Uplifting Individuality Is Musician Taylor Bennett’s Pride And Joy

Taylor Bennett not only talks about uplifting individuality, he lives by it. The 26-year-old music artist, who happens to be the younger brother of Chance the Rapper, came out as bisexual in 2017 and today is feeling more empowered than ever to push against stereotypes and promote positive discourse.

Bennett’s passion for celebrating our differences can be found in nearly every aspect of his personal and professional life: In the lyrics to songs on his new album, Coming of Age; in the way he engages in discourse with his fans at shows and online; and through his current Be Yourself tour, on which he partnered with Champion athletic wear for a collection of custom merchandise.

“I love supporting bands and artists, especially if I feel like what they’re producing is a positive message. But I’ve never been a fan of wearing somebody’s face on my shirt. So I was like, What kind of merchandise can I create where I become a billboard for positivity vs. a billboard for me,” he says.

“And that was the start of Be Yourself, and it has transformed into something that’s much larger than Taylor Bennett. There’s so many places where you can go today and feel like you don’t fit in. I want to create an environment where you can come, learn who you are and grow.”

Now a father of two who, like his brother, has remained independent of the major record label construct, Bennett says own path to self-discovery kicked into high gear when he started making music more than a decade ago.

“And as I got older, I’ve realized how many people I was touching through living my own life, whether that was coming out as openly bisexual, or talking about systematic racism or LGBTQ+ rights. I always wanted to be the most authentic version of myself I could be, but now I really know people need someone who’s out there saying, It’s OK to be me,” says the Chicago native, who will be performing Sunday, June 5 during WeHo Pride weekend in Los Angeles.

His desire to live authentically is what ultimately drove Bennett’s decision to come out, a move he says at the time “wasn’t at all comfortable” but he now sees as transformative.

“I made my decision on that day in 2017 that I didn’t want to live like that anymore. I was about to be 21, and I thought, What if I stopped worrying about what other people wanted to hear and what other people wanted to say and started thinking about what does Taylor want,” he says.

“Technology has changed the way everything moves. When I first put out that I was openly bisexual I did it on Twitter. I felt like, everybody could see I put my statement out but then I could just close my laptop. But, of course, we know that’s not how social media works. When you put something out you want to see what people have to say. I was nervous, but I’ll never forget it was the love and support I received from the people online that made me say, Not only can I do this, but I need to do this,” he says.

“That was my moment, that was my space to go and feel comfortable about who I was. My mind started to change. I was eating better, sleeping better, exercising better. I was growing into someone I wanted to be.”

Now, Bennett wants to pay it forward. He’s passionate about helping anyone he can celebrate their own uniqueness as well as open their minds and hearts to accepting others.

“I want to get out there and say, I love your opinion, I respect your opinion, but it’s your opinion. And not only does it not change mine, but we can have a conversation and likely find a mutual understanding. I think that’s the key to music, and it’s the reason why I make music—to bring people together in a conversation.”

His drive to open avenues for dialog and understanding comes as the conversation around mental health has never been more urgent. According to 3M’s new fifth annual State of Science Index, solving for mental health was third among the healthcare advancements Americans most want science to prioritize, ranking behind only chronic disease and cancer treatments.

“I’ve gotten to a point where I create music for not just myself but to inspire others. A lot of times if you see disheartening things on social media, it does mess with your mental. But I’ve started to realize, all I can do is continue to be myself, continue to better myself. So I started to sleep more, I started to read more, I started to do more research, which inspired this whole project,” Bennett says of Be Yourself.

“This project is so different and so positive. I don’t believe people like to be depressed, I don’t believe people like to be violent, I don’t believe people like to be sad. But I believe when they think it’s the only thing that’s marketed as cool, it becomes something they become a part of,” he says.

“My biggest hope is it gives people an environment to express themselves. I want to continue to push the message and be part of the bigger picture so people always know if they do want the option of positivity, I’m here.”

Hollywood & Mind is a recurring column that lives at the intersection of entertainment and wellbeing, and features interviews with musicians, actors, sports figures and other culture influencers who are elevating conversation and action around mental health.