Chicago City Wire

Gov. Bruce Rauner missed more than a beat at his meeting with Chance the Rapper, the hosts of a Chicago-based radio talk show said recently.

"Chance, Mr. the Rapper, he won that battle with Rauner," Illinois Opportunity Project co-founder Pat Hughes said on Illinois Rising. "And Rauner and the people handling him did not handle that messaging very well."

Chance the Rapper, who was born in Chicago, made a substantial donation to Chicago Public Schools after the meeting and has since been a public advocate of the school system's efforts to reduce its indebtedness -- something that has left him looking like an urban hero, co-host Dan Proft said.

Proft is also a principal of Local Government Information Services, which owns this publication.

Chance the Rapper, whose real name is Chancelor Bennett, met briefly with Rauner in the governor's office in March after an exchange on Twitter. The two reportedly discussed education and cuts in public school funding, with Chance the Rapper specifically asking Rauner to "take our kids off the table" when he left the meeting.

"He gave me a lot of vague answers, so we’ll see what happens," the Grammy Award-winning rapper told reporters afterward. "He has my personal number. He told me that in 48 hours, you know, Springfield is in session next week."

Since the meeting, the two have continued without further public reference to each other. Chance the Rapper's website currently urges support to alleviate Chicago Public Schools' funding deficit. Earlier this month, Rauner advocated paying for that deficit with the city's tax increment financing district funds.

Chance the Rapper supported Hillary Clinton's bid for president and also criticized Donald Trump during what turned out to be his successful bid for the White House.

The rap artist's meeting with Rauner turned out to be a political trap, Hughes said. 

"Gov. Rauner walked right into this one," Hughes said. "And then Chance, of course, went and gave $1 million to CPS shortly after that meeting to make it look like he's more charitable and more involved. He'd have been better off just throwing that money into the ocean because that $1 million is going to go completely to waste."