TIME Reveals Its 2017 “100 Most Influential People” — and Chance the Rapper’s Tribute Comes From a Chicago Legend

TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” of 2017 arrived with a powerful lineup of trailblazers, cultural leaders, and global icons—including an unforgettable dose of Black excellence. Among the honorees was Chicago’s own Chance the Rapper, whose entry in the issue came with a heartfelt essay written by none other than Grammy-winning rapper, activist, and fellow Chicago native Common.

Common’s tribute wasn’t just a profile—it was a full-circle moment rooted in a memory he once tucked away. In the essay, Common recalls the day his grandmother asked him to offer guidance to a young aspiring rapper she knew through a friend.

“Years ago, my grandmother asked me to call her friend’s grandson. ‘I want you to give him some words of encouragement,’ she said. ‘He wants to be a rapper.’ She gave me his number, and I left him a message. I told him to keep following his dreams. Then I forgot all about it.”

At the time, neither of them could have known the significance of that call. But years later, the world would.

“Years later,” Common continues, “my teenage daughter played me a new mixtape she loved from an artist named Chance the Rapper. There was something unique and soulful about it—I could tell he really knew hip-hop. And when I first met him, I realized that he knew me too. ‘You won’t remember this,’ he said, ‘but you called me when I was a kid.’”

That mixtape, now widely recognized as Acid Rap, helped cement Chance as one of the most innovative artists of his generation. Music critics from Rolling Stone and The New York Times praised his inventive sound, collaborative spirit, and joyful approach to hip-hop—an approach that challenged what mainstream rap could look and feel like.

In his TIME essay, Common highlighted exactly that:

“Chance upends expectations about what artists—especially hip-hop artists—can do. He streams his albums instead of selling them. He makes music from an unapologetically inspiring and Christian perspective—music that transcends age, race, and gender. He gives back to his Chicago community. And he does it all as an independent artist, without the support of a label. I’m glad Chance followed his dreams. I hope he always does.”

His impact goes far beyond music. By 2017, Chance had already donated $1 million to Chicago Public Schools and launched several youth-centered initiatives—efforts widely covered by outlets like Billboard and The Chicago Tribune. TIME editors noted that his leadership offstage was as influential as his artistry on it.

For Chance, having Common write his tribute made the honor even more meaningful. He referred to Common as a mentor, a hero, and one of the artists who helped shape Chicago’s hip-hop identity long before he entered the scene.

This moment—one legend uplifting another—captured the spirit of the TIME list: honoring visionaries who move culture forward, break barriers, and redefine what’s possible.

And as Common’s essay reminds us, sometimes all it takes is one moment of encouragement to spark a career that inspires millions.

Thank you, Common, for pouring into young artists like Chance—and reminding the world how powerful it can be when one generation reaches back to uplift the next.