2 Chainz has always made solid albums, but he's never been outwardly perceived as much of an album artist. Since his mainstream rebirth with 2011's T.R.U. REALigion, the creative person formerly known as Tity Boi has always given united states solid projects—and that goes for albums, mixtapes, and even EPs like Hibachi for Luncheon or last year's Rap or Become to the League sampler which birthed "Proud." Even his heavy radio-skewing debut, Based on a Tru Story, has album cutting gems like "End Me At present," to say nothing of BOATS II, which the aware know is his all-time anthology. Or at least it was his all-time album, until this calendar week.

Rap or Become to the League has all of the different facets of ii Chainz that we love, working in harmony at high levels for the beginning time. Chainz has ever had the ability to fume not just your favorite rapper, but a whole posse cut full of them, and he has a parallel sensibility for communicating genius and wit with accessible simplicity. Dumbed down for his audience, he doubled his dollars. On Rap or Become to the League, 2 Chainz reclaims his agency with more focus, more maturity, and elite execution.

Rap or Go to the League is the sound of Chainz comfortably settling into his role as Uncle Tit.

Instead of relegating introspection to a few album tracks, the project'southward thematic concerns take center stage. Chainz tries to pause his own 4:44 veteran-turned-teacher game to the youth, who see the album's title as the only ii options out, thus settling for a third more dangerous path: "Had a bargain on the tabular array from Arm & Hammer, I was gon' sign to 'em," as he says on "Whip It." By track two he's admitting he once sold to his own mother. References to social issues similar unarmed police shootings abound. At the acme of the album he'due south flexing virtually owning his own masters, and by endmost, he's giving tax advice while lament most his ain bracket, which by this point is a Big Homie veteran rite of passage. Having recently turned 41, Rap or Go to the League is the sound of Chainz comfortably settling into his role as Uncle Tit, he who can espouse wife-and-kids raps (shoutout Keisha) alongside show-you lot-how game and large-money flexing.

Embracing maturity hasn't hindered his ability for crafting slappers raucously boisterous ("NCAA"), incomprehensibly jiggy ("Girl'southward Best Friend," my God), and order-ready ("2 Dollar Neb," which is basically an "I'one thousand Different" spiritual sequel). Only even orchestrating his biggest pop crossover still with an Ariana Grande feature doesn't grab Chainz compromising quality for reach—that vocal would exist among the album's best five, with or without its beautiful Ameriie flip.

The subtext of the album is 2 Chainz's underrated status, even in lieu of a reputation that boasts endless quotables and classic characteristic verses. Sometimes he renders information technology plain text: "Threat ii Society" features the refrain, "I don't go the credit I deserve/I don't know if you hearing every word." But for the virtually part, Chainz wisely opts to show and show, rather than tell, with a spiteful chip on his shoulder.


The album'south product, features, sequencing, and songwriting are even more manicured than his by projects. "Threat," the same track where he bemoans beingness underrated also features a literal invitation for Jay-Z to rappel in "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" mode and continue his run of upper-echelon invitee verses. It ends upwards being a missed opportunity on Jigga'due south part for not joining in, merely with Chainz flowing his ass off over premium ninth Wonder product, information technology's nevertheless a contender for all-time song on the album. It'southward unclear exactly what insights and suggestions A&R LeBron contributed to the album, but if soliciting 9th Wonder, or inspiring feature ideas similar Eastward-xl aslope Weezy, or Chance and Kodak, then salute that man. (And we still have a deluxe edition to look forward to!)

The album's championship nods to the binary set of options that black youth take for escaping their circumstances and bettering their families—both long shots. The album nods to the ofttimes-explored duality that comes from post-obit either path. When it comes to Tauheed Epps, we know that his backstory featured a sliding door with equal opportunity for both, plus a tertiary option via a four.0 class average… and a fourth, much darker path. "I Said Me," the album'due south thematic centerpiece, confronts the many multitudes of ii Chainz caput-on with a classically blunt, in-your-confront Tity Boi hook. Drug dealer, killer, real nigga, yacht-owning entrepreneur. Aristocracy rapper.