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Chance the Rapper, right, and Kenneth Bennett arrive for a State Dinner in honor of Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at the White House on Oct. 18, 2016.
Zach Gibson / Getty-AFP
Chance the Rapper, right, and Kenneth Bennett arrive for a State Dinner in honor of Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at the White House on Oct. 18, 2016.
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Last night was Barack and Michelle Obama’s 14th and final Official State Dinner as president and first lady of the United States and it sure looked like a fun party. While the star-studded event was in honor of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi of Italy, and his wife Mrs. Agnese Landini, it was Chicago’s Chance the Rapper who stole the show. For one, the 23-year-old artist named Chancelor Bennett ditched his signature baseball cap, a surprising move considering he raps in “Finish Line” that he “sleep[s] in [his] hat.”

The second reason Chance stole the show is because he revealed he’s in a hotly-contested and years-long dance battle with President Obama himself. “[I’m excited about] the recurring dance battle that me and the president have had going for a few years,” the musician said as he was talking to the press outside the event. When asked who’s winning the dance-off, Chance replied, “I’m very high in the polls. I’m just a great dancer. I have the fit, the build for it. I take it very seriously.”

Check out some photos of the night below.

Chance, along with his father and ex-Obama aide Kenneth Bennett, were two of several notable attendees at the White House last night. The guest list included names like chef Mario Batali, singer Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, Mario Andretti, Jerry Seinfeld, James Taylor, Giorgio Armani and more. Like Chance, Frank Ocean brought one of his parents, his mom but unlike Chance, Ocean wore checkered Vans at the White House. Check out a photo of that below too.

Along with the Bennetts, several other Chicagoans were also in attendance like NBC’s Marion Brooks, the Chicago Tribune’s Clarence Page, U.N. World Food Program director Ertharin Cousin, investor John Rogers Jr., Cornell McClellan, the Obamas’ personal trainer, a couple Pritzkers and many more.

This isn’t the first time Chance the Rapper’s been at the White House this year. In April, he was invited by President Obama to discuss the My Brother’s Keeper initiative with artists like Nicki Minaj, J. Cole and more while last August, he attended President Obama’s birthday party. On Dec. 1, Chance will attend and perform at the White House’s National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.

@joshhterry | jterry@redeyechicago.com