepping on the red carpet, shouting: “Everybody gets an interview!” Never too Hollywood for his hometown, Chance showed his appreciation for the city by making sure that Chicago audiences saw the film first — and all press, big or small, got some of his time.
“It’s the coolest thing that I think I’ve ever done” he told TRiiBE cultural correspondent Rome J. “I’ve loved the cinema, specifically the cinema experience. Going to the movies with my dad was my favorite thing in the world.”
Around the 7 o’clock hour, when the screening was supposed to begin, Chance’s good friend and pop megastar Justin Bieber walked into the lobby and into a frenzy of cameras.
The crowd, filled with celebrities, press and fans, all watched the film together, which added to the excitement. Magnificent Coloring World, a fresh take on a concert film, had heavy artistic direction from Chance himself. The sound design brings in voices from the crowd and band in a way that makes you feel like you are onstage yourself. And the film viewers got into it, oftentimes singing along and applauding after the ending of a song.
Is it cheesy to say it felt like we were really at a concert? Because it did! Not only that, but a bunch of Chicagoans got to say that they were at the movies with Chance the Rapper and the Biebs! Chance has yet again set a precedent, as the first artist to independently secure a wide release of a film with AMC; another milestone for him and the city of Chicago. A “Magnificent” night it was.
