Chance The Rapper Isn’t Sweating The Empty Seats In His Defiantly Humble ‘3333’ Video

There’s no esoteric numerology to the title of Chance The Rapper’s new single, “3333.” In fact, he explains where the number comes from right in the second verse; it’s the number of tickets he sold to a recent gig at the Minnesota State Fair– which, as it turns out, is a massive undersell for a venue that houses 14,000. However, he didn’t let that deter him. Despite being asked if he wanted to cancel, he went ahead and rocked out anyway , playing songs from his hit albums and his upcoming album Star Line for an enthusiastic crowd that still sung along to just about every word.

According to The Minnesota Star Tribune , Chance made sure to inform the crowd, “I want you to know that whole ticketing thing. I’d perform for one of y’all.” He noted that while on the come-up, he’d performed at shows with 13 performers on the bill — and that they would constitute the entire audience, as well (been there, bro). Those sentiments also make their way into “3333,” a nonetheless joyful tune that finds Chance celebrating just the opportunity to perform for a crowd larger — and more energized for his performance — than those at his early showcases.

Chance’s fortunes have certainly taken a tumble from when he was at the height of his powers after the release of Coloring Book , but before his debut album The Big Day caused him to take a beating in some fans’ estimations. But he’s still here, still humble, still grateful for his successes, even if they might seem less impressive to some people. There’s something inspirational in that — which I suspect is the point. This is why Star Line might not end up grabbing headlines, but will almost certainly endear him to even the skeptics who wrote him off in addition to the fans who never lost faith .

You can watch Chance’s “3333” video above.