Avg Rating: 
2.1 ( 21 total votes )
The omnipresent 2 Chainz has released his Def Jam solo debut album, Based on a T.R.U. Story, featuring Drake-assisted single "No Lie," "Birthday Song" with Kanye West and "I Luv Dem Strippers."
Additional guest feature include Cap1, Dolla Boi, John Legend, Lil Wayne, Mike Posner, Nicki Minaj, Scarface and The-Dream.
...Read the full album review
Featured Songs From This Album
2 Chainz ft. Lil Wayne - Yuck!
Built around a sample of the artist’s own daughter exclaiming, “Yuck, Daddy!,” track one off 2 Chainz’ debut solo set was the perfect lead-in to the nastiness that would follow. Now, the record has received an...Read More
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2 Chainz - Crack
Though 2 Chainz’ life changed immensely when he transitioned from the block to the rap game, one thing’s remained constant—no matter where he’s at, he’s got that Crack. The latest joint off the...Read More
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2 Chainz ft. Kanye West - Birthday Song
In just over a year 2 Chainz has gone from “that guy who used to be in Playaz Circle” to one of the game’s hottest (and most guest featurable) rappers. So with the release of his Def Jam solo debut, Senor...Read More
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2 Chainz ft. Nicki Minaj - I Luv Dem Strippers
Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz may love riding around and getting it, Benihana’s fried rice, and an opportunity to be featured on every Top 40 hip-hop single known to man, but if there’s one thing the man formerly known...Read More
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2 Chainz ft. Drake - No Lie
Anyone who thinks that 2 Chainz’ success has come overnight clearly doesn’t remember how long he’s been grinding as Tity Boi as a member of Playaz Circle. But regardless of the moniker, it’s an undeniable fact that...Read More
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DJBooth Album Review
Let’s be honest. It wasn’t that long ago that 2 Chainz seemed destined to go down in hip-hip history as “that guy from that group that had that one big song with Lil Wayne.” And yet, in 2012 Chainz has become an absolutely omnipresent force: from Nicki Minaj singles to pop prince Justin Bieber remixes, the world seemed to simultaneously agree that even without a single solo album to his name, they needed
Dos Colgantes on their track. How could a man go from hip-hop trivia answer to one of the game’s most talked about rappers in just a few short years? This wasn’t just a comeback, it was a resurrection.
Sure the name switch helped, there’s a 0.0% chance anyone named Tity Boi could ever become a star, and his work ethic is absolutely a factor, but a lot of rappers work hard. What was Chainz secret? We may never know the exact answer, there might not be a single answer, but I think it’s primarily a matter of right man, right time. Like a Darwinian rapper evolved to thrive in 2012, Chainz is eminently internetable. (Yeah, I just made that word up, I hate “viral”.) Chainz constant flood of releases feeds the internet’s constant need for new material and his outsized personality helps him rise above the static. Most importantly, his music is easily digestible, essential in the age of the short attention span, and his hilarious rhymes often border on the absurdly hilarious. He’s a living, breathing, rapping meme.
Marry that internetability to an undeniable street appeal and you’ve got a man whose new album, Based on a T.R.U. Story, is essentially guaranteed some measure of success. There are no surprises on BOATS, no heartfelt odes to his mother, no unexpected guest features, just track after track of screw face beats, crack peddling and an insatiable appetite for foreign cars, seafood and big bootys. Just take lead single No Lie. No Lie sounds exactly like what I would imagine a Chainz and Drake joint would sound like: it’s catchy, Drizzy overshadows Chainz by a shade, and it’s nearly impossible not to nod your head to. By contrast, while Chainz is a much stronger presence on Birthday Song, filling the track with lines that radiate “so basic they’re brilliant” appeal (ex. “She got a big booty so I call her big booty.”). But the track is too loose and the mood to mello; Kanye West may be able to hold completely our attention through tempo changes and beat switches, but not Chainz.
It’s no surprise then that BOATS is at its best when it feels like Chainz is the most himself; which is to say the most unpredictable. His “hot potato” section on Yuck alone is worth a listen and Crack is absolutely and appropriately addictive; this is the kind of turn the volume up, turn your brain off music that Chainz excels with. If there’s an unexpected moment on T.R.U. Story it’s the Tom Lehrer sample on Dope Peddler, but from there the track is nothing but Chainz’ anti-family friendly, stream of consciousness style (seriously, this man really loves him some seafood). If I’m going to listen to Chainz I don’t want anything to get in the way of a good time: not track concepts, not slick guest features and certainly not anything that makes it sound like the man gives even the slightest hint of a f**k.
Unfortunately, BOATS does too much wandering from that core formula to truly hit. This is one of those albums that would have been better off five tracks shorter. Both the Mike Posner assisted In Town and the Chris Brown fueled Countdown feature far too much romance for my taste. I understand the need for a ladies jam on a major label album, but what happened to “I take ya wife, give her back, 9 months after that, Similac”? That’s the Chainz we all want to hear. And frankly I’d prefer to pretend like the acoustic Weeknd sample on Like Me never happened. Like chocolate and mayonnaise, some things just don’t mix.
So no, Based on a T.R.U. Story isn’t a great album, but was anyone expecting a great album from 2 Chainz? Would we even want one? Some music is made to change your life, to change the way you view the world, and some music is made to be entertain. In the internet age 2 Chainz is perfectly engineered to entertain the hell out of us, and for that we salute him. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go eat some crab legs in a foreign whip.
Listen to More: 2 Chainz Written by Nathan S.
More From 2 Chainz
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Member Reviews and Ratings
Average Member Rating: Total Ratings: 21
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 381 |
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Good album.
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| Posted on Aug 14, 2012 |
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DJ Booth Member Total Ratings: 1 |
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Album is tough!! Stop me now ft. Dillon Saks..hottest on the list!!
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| Posted on Aug 15, 2012 |
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i think its one of the worst albums of the past few years
just nonsense bullshit rap over some artless trap beats with some simple and stupid flows i was expecting bad from this guy but this shit is worse than i thought its just beyond horrible just literally listen about what he says and think to yourself is he worth spending 1 hour of your time listening to his gibberish words?? 'course if u smoke 1 pound of weed every day you'll find this album "tough" or even "good" because your brain cells are all gone |
| Posted on Aug 15, 2012 |
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there is no secret in his awful works its just like hop said:
"How did rap music go from really good to so dry? Real artists get shelved and wack one's get famous To leave masses brainless, a smart mind is dangerous" he's just like wacka flocka and darake or wayne he is here only because they want rap to look like a joke |
| Posted on Aug 15, 2012 |
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| Posted on Aug 15, 2012 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 13 |
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It's hard to expect anything of epic proportions from this 2 Chainz album beforehand but what can be expected for sure is entertainment. Based on a Tru Story and 2 Chainz himself provides the basis for entertaining "trap" music in the age of catchy hooks and one-liners. While I can never look to him to provide me with any substance, I can't deny 2 Chainz' ability to make me laugh and continuously bop my head. We all know it could've been worse. This album isn't exactly anything heartfelt or too unique, yet it is what we've come to expect - fun.
Side Note: As for features, I could've done without the Nicki verse - although I understand the reasoning for why he would want this chart-topper on his "debut" along with Mr. Brown. |
| Posted on Aug 15, 2012 |
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| Posted on Aug 15, 2012 |
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I was going to give it a one star(huge tity boi fan) but I forced myself to listen to the album again and its not that bad. Alot of these hooks he could have done better. Pressure was on and he cracked unfortunately. This is good strip club as well as in the club music, nothin else. I definitely wasnt expecting him to show any raw lyrical content but I was expecting him to deliver a banging trap classic.
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| Posted on Aug 15, 2012 |
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| Posted on Aug 16, 2012 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 554 |
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Easily the worst album I have ever listened to. Listen to a song my 2pac, then listen to a song my 2 chainz. THEN tell me if you think he's still good.
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| Posted on Aug 17, 2012 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 143 |
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awful. just awful.
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| Posted on Aug 17, 2012 |
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DJ Booth Member Total Ratings: 80 |
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only for 'no lie'
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| Posted on Aug 17, 2012 |
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Tastemaker Total Ratings: 554 |
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I feel like 2 Chainz is just a test to see if people can be tricked into liking someone just based off who is featured in the songs.
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| Posted on Aug 17, 2012 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 6 |
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Dude has the most annoying voice I've ever heard. I mean come on man, I thought albums like this were on the way out? Don't keep bringing them back.
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| Posted on Aug 18, 2012 |
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DJ Booth Member Total Ratings: 1 |
you all want 2chainz to be someone that he is not. every rapper is not trying to be a 2pac or biggy. Rappers make music for their fans, and what kind of album would 2chainz fans expect? They would expect a album of trap music, dope, and booty poppin songs. You people need to realize that most of a persons success depends on their promotion scheme. 2chainz had a good promotion team that made sure that his songs and mixtapes were available and promoted to a mass amount of people. So that is the reason why 2chainz is famous. It is always clever to have a good marketing scheme.
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| Posted on Aug 18, 2012 |
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I agree with DJ Brad.
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| Posted on Aug 18, 2012 |
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| Posted on Aug 19, 2012 |
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| Posted on Aug 19, 2012 |
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shit is terrible
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| Posted on Aug 20, 2012 |
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Man i really hate hip hop fans. Y'all are sooooo stuck up sometimes. I'm guilty of it too, judging music because the lyrics are groundbreaking or the beats aren't so complex and masterfully produced that only three people in the world could have been responsible for it. Take a step back and listen to music to enjoy it, and you may find that this album is entertaining. It's funny, 2 Chainz says shit that will leave you scratching your head about but also laughing about, and the music itself is entertaining as well.
@Amirhossssein weed doesn't kill brain cells, do some research before you say stupid ass stuff like that. |
| Posted on Aug 20, 2012 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 47 |
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Disappointing...
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| Posted on Aug 25, 2012 |
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This album will prove the greatness of Ye. This album is garbage, but Chainz will be at least decent on Cruel Summer with Ye meticulous guidance
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| Posted on Sep 03, 2012 |
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| Posted on Sep 11, 2012 |
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2 Chainz debut album has enough hits to ensure it certifies gold. However, his ability to keep both his lyrics and overall songs from sounding monotonous will be questioned!
Top Tracks: No Lie, Birthday Song, and I'm Different Worst Track: I Luv Em Strippers, Crack and Yuck |
| Posted on Jun 13, 2013 |
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