Chance the Rapper trial tests handshake deal that helped launch his career
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Chance the Rapper on stage during Lollapalooza in 2025. Photo: Michael Hickey/Getty Images
One of Chicago hip-hop's most influential partnerships is now on trial.
The latest: Opening arguments began this week in a dispute between Chance the Rapper and former manager Pat "The Manager" Corcoran over whether a career-defining handshake deal still holds up in court.
Context: The jury trial will determine whether Chance (aka Chancelor Bennett) broke a handshake agreement with Corcoran over payments or if Corcoran failed to execute his management duties, which ultimately hurt Chance's career.
- The two former colleagues worked on huge mixtapes like "Acid Rap" and "Coloring Book," the latter of which became the first streaming-only album to win a Grammy and launched Chance to national stardom.
- Corcoran managed Bennett from 2012 to 2020.
Yes, but: The run of success faltered with 2019's "The Big Day." After the artist's first studio album failed to meet expectations, Chance parted ways with Corcoran and the dispute soon moved from the studio to the courtroom.
- Corcoran sued Chance in 2020. He argues the agreement entitled him to commissions on shared work for three years after termination.
- Corcoran's legal team argues that he was crucial to Chance's success.
- The other side: Chance argues that there was no enforceable agreement to extend commissions beyond Corcoran's tenure and that the manager was fully paid.
- He has also accused Corcoran, in separate litigation, of breaching fiduciary duties and prioritizing his own side projects over his responsibilities to manage Chance's career.
Zoom out: For Chicago hip-hop fans, the trial marks the unraveling of a partnership that helped elevate the city's independent hip-hop scene.
- Together, Chance and Corcoran turned mixtapes into Grammy wins, built a powerful, local-first brand, and proved that an artist could thrive outside the major-label system.
- Pat also managed other members of the famed "SaveMoney" crew, which included popular artists like Vic Mensa.
The intrigue: Chance built his career on rejecting the traditional music industry.
- However, that anti-industry mindset also influenced his business dealings, including a handshake agreement that's now being examined in court.
The bottom line: The same independence that fueled Chance's ascent is now under oath.
- A jury will decide whether a handshake was enough to sustain a multimillion-dollar music empire.