After 5-Year Fight, Chance the Rapper Awarded $35

Chance the Rapper just won a five-year legal fight with his former manager—and it netted him exactly $35. A Chicago jury on Friday rejected ex-manager Pat Corcoran's claim that Chance owed him $3.8 million in royalties and commissions tied to an unwritten agreement entitling him to a portion of royalties after his firing, while also deciding Chance had been harmed by the partnership to the tune of $35, per the New York Times. "I claim victory in the name of The Lord," the rapper, born Chancelor Bennett, told the Chicago Sun-Times after the verdict.

The two worked together from 2012 to 2020, building Chance's career outside the traditional label system. Their relationship unraveled after Chance announced the release of his first studio album, 2019's The Big Day, without consulting Corcoran; the album underperformed and Chance fired him months later. Corcoran sued in 2020, and Chance countersued in 2021, accusing him of serious breaches of trust and seeking more than $1 million. The jury ultimately found no binding contract existed. One of Corcoran's lawyers said the $35 award "speaks to how seriously the jury viewed Chance's case," though he warned managers to "get it in writing." Chance's attorney framed the ruling as a win for independent artists.