Chance is set to light the world on fire with his incendiary rhymes and explosive hooks. After seeing him on stage, you have undoubtedly seen a legend in the making. His unique brand of Southern hip-hop fuses his country roots with his years of street cred as an MC. He takes the music of his forefathers and seamlessly blends it with hip-hop’s rhyme, rhythm and soul. Through his creativity and experience he forges music with universal appeal. Chance (Timothy C. Smith) was literally born into the music industry while his parents Tim and Pauline were touring through Huntington, West Virginia, on September 4, 1980.

Three weeks out of the womb, he was back on the bus on a nationwide tour. While his parents worked with artists such as Willie Nelson, Gene Watson, Tanya Tucker and David Allan Coe, Chance spent his formative years soaking up all that life on the road had to offer. He saw firsthand the rush of live performance and knew his purpose in life was to have a mic in his hand. So as soon as he could hold a mic he was rockin’ a crowd. In 1985, his parents divorced and both settled in Nashville. Chance lived with his mother, Pauline Smith. Growing up in and out of everything from apartments to old tin-roofed farm backhouses, Chance was exposed to a beautiful assortment of people as well as music.

Chance developed his love for hip-hop through his best friend Kenyatta Clemons’ older brother Rio, who was part of a hip-hop group called the Large Brothers. Pauline was diagnosed with cancer in 1986. She turned tragedy into triumph, though, and decided to help as many people as she could before she left us. She put on talent shows to help showcase struggling artists all over Nashville. She was instrumental in helping start some of the biggest careers in country music (John Michael Montgomery, Toby Keith and Confederate Railroad, to name a few). Pauline was a fearless and persistent woman who fought back from the brink of death three times before her illness eventually overtook her. Chance was 13 when she passed away. This kind of tenacity is indicative of Chance’s take-no-prisoners approach to life. He attacks every day as if it’s his last, and treats every person as if there is to tomorrow for apologies. After the death of his mother, Chance was sent to Fork Union Military Academy, where he was often found rapping in ranks. After some adjustment, he reached the fourth-highest rank in the entire school, battalion training officer. His leadership role there profoundly influenced his character and his ability to control the stage in his performances.

After high school, Chance attended Austin Peay State University, northwest of Nashville, studying both English and business. While there, Chance threw the largest parties on campus at an old fraternity house known as the Bates Motel, and coordinated the first live performance on campus in over a decade from the back of a flatbed trailer. During his time at Austin Peay, he perfected his flow by setting up parties, ciphers, showcases, and freestyle battles. Now he has brought that experience and grit back to Nashville and has built one of the largest independent/underground followings in the south. Chance is known to blow up venues and create loyal followers wherever he goes.