“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”). Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.You could ask 20 rap fans what their favorite 2 Chainz lyric is, and chances are you’d get 20 different answers. Some artists mentioned here are Warner Music artists. Watch 2 Chainz’s “Lost Kings” performance on The Late Show above. Before the album’s release, 2 Chainz claimed that it would be his last trap-focused album and if that’s true, he’s bowing out at the top of his game. The album itself has already received rave reviews on Twitter, and features guest appearances from Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, Stove God Cooks, Symba, Swae Lee, and more. The song addresses America’s prevalent problem with gun violence - particularly when the victims are young Black men - while the performance was offered as a tribute to several of the rappers who were slain in the past few years, including Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke, and Young Dolph, photos of whom are projected behind the performers.Īlong with last night’s performance, the rollout for Dope Don’t Sell Itself included the release of videos for “ Million Dollars Worth Of Game” featuring 42 Dugg, “ Pop Music” with Beatking and Moneybagg Yo, and the “Laffy Taffy”-sampling “ Neighbors Know My Name,” as well as an eyebrow-raising freestyle over Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By” on the LA Leakers radio show. With 2 Chainz dropping his new album, Dope Don’t Sell Itself, today, the Atlanta rapper dropped by The Late Show for a stirring performance of “Lost Kings” featuring Lil Durk and Sleepy Rose.
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