by Matthew Becerra

Chris Chance is a rare breed of creative, he has seamlessly blended internet culture with real-world impact. In a conversation spanning his upbringing, influences, creative philosophy, and experiences working with cultural heavyweights, Chance offered a deep dive into the mindset of a modern creator.

Early Influences and the Journey to Creativity

Born in New York and raised in Virginia Chance’s creative journey was shaped by a mix of influences like local state legend Pharell “I feel like the influence and the real creativity spark came from when I was older and I kind of realized how growing up I always listened to The Neptune's like that was ubiquitous at that point in music, I thought he was cool,” Chance said “He definitely served a big inspiration in terms of just how he always put on for Virginia and how he embraced being what in my opinion, Virginia is the it's the combination of the North and the South”

Once Chance grew older and saw the time that Pharell put into his craft is when he was truly inspired by the effort that being a creative takes “I got around like 16/17 I was really starting to understand like, you did all of this when you (Pharrell) was 30 something” Chance said “ I feel like that part was the most inspiring part for real is learning that his story wasn't as quickly put together as everybody else.”

“The first big bang, stems from my love for Kanye West” Chance remembers a pivotal moment in his early influences when his mother bought him The College Dropout “I asked my mom, because I thought Kanye and Andre 3000 was the same person when I was a kid, because they both had a song called roses out, that changed my life”

“When graduation came out, that's when I really started understanding art appreciating, you know, Takashi Murakami and Daft Punk,” Chance recalls “I was reading the liner for Good Life, I see Michael Jackson, I'm like, ‘Oh, that's what a sample is.’”

Yet, it was Yeezus that solidified his creative aspirations “the one that really hit me was it was undoubtedly Yeezus,” Chance Said” I'll never forget when he performed on SNL and I brought my mom into the room, I made my mom watch it with me ‘I was like, Yo, I need you to understand, I love this guy.”

He continued to say how it permanently changed his aspirations “I feel like that project specifically was kind of like, I didn't know I was going to be an artist, but I was like, ‘I know I'm gonna be a fly.’”

The Impulsive Nature of Creation

Chance describes his creative process as “everything being based off impulse, coordinated impulse.” When designing a piece for MadeInTheURL or African American Art he’s “not really into a rough draft.” His best work emerges from raw, unfiltered ideas. "Some of our best stuff has taken seconds to make," he says.

“We just had an ad in a magazine. and it was like a string of text messages I sent in a chat one day I was like, shit, let's put this on a t shirt and then boom, lo and behold, a few years later, it ends up in a magazine, but that idea has been untouched for years,” Chance exclaims” That's it, just trying to keep things as raw as possible, because I think that refinement sometimes can be a detriment, you end up losing the spark that you originally had when you thought of said idea.”

Image via Instagram @AfricanAmericanArtist

A believer in transparency, Chance shares a lot of his process online, inspired by creatives like Virgil Abloh, “just the idea of the process, the fact that you can see the process.” Chance says “it's not as hard as people make it out to be and a lot of what people mystify as the creative process is bullshit it's a lot of quick stuff, a lot of things that just come to you.”

He continues to hope he can be an inspiration for kids to push their creative thought out “I just want to break down that wall to make other kids growing up that may, overthink. No, don't think about it.”

The Birth of Made in the URL and the Significance of African American Art

MadeInTheURL evolved into a full-fledged creative agency founded by Chance and his friends, where they leveraged internet relationships to bring ideas into reality through consulting, publications and an online presence. African American Art is his next major step—his first dedicated clothing brand “URL is our Odd Future and African American Art is our Golf Wang” Chance explained.

For Chance, everything is tied to music. He views the names of both brands as extensions of his artistic vision, like project titles. “I was like, yo, it'd be mad cool if my follow-up album, the debut Best Rap Album of all time Made in the URL, is called African American Art.”

The brand’s ethos is reflected in Chances’ career. His work spans music, fashion, and branding, all of which are deeply rooted in the culture that shaped him. “I've been doing so many things my entire life, I have like a million fucking things I do, I'm just an African American artist, because all I create is African American art.”

“It's going to be something that obviously, very centered around the African American experience, but it's welcomed for people that appreciate African American art” Chance says “So I'm developing right now, we're gonna put out some items, but I look at it as that we are the culture’s construction workers, we are the people that create what everybody else adapts around the world.”

For Chance, it’s about more than just designing clothes—it’s about recognizing the influence and impact of Black creativity on a global scale.

“So taking pride in being not only a tastemaker for your town or your city, but for the entire planet,” Chance said “we’re flipping the fucking AAA logo.”

Skateboarding: A Lifelong Influence

Chris Chance’s connection to skateboarding runs deep. While he never pursued it professionally, skating shaped his creative mindset, his aesthetic, and even his approach to perseverance. "I skated when I was younger, through my teens, and even into adulthood," he says. "I was never out there getting clips, but I loved everything about it.”

One of his most surreal skate-related moments was seeing Tyshawn Jones skate in the AE 1s, a project Chance had worked on behind the scenes.

Video of Jones via Anthony Edwards TikTok

The concept of getting Jones to skate in the AE 1s came up in development. "When we were working on the AE 1, we weren’t just thinking about a sneaker—we were thinking about a world, a manifesto. We thought of scripts, commercials," he explains. "I remember I had a slide that just said ‘Tyshawn.’. The idea was, ‘Let’s get Tyshawn to film a part in the AE 1s.’"

Beyond moments like this, Chance views skateboarding as a foundation for creativity. "I got into videography and photography through skating—filming my friends. I see people like Spike Jonze, who went from filming skate videos to winning Oscars.”

For Chance, skateboarding also embodies a philosophy that extends beyond the board. You’re literally slamming your body on concrete until you get it. If you can do that, everything else in life feels easy."

He also remains tapped into the skate world, supporting brands and attending premieres. "I love where skate fashion is right now brands like Stingwater and Sex Hippies. Skateboarding is the ultimate incubator of dope shit. Look at someone like Na-Kel Smith—dude just decided, ‘I’m gonna be one of the best producers and rappers now.’ That’s the skate mentality, I think that that's the mentality I've kept into life is gotta have balls”

The Duality of the Internet: A Blessing, a Curse and Everything In Between

"We were MadeInTheURL, but we get paid in the IRL." Chance reflects on the duality of being creative shaped by the internet while navigating the real-world. He speaks on the pros and cons of growing up online, where inspiration was once limitless.

Chance sees a shift in the way people engage online, noting how social media has transformed from a space of raw expression to one of constant performance.

"I think that social media right now is performative, I think that performance is plaguing society right now. There's always cameras, there's always things going on.”

He reminisces about an earlier internet era, one that felt more authentic—when people spoke freely without the pressure of an audience."Back then, on the internet, people weren’t able to really talk, I remember, like, the internet felt like the one place I could hear the truth because people didn't feel like everybody was watching, 'cause everybody wasn't watching."

Chance points to the way online discourse has shifted, where engagement often takes precedence over genuine conversation. In his view, the internet has become less about open dialogue and more about reactionary takes designed to provoke. "Now everything is based on reaction baiting.”

He sees this trend reflected in how people engage with music and industry drama, where narratives are often driven by bias rather than critical thought. The recent Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud, he notes, is a prime example of how online culture amplifies division. "Pushing agendas and you can see it through the whole Kendrick-Drake beef. It's been really weird in terms of like, 'Oh, I'm going to post about this, and I'm going to post rage bait because that confirms a feeling that I have about my favorite artist.'"

Chance strives to avoid falling into the trap of reaction-based internet culture, instead using his platform to share real-life experiences and genuine perspectives. For him, the internet is no longer the source of inspiration it once was. “That's what I try to keep away from as much as possible and bring real-life experiences and thoughts onto the internet for other people to see.”

His perspective has recently shifted. Rather than looking online for creative fuel, he finds it in the chaos and energy of his surroundings.”It's like, I'm more influenced by, what the fuck is going on in New York. New York is like the most inspirational place on earth to me. I know that I'm going to go all around the world and experience things. but in a sense of what the city does to you—, this was the drug that the internet was for me when I was a kid. I just go outside and see something crazy. I'm like, holy fuck, I just thought of a whole entire campaign.”

That shift in perspective ties back to how the internet itself has changed. The raw, unfiltered discussions that once made online spaces feel meaningful are becoming increasingly rare.

“I didn't have this type of internet as a kid, I had to sit somewhere and not move and have a pretty shitty internet space, you even had to be selective on what you click.”

He sees that loss of selectivity in the way people consume music today. The sense of value that once came with purchasing an album has faded in the streaming era, where everything is instantly accessible and often disposable. “Now, it's like the value of things has gone down, music is the perfect example of how back in the day, for example I was reading a rap forum, and the guy was like, 'Yo, just bought the new Tribe album. It's really, really good. If you got a little bit of money left after getting that, you should definitely buy the new Wu-Tang album.'”

The way people engage with music has shifted drastically, with playlists now driving much of how songs are discovered. The album experience, Chance argues, wasn’t properly translated into the digital age. “I feel like you get disconnected—maybe you had to walk to the store to go get an album—you'd perceive it differently and maybe you'll give it more of your time, as opposed to you just rolled out of your bed, farted, and downloaded whatever dropped on Friday."

"Raw Leaps and Relentless Hustles: Chance's Journey from Struggles to Success"

Chance’s journey into the creative industry wasn’t conventional—it was built on bold decisions and gut instincts. He met his mentor on a Kanye West fan page at 16 and took a leap of faith, trusting him more than anyone around him. That decision led to a series of sacrifices, including dropping out of college to pursue a creative career.“I became a supermodel's assistant and just raw-dogged some shit, did the craziest stuff fucking possible, fell into an internship, and was somehow able to get a job off of it,” he says.

The path was anything but easy. He left the security of school and plunged into the chaos of the fashion world, unsure of where it would lead."I lived on her couch for, like, eight, nine months in Harlem. The first month I was in New York, it's Fashion Week. I'm backstage at Helmut Lang with Bella Hadid and stuff like that.”

Chance was constantly working, constantly pushing forward, but never knowing if it would all pay off. "I've sacrificed so much. I've sacrificed most of my early 20s," he admits. "Just raw-dogging it—doing whatever it took to get ahead."

Through all the struggles, Chance always kept his eyes on the bigger picture, even when the pressure felt overwhelming."I think that really what it is is that I have such a picture—not picturesque, but I have a very big Cinderella story," he reflects. "I don't give myself enough credit.”

For Chance, the sacrifices were worth it—the struggle was a necessary part of the process.

The Takeaway

Chris Chance’s journey is a testament to the power of instinct, culture, and perseverance. From a teenager discovering music through album liner notes to an award-winning copywriter shaping major campaigns, his story is one of calculated risks and relentless creativity.

His story is still unfolding, and with African American Art and MadeInTheURL continuing to grow, Chance’s impact is only just beginning

Chris Chance: The Mind Behind a New Creative Wave