The Real Reason Chance The Rapper Always Wears A 3 Hat
Fashion on "The Voice" has become a ubiquitous talking point as the show has gotten more popular. "Wear different clothes!" Kelly Clarkson infamously told fellow judge Blake Shelton during Season 17 of the competition (via Country Music Family). Viewers know that Shelton nearly always opts for his tried-and-true combo of dark wash jeans, a button-down, and a cowboy hat. Meanwhile, Clarkson exudes a boho-chic vibe in her preferred maxi dresses or skirts and layered jewelry. When Shelton's better half Gwen Stefani was judging on the show, she opted for everything from red embellished jumpsuits to leopard ruffle mini dresses.
With the arrival of two judges on the scene for Season 23, fans were eager to dissect each new judge's coaching style, song selection, and of course, fashion sense. Former "One Direction" star Niall Horan gave us lots to talk about when he copied Shelton's wardrobe onstage, but Chance the Rapper was equally memorable with his laid-back approach and cool sense of style. While Chance alternated between sweatshirts and denim jackets, one constant was his hat. This isn't unique to "The Voice"; outside of the show, fans have to think hard to remember a time when they've seen Chance sans hat. Because the rapper aesthetic often involves chains, designer clothes, and/or gold teeth, Chance's choice of headwear differentiates him from the rest of the rap crowd.
Also, you may have noticed all his hats have the number 3 on them. Is there a significance to that? You bet.
The number 3 carries a special meaning for Chance the Rapper
Chance the Rapper has always loved baseball caps, which he viewed as a small form of rebellion growing up in Chicago. "I used to always rock a cap when I was in high school and get them taken away," he told GQ in 2017. "...At the end of each school year, there would be a box of all the confiscated caps. After they gave back a few caps to other kids, they would just give me the box because the rest were all my hats." Apparently, hats weren't in the dress code, but that just made Chance more eager to wear them. It, therefore, stands to reason he'd incorporate caps as part of his daily wear.
Before the advent of 3, Chance would often wear a Chicago White Sox hat, and he redesigned his home team hats circa 2016, per Bleacher Report. However, he wanted a cap that meant something to him, which is why he settled on a number that represented the important things in his life. "I thought [3] made the most sense because it was the third project," he explained. In this case, 3 refers to Chance's third album, "Coloring Book," and "Coloring Book" was just too much of a mouthful to put on a hat. Plus, the pithy logo represents other things too. "...It stands for ... the Holy Trinity, and the three-pronged family of myself, my daughter, and my girl," Chance added.
Chance the Rapper's 3 hats have made him a lot of money
Fans of Chance the Rapper can purchase his trademarked 3 hats on his website. Currently, the hats retail for $45 each and come in a range of colors. It sounds like a small thing, but Chance has actually made quite a bit of money from selling his 3 caps. "Been paid for: college. Been paid for: braces. Been paid for: ballet classes. Been paid for: debate classes ... I made $6 million in one year off of these hats!" he told host Joe Budden on "The Joe Budden podcast" in 2018. It's a staggering amount of money from baseball caps, but it starts to make more sense when you consider the markup on the product — each hat costs just $3 to produce!
Celebrity Net Worth estimates Chance's net worth at $25 million, and at one point in 2017, he had a spot on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list with estimated earnings of $33 million. That said, the rapper also loves to splash out, telling GQ, "I go broke a lot." He added that this happens because he believes in pouring everything he has into furthering his career. "Whatever I put out there, if I really am doing what's right, it's going to be rewarding," he said. Good thing he has his baseball caps to fall back on.