When Chance the Rapper visited West Africa earlier this year, he initially thought his trip with fellow Chicago hip-hop artist Vic Mensa would be just another vacation getaway.

Instead, the Grammy winner connected with Mensa’s father’s family in Ghana and other natives from the Motherland on a deeper level. He saw Ghana’s beautiful ocean coastline and waterfalls, engulfed himself in the musical culture and art scene and learned more about the country’s rich history of being the first sub-Saharan African country to free itself from colonialism.

After a couple more trips to Ghana, Chance decided to create a free concert series and visual arts show so others could experience the country’s vibrant culture just like he did. During the summer, Chance and Mensa brought eight students from Chicago to Ghana to learn more about Africa.

“I felt so free in Ghana. .. and I want others to feel the same way,” said Chance, who along with Mensa will host the inaugural Black Star Line festival in Accra, Ghana, in 2023. The weeklong festival will feature events, panel discussions and a free concert on Jan. 6 with performances by Chance, Mensa, Erykah Badu, T-Pain, Jeremih, Sarkodie, Tobe Nwigwe, Asakaa Boys and M.anifest.

The event will be held in Accra’s Black Star Square, a monument to the political freedom that was won by Ghanaians in 1957. The festival’s title was inspired by civil rights leader Marcus Garvey’s Black Star Line, which was founded in 1919 and operated by Black people who helped link global shipping and tourism opportunities between America, the Caribbean and Africa.

Garvey inspired Chance's music video “ YAH Know, ” featuring King Promise, and his upcoming album “Star Line Gallery,” which is expected for release next year. He’s already released a few other new music videos — such as “ Child of God,” “ A Bar About a Bar ” and “ The Highs & Lows ” with Joey Bada$$ — in which he calls “album art” to highlight popular artists in Africa.

Chance said Naila Opiangah’s art piece for “Child of God” will be on display at the festival. He said his new “songs are candid realities of Black life.”

“Artists have amazing graphics and album covers and single artworks that are made by great artists every day that’s released,” he said. “But the only time you get to see it is on this little inch-by-one inch depiction of it. These pieces are painted by world class artists. The ability to go see those pieces and interact with them in real life kind of adds people’s understanding of the music.”

Through his festival, Chance says he wants to bridge the gap between Black people abroad and Africa.

“I think that specifically the story of the founder’s independence is something that all black people should know,” he said “There are no free sub-Saharan African countries until 1957. I think they should know about the revolutionary leaders on the continent and abroad. I think that if we had this connectedness and this interaction, people will actually have a chance to see this.”

Initially, it was tough gaining commitments from big-name music artists to travel and perform in West Africa. With few sponsors, much of the expenses to fund the free concert were out-of-pocket.

But Chance's team found a way to make the trip more affordable for travelers through a partnership with United Airlines, which is offering discount fares to Ghana for a year.

It’s taken a lot of work to organize the event in such a short time, but Chance believes this festival could live on successfully for the next 50 years. In the future, he wants to host the festival in other countries, such as Jamaica and Haiti.

But for now, Chance’s focus has been on attracting more people to Ghana, a place he can envision his family living after his daughters head to college.

“I wish I could live there right now,” said the rapper, who has lived in Chicago his whole life. “I want people to see the convergence and similarities in all of these Black lives.”

———

Norway’s King Harald V was discharged Wednesday from an Oslo hospital where he had received treatment with intravenous antibiotics for an infection.

”The king is on the road to recovery, but will take it easy for a few days,” the Norwegian palace said in a brief statement. The 85-year-old monarch was hospitalized Monday at Rikshospitalet, which is part of the main hospital in Oslo.

The heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon, had stepped in and taken over his father’s duties.

Harald, who has been seen using crutches in recent years, has been hospitalized several times in recent months, including for another infection in August. He went through a successful operation to replace a heart valve in October 2020 after being hospitalized with breathing difficulties.

Harald’s duties as Norway’s head of state are ceremonial, and he holds no political power. He ascended to the throne following the death of his father, King Olav, in 1991.

———

Johnny Depp is pledging to donate $1 million to charities on the heels of ex-wife Amber Heard announcing she’d settle their defamation case.

The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star, 59, announced the move Monday in a statement his legal team made to E! News.

“We are pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter for Mr. Depp, who made clear throughout this process that his priority was about bringing the truth to light,” said Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez — who themselves became topics of internet discourse amid the six-week trial.

“The jury’s unanimous decision and the resulting judgement in Mr. Depp’s favor against Ms. Heard remain fully in place.”

Chew and Vasquez made a point of saying Depp “will actually donate” the money he’s pledging. The remark seems to be a pointed nod to a pledge made by Heard, 36, to the American Civil Liberties Union. Information that the “Aquaman” star had donated less than half of the $3.5 million she pledged came to light early in the trial.

Depp sued Heard for $50 million regarding a 2018 Washington Post op-ed, in which she labeled herself “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” Heard countersued for $100 million after a Depp lawyer slammed her allegations as a hoax.

The jury awarded $10 million in Depp’s suit and $2 million in Heard’s countersuit.

Heard took to Instagram Monday to say she would settle the case, but still maintained she “never chose this” and was “defending my truth.”

“I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession,” she continued.

Depp’s lawyers did not immediately respond to the Daily News’ request for comment.

By Associated Press