Chance The Rapper is full steam ahead with his plans to bring his Black Star Line Festival to Jamaica, and recently visited the country’s U.S. Embassy to discuss making it happen.
On Wednesday (April 19), the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica tweeted out a photo of Ambassador Nickolas Perry and Chance following a meeting about the festival.
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“Ambassador Perry met with @ChanceTheRapper as part of his birthday trip to Jamaica,” the Embassy wrote. “The two discussed the rapper’s upcoming plans to host the Black Star Line Festival in Jamaica.”
Check out the picture below:
Ambassador Perry met with @ChanceTheRapper as part of his birthday trip to Jamaica. The two discussed the rapper’s upcoming plans to host the Black Star Line Festival in Jamaica. pic.twitter.com/MzHpVgRizb
— US Embassy Jamaica (@USEmbassyJA) April 19, 2023
Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa‘s inaugural Black Star Line Festival took place in the Ghanaian capital of Accra in January, with an estimated 50,000 fans from across the globe in attendance. In addition to both Chicago rappers taking the stage, additional performers included Erykah Badu, Dave Chappelle, T-Pain, Jeremih, Sarkodie, Tobe Nwigwe, Asakaa Boys and M.anifest.
The two Chicago natives announced the Black Star Line Festival in July 2022, explaining that the event’s name was a tribute to pan-African activist Marcus Garvey’s shipping company.
“Founded in 1919, and operated by Black people, the [Black Star Line] would link America, the Caribbean and Africa, to global shipping and tourism opportunities,” a press release for the festival explained. “The Black Star Line was a symbol of pride, not only for Africans, but also for Black people in all ports of call. After nearly 40 years, the Ghanian government launched their fleet with the same name, in homage to Garvey, and even added a black star to the country’s new flag.”
In addition to the concert, the Black Star Line Festival included a week’s worth of special events and panels, including a fireside chat between Chance The Rapper and Dave Chappelle, who discussed bringing new attention and business to local comedy clubs and his dream of one day living in Ghana, inspired by a conversation with JAY-Z.
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During a visit to The Tonight Show in March, Chance revealed his plans to bring the festival to Jamaica.
“We’re actually thinking about hosting the next one in Kingston, Jamaica,” he told Jimmy Fallon. “We’re still working it out in our heads. And we love the city of Accra and Ghana and West Africa as a whole. We just want to continue to, like, create community in other spaces.”
