Chance the Rapper debuted a new song about the trials of the American Dream on Colbert

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Chance the Rapper debuted a new song about the trials of the American Dream on Colbert

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Chance the rapper

CBS

Chance the Rapper on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

Chance the Rapper debuted a moving and intricate new song about, among other topics, fatherhood, the Flint water crisis, and "the American Dream" on Monday night's "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

Backed by electric guitar playing from Daniel Caesar and a chorus of singers, Chance's untitled song began with a meditation on his two-year-old daughter and the price of fame, before moving on to a more weighty topic: systemic injustice. 

"Y'all just keep clapping like Flint got clean water, and y'all don't got teen daughters and black friends and gay cousins," Chance rapped. "Y'all just don't say nothin' know that the day's comin'… Keep on tellin' us we makin' it up / The American Dream, may you never wake up." 

In an eight-minute interview with Colbert after the performance, Chance discussed raising $2.2 million for the Chicago Public School system. He also noted his distaste for politics when Colbert pointed out the online petition, chano4mayor.com, that is encouraging Chance to run for mayor of Chicago. 

"Politics doesn't make the same change that legislation makes," Chance said. "I try to keep my eyes focused on the things that affect us systemically, which is where the law is."

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Watch the performance and interview below: