Dear Reader,

My social media intern recently sent me a text with an unmistakable degree of urgency. She stated that Chance the Rapper was trying to get in touch with me by Instagram message. “Who?” I replied. My assistant, being of the millennial generation, was not at all surprised by my ignorance. I think she even anticipated my dumbfounded reaction, hence her urgency. “I don’t think you understand,” she said, and proceeded to explain the relevance of the young rapper and how remarkable it was for him to actually be reaching out to us on our Artillery Instagram—let alone that he is a follower. Of course, an introduction was immediately made.

What on earth would a noteworthy musician such as Chance want with me, an editor of an art magazine? My interest was piqued. After informing a few of my younger friends, it was confirmed: It was extraordinary that this massively popular rapper was reaching out to me.

My assistant made the e-intro and soon we were united, digitally; there was to be a Zoom meeting. I included my assistant in the thread and the Chance team joined in on the Zoom call, about six of us in all. A few faces made an appearance, but most of the participants kept their video off. We were all waiting for Chance. I was nervous by now, and still couldn’t imagine what this meeting was all about. Soon he appeared, but not in the flesh (as it were). There was a big letter C that pulsated in rhythm to his speaking voice, like the all-powerful Oz, although Chance was soft-spoken, thoughtful and polite.

I was informed that Chance has been collaborating with the fine-art world on a specific art project. He was working with the Black Diaspora and wanted more inclusion of these important artists. Being from Chicago, and a regular patron of the arts, Chance couldn’t help but notice the lack of Black artists in the art world and the elitism that exists in the fine-art world. Unfortunately, I found his observations to be quite accurate.

Chance would be in LA in September, doing another collaboration with artist Mia Lee (whose portrait of Chance is on our cover), at the Museum of Contemporary Art. I contacted writer and hip-hop aficionado Donnell Alexander—who I’ve known for years, since the old LA Weekly days—and he was eager to do something on Chance, for whom he has great respect.

Chance is very keen on working with African artists and this project will end up in West Africa in the New Year. It so happened that a new gallery in West Hollywood, dedicated to exhibiting African artists, caught the eye of writer Donasia Tillery, who appears in the issue with a Zoom interview of African art dealer Adenrele Sonariwo from Lagos. Annabel Keenan, our New York contributor, writes about New York–based Trinidadian-American Allana Clarke’s work, which deals with Black attitudes to hairstyle. All this came together to present features on the Black Diaspora Emerging in the art world.

I love starting off the New Year with fresh new content and a rapper on the cover. It’s nice to mix things up a bit. Isn’t that what art is supposed to be all about? The art world is constantly changing, just keeping up with the world. And Artillery is right there with it. Happy New Year art lovers!