Chance the Rapper Addresses Critics Of $500K Apple Music Payday

(Radio.com) Chance the Rapper has long been a proponent of free music, which is why he hasn't signed with a label and he makes all of his music available to stream rather than purchase.

But his independence has come under fire lately, especially when it comes to Apple Music. Chance appeared in a commercial for Apple Music in 2016 and the platform streamed his mixtape Coloring Book exclusively for two weeks.

The rapper shut down rumors last week when he took to Twitter to explain his dealings with the company. "I wanna clear things up. @apple gave me half a mil and a commercial to post Coloring Book exclusively on Apple Music for 2 weeks," he tweeted in response to people questioning how independent he really is. "That was the extent of my deal, after 2 weeks it was on SoundCloud for free. I needed the money and they're all good people over there."

He added that artists who control their own product can benefit from streaming wars. "If you come across opportunities to work with good people, pick up cash and keep your integrity I say Do It," he tweeted. Read all Chance's tweet here.