by Drake, Scarface, Nicki Minaj, and others. While he was in the process of earning his reputation as a scene-stealing collaborator, he was frequently outshone on B.O.A.T.S.
This soulful, contemplative reunion with Playaz Circle co-star Dolla Boy is one of the best songs on 2 Chainz’s inconsistent major label debut, 2012’s Based on a T.R.U. The presence of blog era lightning rod Kreayshawn makes the song feel like a relic of another time, and 2 Chainz is clearly having a blast with the nursery rhyme simplicity of his vocal cadence.īut there are some bombastic gems here, like “They said I was killing Tennessee when I was down in Florida,'' and “Three cell phones and I still don’t ever call her.” Some of the best songs in 2 Chainz’s discography, like “Watch Out” and “Momma I Hit a Lick,” are empirically odd, and the DNA of those standouts can be traced back to “Murder.” REALigion, but it is certainly one of the weirdest. “Murder” is not the best song on Chainz’s breakout mixtape T.R.U. The inclusion of Big K.R.I.T., another southern rap scholar, works masterfully, too. He hadn’t reached his most lyrically potent phase yet, but just like Pimp, he brought a preternatural swagger that complimented the down-to-earth baritone of Bun B.Ī true student of UGK, Eightball and M.J.G., Chainz makes the case that he could have thrived in the same era as his predecessors atop this bluesy, guitar-and-sax laden instrumental. “See, my future looks bright as a tangerine,” he promises.Ģ Chainz never had the chance to work with Pimp C, but it’s clear from songs like “Pimp C Back” and the excellent “Pimps (Remix)” that the shadow of Chad Butler loomed large over him. Yet here was 2 Chainz, standing tall and speaking a truly special career into existence. And he’s managed to transition into a stage of his career where a devoted fan base eagerly awaits his albums, something that was far from guaranteed a decade ago when “No Lie” and “Birthday Song” were dominating radio. He’s no longer at the center of rap culture, but he held a place there into his 40s, which is truly rare. Then, he began putting out complete bodies of work like ColleGrove and Pretty Girls Like Trap Music that showed he was so much more than just a punchline savant.
He initially seemed destined to be a singles artist whose occasional hits could never match up to his stellar guest verses. What makes 2 Chainz so special is how much better he’s gotten since entering the public eye. But those Instagram caption bars only capture part of the Chainz story, and tucked away on nearly every one of his releases are smart, imaginative, and even poignant bars that point to a more fully-rounded sensibility. Some would stick with the so-simple-it's-brilliant options (“She got a big booty, so I call her Big Booty”), while others would probably opt for something from one of his star-making guest verses (“I'm drunk and high at the same time/Drinkin' champagne on the airplane”). You could ask 20 rap fans what their favorite 2 Chainz lyric is, and chances are you’d get 20 different answers.
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