Chance the Rapper’s latest song mentions a single mom who “called up the RE/MAX and opened her own site.”
The woman in question? The Grammy-winning artist’s mother-in-law, Janice Corley.
“Zanies and Fools,” a new track Chance The Rapper released as part of his The Big Day album, name-drops RE/MAX in the story of how the singer-songwriter met his wife Kirsten Corley.
Janice Corley | RE/MAX
The story goes something like this: Corley’s mother, Janice Corley, was throwing a party for her friends and employees in a RE/MAX office. A Florida agent, Janice Corley owns RE/MAX Premier Properties in the Gold Coast. Chance the Rapper was among the guests when he spotted “that one on the left” performing a Destiny’s Child song with her sister.
The rapper and Kirsten Corley married in a much-publicized ceremony this March.
Born as Chancellor Jonathan Bennett, Chance the Rapper has snagged three Grammy Awards, one of them for Best Album for the 2016 album, Coloring Book. He boasts more than 10 million followers on Instagram devoted to his mix of hip-hop and gospel styles.
As first reported by Crain’s, Chance the Rapper frequently mentions brands and companies, including in the 2018 track “I Might Need Security” in which he accuses Crain’s Chicago Business of “leaking my addy.” In 2016, the rapper also collaborated with Nike for an Olympic Games ad featuring the USA Basketball team.
A RE/MAX spokeswoman confirmed the Denver-based franchisor approves of the shoutout from Chance.
“It’s a great honor to have RE/MAX immortalized in a song by Chance the Rapper,” Abby Lee, senior vice president of marketing and communications, told Inman. “Ensuring RE/MAX is the real estate brand recognized by homebuyers and sellers the most is a priority for us, and we’re proud to be associated with Chance and his wonderful family.”
Chance the Rapper also has more than one personal connection to real estate — his mother, Lisa Thompson-Bennett, is a Crown Heights Realty agent and has represented the rapper in the 2018 purchase of a $3.7 million condo, according to Crain’s.
Corley and Thompson-Bennett did not immediately respond to Inman’s requests for comment.
Listen to the song in full here: