Chance the Rapper talks hosting historic Chicago New Year's Eve event
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chance the Rapper spoke with Val Warner about hosting Chicago's historic New Year's Eve event later this week.
For the first time, "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest" will count down to midnight live from Chicago.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
Chicagoan and three-time Grammy Award winner Chance the Rapper will host the national broadcast.
"I feel like there's a huge responsibility when you're showing off a city anyway. And so we've been on a bunch of production calls, trying to make sure that there's just like moments for all parts of Chicago to shine, to get to introduce this global city to the world. And also, like I said, I just want to have fun. I'm gonna be lit. It's gonna be a great time," he said.
Chance the Rapper, DJ Mike Dunn, DJ Mike P, J. Ivy and Shemekia Copeland are set to perform on the main stage on the corner of West Wacker Drive and North Franklin Street in the Loop, starting at 9 p.m.
SEE ALSO: What to know for 1st-ever 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest' event in Chicago
"I think our Chicago performers and our crowd out there is going to be excited. It's the world stage, all the cameras pointed at Chicago," Chance said.
He will take the stage for his national countdown performance shortly before midnight.
"I'm going to have my host hat on most of the night. I'm going to be interacting with my other co-host and just showing the city to the world. But at the end of the night, I'm going to be performing the song called 'No More Old Men.' I truly believe it's probably the most important song that I've written. I think it encapsulates childhood in a way that I haven't really been able to get across and also manhood in a way that I don't think it expressed a lot in music," he said.
There will also be a custom audio-visual presentation projected from ART on THE MART that begins at 7 p.m.
Watch Chance co-host "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest" beginning at 7 p.m. on ABC7 Chicago this New Year's Eve.
