Chance the Rapper has launched a service titled ‘Rapper Radio’ that gives fans the power to request his songs to be played on local radio stations and spread the word of indie music.Â
The service asks for fans to type in their city and a tweet will be sent to the local station of their choice to request playing either ‘No Problem feat. Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz’ or ‘Summer Friends feat. Jeremih & Francis & The Lights’.
Not just simply a genius marketing approach for his recent album Coloring Book, Chance is utilising his almost 2 million followers on Twitter with bold intentions,  declaring in bold letters on the website, ‘LET’S BRING INDEPENDENT MUSIC TO THE AIRWAVES’.
Chance tweeted:
I want you to share my music in whatever city you're in with as many people as possible. #optioncee
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) August 16, 2016
The radio is like a huge listening party for people of all demographics to get in tune. In those moments it's mad ppl in harmony #optioncee
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) August 16, 2016
So far, it’s been a great success with Chance retweeting hundreds of fan requests, a temporary crash due to the amount of internet traffic and the service being available in multiple countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, Germany, France, Ireland and the Netherlands.
He even promises a special surprise:
Let's keep it going. City w the most tweets, we going to do something special in. #RapperRadio
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) August 17, 2016
While the idea of musicians using social media to market their latest albums is certainly nothing new, a service such as ‘Rapper Radio’ might be bringing an opportunity for independent artists to get their music out there and heard on radio stations around the world.
With radio often opting for popular tracks and what’s hot, we could be seeing a new form of interaction where artists work alongside their devoted fan base to get their music heard. It shows that despite living in a world where music is available to purchase and stream online, artists still feel there is a special place for radio.
If you want to join in on the fun, go to Rapper Radio website and spread the word of independent music.Â
Also, don’t forget that Chance the Rapper will be making an appearance down under at Beyond the Valley in Victoria and is planning for an Australian tour with dates yet to be announced.
