How Chance the Rapper earned BET's Humanitarian Award

— -- Chance the Rapper had a big night at Sunday's BET Music Awards, winning both best new artist and the coveted 2017 Humanitarian Award.

The 24-year-old Chicago-born rapper is the youngest person in the 16-year history of the BET Awards to win the Humanitarian Award, which he earned for "positively impacting both local and national communities," most notably Chicago public schools, to which he donated $1 million this past March.

He was also recognized by no less than former first lady Michelle Obama.

"We are so incredibly proud of you, Chance," Obama said in a special videotaped message, calling him an "outstanding role model and an inspiration to all of us who care about our next generation."

Chance called the moment overwhelming before going on to deliver a three-minute speech "from the heart."

"It feels a little early to get something like this, but my god doesn't make mistakes," he said.

The young star then spoke out against injustice, condemning mass incarceration, police brutality and the sad state of Chicago's public schools.

"I had plans originally to try and tell the world and everybody watching how to make it a better place," he said. "To tell everybody in this government that y'all need to let everybody out of jail for selling weed before you start making it legal for people to sell it and make capital off of it. I was gonna tell the Chicago Public School System not to take out a loan from Chase Bank when they know that our schools are planning on failing in our district. I was gonna tell those judges that we just need a conviction...."

But, he said a childhood friend told him not to.

"[He] told me we gotta work on ourselves before we work can work on the world. So I wanna be a better father [to my daughter] Kensli," Chance said. "I want to be more involved outside of just my community in Chicago. I want to travel overseas and help out people all over the world."

He ended with the promise, "I'm a good man, and I'm gonna become a better man."

At 24, he's already off to a great start. Here's a quick look at how he got there.

Young prodigy

Chance the Rapper grew up Chancelor Johnathan Bennett in a middle-class neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. In high school, he released his first mixtape. By the time of his second mixtape a year later, in 2013, he had gained the attention of music critics and fans alike. His third mixtape, "Coloring Book," in 2016, brought him further acclaim and earned him three Grammys earlier this year, including best new artist and best rap album.

Important friends

While Chance pursued his music dreams early, his father, Ken Williams-Bennett, had other goals for his son, including that he might one day be a politician. Currently the deputy chief of staff to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Williams-Bennett was once an aide to former Mayor Harold Washington and worked for then-Sen. Barack Obama. In her speech at the BET Awards, Michelle Obama recounted how she and former President Obama "have known Chance and his family since he was a wee little baby rapper and it has been a thrill watching him come into his own in so many ways."

Giving back

While Chance has said he'll never run for political office, he has no problem using his influence to make a difference. In March, the rapper surprised the world with his plans to donate $1 million to Chicago public schools to support the arts and enrichment programs. His announcement came after what he called a "disappointing" meeting with Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, who had announced cuts to school funding a month earlier.

Later in June, he told ABC's "The View" that "politics is the reason why a lot of stuff doesn't get done. There's a lot of limitations."

Time's most influential

In April, his talent and his humanitarian efforts earned him a place on Time magazine's list of the "100 most influential people" for 2017. Writing for the magazine, the rapper Common revealed that he had once called Chance the Rapper to encourage him to pursue his dream. "Years ago, my grandmother asked me to call her friend's grandson," Common wrote in his tribute to Chance. "'I want you to give him some words of encouragement,' she said. 'He wants to be a rapper.' She gave me his number, and I left him a message. I told him to keep following his dreams. Then I forgot all about it."

Years later, after Chance had made it big, the two met, and Chance reminded Common, "You won't remember this ... but you called me when I was a kid."

"I'm glad Chance followed his dreams," Common wrote about Chance. "I hope he always does."