2 Chainz was born Tauheed
Epps on September 12, 1976, in College Park, Georgia. His father was often
absent (due to his being in and out of jail) during his childhood, so Epps was
primarily raised by his mother. Epps
has elaborated on his parents’ disagreements, stating:
The fact that my mom raised me, used to bother my pop. He didn’t know if a woman could raise a man. And they’d have differences of opinions all the time. My pops used to tell me things from prison and as soon as he hung up my mom would say ‘don’t listen to him’.
Despite tensions at home,
Epps excelled in school, surprising his teachers by finishing second in his
class at Clayton High School. He went on to play basketball at Alabama State
University before going on to to pursue his rap career in 1997. Epps has
also stated that prayer played an important role in his life as a child, and
that his father would send him letters with “prayer hands” or “’God Is Love’”
written on them.
The Beginnings of a Rap Career
2 Chainz may seem like a McDonald's-esque overnight sensation, but he's
actually been in the hip-hop business for more than a decade. In 1997, Epps
reunited with his high school friend Earl Conyers and formed the duo Playaz
Circle, featuring Dolla Boy (Conyers) and Tity Boi (Epps). Together they
produced independent mix tapes, namely the album United We Stand, United We
Fall in 2002, until they met Ludacris, who at the time was a disc jockey in
Atlanta. Luda became interested in Playaz Circle, recording some mixtapes with
them as well as playing a few of their songs on his radio station, and after he
shot to stardom in 2000, he signed Playaz Circle to his new label Disturbing
Tha Peace (a subsidiary of Def Jam Recordings). The duo put out two albums
under this label, Supply & Demand in 2007 and Flight 360: The Takeoff in
2009, both of which received (WHAT KIND OF) reviews. Wanting to further his
career, Epps left Disturbing Tha Peace in 2010.
Solo Career and Stardom
In early 2011, Epps image got a facelift. He abandoned Tity Boi, put on some extra bling, and took on the stage name 2 Chainz, under which he released his first
solo mixtape, T.R.U. REALigion. Things subsequently took off for 2
Chainz. His mixtape was the first of its kind to ever make the music charts (58
on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums) and it spawned multiple guests
appearances on tracks with well known artists, including "Beez In the
Trap" with Nicki Minaj and "Mercy" with Kanye West. Epps himself attributes his triumph to an opening in the
Atlanta music scene - both Gucci Mane and T.I. were in jail while Jeezy and
Ludacris were both busy with other projects. With his hype off the charts, Epps
released his own single - "No Lie" feat. Drake - off his upcoming
debut solo studio album in May 2012. The album dropped in August to mixed
reviews, despite high anticipation. At his best 2 Chainz was described as
"(GOOD REVIEW)," while at his worst he was, "(BAD REVIEW)."
Still, the man has prospered. Post-T.R.U. REALigion, he was nominated for 3
Grammys, including album of the year (which he lost to Drake's Take Care), went
on his own solo world tour, was featured on multiple new tracks - he's
responsible for the insanely catchy hook on "Fuckin' Problems" by
up-and-comer, A$AP Rocky - appeared on CBS's "2 Broke Girls," and has
collaborated on various business ventures, including Adidas and Beats by Dr.
Dre. As of this post, he's back to work on his sophomore album, set to be
released in April 2013.
Most of 2 Chainz success has come from finding what works for him and
sticking with it. 2 Chainz has created an extremely one-dimensional image. Take
a look at one of his most popular songs, "I'm Different":
I'm different, yeah I'm different
Pull up to the club with the ceiling missing
Middle finger up to my competition
Pull up to the scene with my roof gone
When I leave the scene, bet your boo gone
And I beat the pussy like a new song
2 Chainz but I got me a few on
Perhaps 2 Chainz intended the irony to be palpable as he proceeds to contradict the first line of the track with just about every other line that follows. Bragging about convertibles and stealing other guys' girlfriends is nothing new in hip-hop; it's not innovative and it's most definitely not "different." He's basically combining the themes of pussy and money that have been popular in mainstream rap over the past decade and reproducing them for every song on his studio album. They all sound pretty much the same, denying that vintage hip-hop culture of trying to create something new and different to impress the crowd. That's not artistry, that's good business sense.
Which doesn't mean it isn't working for him, because it most definitely is. It only means mainstream hip-hop has become an environment where vapidity is not only tolerated, but embraced. This is 2 Chainz's explanation of the line "bought my boo bigger tits and a bigger ass" from "No Lie (feat. Drake)." And you know that catchy hook from "Fuckin' Problems" by A$AP Rocky? The clean version's is basically just a mess of nonsensical noises.
Though to be fair, the rapper may be taking advantage of the change in the audience in hip-hop
music over the last decade. The new crowd consists of many suburban white kids
listening to rap music because it's "cool" (I cannot tell you how
many times I've heard the phrase "I'm smoking on that gas, life should be
on Cinemax..." coming out of a Caucasian mouth), a far cry from the
original black audience just trying to have fun. The rapper has long been
criticized for his former stage name, Tity Boi, which many consider derogatory
toward women, though Chainz has long denied this, claiming that it was simply a
reference to his being an only child, a spoiled brat, and a mama's boy. He's
also denied ever truly changing his name, saying it was a "natural
progression," but has admitted 2 Chainz is a more "family
friendly" moniker. He's right - suburban mothers would be much more
comfortable with their children running around screaming "2 Chainz!" rather
than "Tity Boi." And it was after the name change that Epps's career
truly took off, cashing in, like much of his image, on a more acceptable
commercial identity. I mean, he appeared on "2 Broke Girls," a stereotypical sitcom (that has also been widely criticized for its overtly sexist and racist jokes and tired formatting). He also hasn't shied
away from the road often taken by commercial rappers: sponsorships with many
major companies looking for the "cool" kids to back them.
After researching in order to write this, however, I hesitate to write 2 Chainz off right away. 2 Chainz may not give us a glimpse into his personal life in his music, but he has through other media sources, revealing a troubled, yet improving relationship with his father, who died right before his first album dropped. He's also divulged information about selling cocaine as a young teenager in order to pay the bills because no one else could. He obviously hasn't had the easiest life.
That's what could potentially justify the insipidity of it all, the mindless celebration of sex and drugs and money with no regard for realistic consequences. Obviously, 2 Chainz has become ubiquitous because of it. But the fact the shallowness is accessible may be necessary. NPR calls 2 Chainz "a pop star for all of us," claiming that "to create music that actually touches people and resonates in a way that goes beyond the level at which the listener relates to the actual lyrics is something special." 2 Chainz does this by never breaking out of the superficial image he has so meticulously created. Perhaps by being "the latest generation's clown prince of hip-hop," the rapper is in fact hearkening back to the beginnings of hip-hop, "moving the crowd," which was essentially just black kids just trying to have some fun while living under very repressed circumstances.
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