Let's talk about 2 Chainz

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For those that don’t know, 2 Chainz is a rapper. In the last year, he is has gone from being the oft-overlooked veteran MC to one of the hottest rappers on the hip-hop circuit. Hip-hop, for those who don’t know, it very much so a musical genre that is reserved for the young, which makes his rise to relevance even more surprising. 2 Chainz, if nothing else, is proof that a rapper can make waves after the age of 30 (he is 36). Last year, he released one of the most downloaded mixtapes of the year with T.R.U. Religion and this year he released the long awaited album Based on a T.R.U. Story. Whether you know it or not, 2 Chainz is one of the hottest, if not the hottest, MC in the rap game.

That is why, when I saw the article “The tragedy of 2 Chainz”  on the opinion page in the print version of The Chronicle, I was inclined to respond. The writer, who classifies 2 Chainz as “an intelligent individual,” criticizes 2 Chainz for his seemingly “idiotic verses” in his recent music. The article seems to imply that 2 Chainz’z music is “bad” and that it is problematic that popular culture tends to choose this type of music over music that is rich with lyrical purpose and meaningful content.

Given that I am writing a full article about the subject, you have probably guessed that I disagree with this sentiment. There is one thing I do agree with though is that 2 Chainz is an intelligent individual. He makes music that creates an aesthetic that people not only enjoy, but one that they want to be a part of.  The article quotes arguably 2 Chainz’s most popular song, his collaboration with Kanye West “Birthday Song.” Again, I think I agree with the article in that this song is decidedly stupid, but that what makes it so genius.

The article argues, or at least implies, that 2 Chainz is putting out ignorant music in an effort to gain popularity and sell records. Whether or not this is true, it honestly doesn’t matter because 2 Chainz captures the current moment of rap music with his artistry and creates music that makes the listener feel involved in his world.  Prolific hip-hop critic Andrew Noz, in discussing another rapper-of-the-moment, Gunplay, described rap music as so:“It’s not so much about constructing something,  it’s just like this compulsive, instinctive… like they just keep making music and making tons of music and rapping until they can’t anymore.” Although the quote doesn’t come off as completely coherent when written down, it is incredibly insightful in the context of the interview, which can be found here and in the context of this article.

2 Chainz isn’t rapping to make you think, he is rapping because that is what he has always done. His music feels raw and instinctive. After over a decade of coming up short, he is still rapping and now his music is finally sticking with the mainstream audience, in part due to his southern drawl and accented flow, but mainly because he is creating an aesthetic that makes people bob their heads and want to rap along. I don’t necessarily relate to 2 Chainz’s lyrics but I’ll be damned if rapping along doesn’t make me feel like a complete bad-ass.

Having said that, I don’t think The Chronicle article in question attacks 2 Chainz as much as it attacks the mainstream audience that facilitates 2 Chainz, another point I would like to respond to. As much as I would like Kendrick Lamar, a West Coast rapper who recently released his fantastic sophomore effort good kid, m.A.A.d. city, to attract the same attention as 2 Chainz, which arguably Lamar is close to, I understand why 2 Chainz has experienced slightly more success in recent months.

Lamar, who has been accepted by rap purists unlike 2 Chainz, can’t necessarily create the same universally enjoyable experience that 2 Chainz can create. 2 Chainz’s music is created almost exclusively for the purpose of entertainment while Lamar’s music straddles the wall in between entertainment and art.  2 Chainz’s music is something that you can immediately get involved in at first listen while Lamar’s music forces the listener to take a step back and observe the artistry before indulging. Mainstream audiences understandably prefer the more easily accessible music of 2 Chainz.