Chance the Rapper, Grammy-winning hip-hop artist and quality human being, posed as a Lyft driver in Chicago to encourage riders to round their fares up to support arts education programs at Chicago Public Schools.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the riders were invited to use the ride-share service app feature Round Up and Donate, which gives users the ability to support a charity of their choice, including CPS: The New Chance Fund.
Austin Schumacher, Head of Culture & Entertainment Marketing at Lyft said, "We're thrilled to be partnering with Chance the Rapper again, this time as our newest Undercover Lyft driver." He went on to say, "We share Chance's commitment to investing in our communities and are proud to support Chicago Public schools through Round Up & Donate. We had a blast surprising fans with Chance as their driver while showing them how easy it is to donate to causes they care about."
The video of the rapper's stunt was released Monday as part of the "Undercover Lyft" series. Chance, hidden behind shades and a hat and going by the name John, hints about his identity and even raps for his passengers.
"What's your name?" the rapper asked one passenger, who reaches out to shake his hand, palpably shocked.
"Wh-whoa," the passenger says.
"Whoa what?" Chance says.
"Do you know who you are?" the passenger asks.
Another passenger was a bit harder to convince. When Chance confessed his identity to her, she responded with, "No, you're not." Eventually, she hugs the artist enthusiastically.
Chance tells another passenger, "I love my riders," and then, using lyrics from his "Coloring Book" hit "All Night." He says, "I just don't like when they spill fries on the seat. Sometimes people lie on the seat. Fart on the seat."
But some social media users are questioning the authenticity of the stunt, believing that the "passengers" in the video were hired actors. One YouTube user wrote: "This is obviously fake.. nobody ever sits in the front seat in Lyfts, and somehow they all ended up in the same place? Real subtle guys (sic)." But, staged or not, the video has put Lyft's donation feature on the map, already receiving thousands of views since its release yesterday.
This is just the latest stunt for the busy philanthropist, who presented the Cook County school district with a $1 million check in March 2017. The rapper's charity, SocialWorks, has already given millions of dollars to CPS. During a summit on Oct. 4, the nonprofit announced that it would give even more to the Chicago Public School system, with 20 additional schools receiving grants. Chance also used the summit as an opportunity to announce that he would give $1 million to mental health providers as part of a new program called My State of Mind.
The video ends with one elated passenger telling Chance, "You do beautiful things, my brother."
Brooke Ivey Johnson is a Brooklyn based writer, playwright, and human woman. To read more of her work visit her blog or follow her twitter @BrookeIJohnson.
POP⚡DUST | Read More…
BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN | It is About to Get Filthy Rich
R.I.P Moviepass pt. II: an Update
READY TO POP | Henley, The Dill & More Wear a Wild-Child Heart on Their Sleeve