2 Chainz

Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz has long bridged raw street credibility with broad commercial appeal, scaling the charts while preserving his polished yet edgy approach. Years of work with Playaz Circle preceded his shift to solo work in 2010. The pivotal 2012 stretch brought guest spots on Kanye West's "Mercy" and Nicki Minaj's "Beez in the Trap," followed by the Def Jam release of his first proper album, Based on a T.R.U. Story. Three platinum-certified singles—"No Lie" featuring Drake, "Birthday Song" featuring Kanye West, and "I'm Different"—powered the project to number one on the Billboard 200 and platinum certification overall. Momentum carried through the following decade as he returned to the Top Ten with 2017's Pretty Girls Like Trap Music and 2019's Rap or Go to the League, later rounding out an expanding catalog in the 2020s via So Help Me God plus the 2023 Lil Wayne collaboration Welcome to Collegrove.

Born Tauheed Epps in College Park, Georgia, he attended Alabama State University on a basketball scholarship before heading back to his home state and forming the Atlanta rap outfit Playaz Circle under the name Tity Boi. The group linked with Ludacris and secured a Def Jam deal. His initial solo outing arrived in 2007 with the mixtape Me Against the World. Subsequent 2009 releases Trap-A-Velli and All Ice on Me continued the 2Pac nods, yet 2010's Me Against the World 2: Codeine Withdrawal aligned more closely with his sound, a direction underscored by the final portion of its title. When DJ Teknikz and DJ Frank White compiled his strongest underground cuts in 2011, the resulting hazy collection earned the Codeine Cowboy designation. That year also brought features on David Banner's "Yao Ming" and Big K.R.I.T.'s "Money on the Floor," by which point he had adopted the more accessible 2 Chainz moniker.

Further 2012 appearances on "Mercy" and "Beez in the Trap" preceded the Def Jam arrival of Based on a T.R.U. Story, which included the three platinum singles noted earlier and topped the Billboard 200 en route to platinum status. Additional guests ranged from Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj to Mike Posner, while the-Dream and Drumma Boy contributed production. After word surfaced of sessions with Pharrell Williams and Drake, the September 2013 follow-up B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time delivered the singles "Feds Watching" and "Where U Been." That same year found him on B.o.B's "Headband," Major Lazer's "Bubble Butt," and Juicy J's "Bandz a Make Her Dance." Label complications meant only 2 Chainz received credit for the 2016 ColleGrove joint project with Lil Wayne, which followed the release of "Feel Like Cappin'." By year's close he had issued several more mixtapes and unveiled the Drake-assisted "Big Amount." Led by the Quavo- and Gucci Mane-featured "Good Drank," 2017's Pretty Girls Like Trap Music reached number two on the Billboard 200 while leading the R&B and Hip-Hop charts. Subsequent guest turns included Steve Aoki's "Without U," Jeezy's "Floor Seats," Eminem's "Chloraseptic [Remix]," and Migos' "Too Playa." Early 2018 brought the Def Jam EP The Play Don't Care Who Makes It, with YG and Offset, which later charted after a two-year delay. The March 2019 album Rap or Go to the League was preceded by the Ariana Grande collaboration "Rule the World."

No Face No Case surfaced in 2020 as a showcase for his T.R.U. label and collective, mixing solo cuts with tracks pairing him alongside its roster. So Help Me God, his sixth studio album, followed that August's lead single "Money Maker," though sample-clearance issues pushed the full release to November. The project entered the Billboard 200 at number 15 and featured Lil Wayne, Kevin Gates, Kanye West, Rick Ross, and Lil Uzi Vert. Non-album tracks appeared throughout 2021 before February 2022's Dope Don't Sell Itself, positioned as his final trap album; it peaked at number 23 after preview singles with 42 Dugg and Moneybagg Yo. Later that year he contributed "2 Step" to the House Party 2 soundtrack. The 2023 Def Jam sequel Welcome to Collegrove reunited him with Lil Wayne and included Benny the Butcher.