Written by Angelo Gingerelli
Few Hip-Hop artists have as colorful a past as Atlanta’s 2 Chainz, from a life of selling drugs in “the trap” while being one of the best high school basketball players in Georgia, to signing with Ludacris’s DTP crew and releasing the sure-to-be-one-hit-wonder single “Duffle Bag Boy” featuring Lil’ Wayne as part of Playaz Circle and then resurfacing in 2012 with a new name, new affiliations and a new sound that would make him one of the poster boys for the “Tap Muzik” sound that would dominate the 2010’s.
Since his personal re-branding five years ago 2 Chainz has stayed in the public eye with a steady stream of solo albums, big radio/club singles, frequent collaborations with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint and guest verses with pop stars like Jessie J. On his latest release, the hilariously titled “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music” 2 Chainz displays his unique style, sense of humor and rhyming skills that will impress purists that have always been skeptical of his place in the game.
The album starts off incredibly strong with “Saturday Night” where 2 Chainz simplifies his entire style with the chorus “I hit the trap today, I’m gon’ hit the club tonight” this variation on “Work Hard / Play Hard” is seen throughout the record as 2 Chainz drops verse after verse that are somehow both incredibly streetwise and oddly inspirational. Lyrically, “Saturday Night” has some of the most unique boasting ever heard on a rap song that range from pretty typical fare like “I left the crib walking, drove a Mercedes back / You wasn’t blessed with ambition so who you gonna blame for that?” to taking a bizarre amount of pride in his household appliances with “This a new kind of kitchen, marble countertops, see through fridge / thee thousand for the microwave, touch screen stove little b**ch!”
After detailing his kitchen renovation from trap house to five-star gourmet the solo cuts continue to impress as songs like “Riverdale Rd.” (no connection to the highly stylized CW show that reimagines the classic Archie comics), “Trap Check” and “Sleep When You Die” all have the combination of trap beats and the unique vocal style that fans have come to expect.
Like all 2 Chainz projects there are a lot of guest appearances and the list of collaborators reads like a who’s-who of the current trap muzik scene as Gucci Mane, Migos and Travis Scott all check in with collabs that will be blasting in cars and clubs as the summer heats up and superstars Drake, Pharell and Nicki Minaj all contribute to tracks that should crossover to the pop audience. The surprisingly combative “Realize” featuring Nicki Minaj is a stand out as Nicki unsurprisingly takes more swings at current nemesis Remy Ma and 2 Chainz uses the opportunity to address Hip-Hop’s current crop of “Mumble Rappers”…let’s just say he’s not a fan.
Overall, Pretty Girls Like Trap Music (album title of the year?) fits nicely into Chainz’ catalog as it contains tracks that will appeal to his longtime fans and new, less trap-savvy, listeners. At sixteen tracks, it’s a little long, but overall the LP will work as an early summer soundtrack for most Hip-Hop heads.
Best Songs: Saturday Night, Realize, It’s a Vibe
Perfect For: Summer Time Turn-Up!!!
2 Chainz – Pretty Girls Like Trap Music Score: 7/10
Also Worth Checking Out…
The Pop Break normally tries to introduce readers to new music in this section, but as this review was being written we were informed of the passing of Prodigy of Mobb Deep. Mobb Deep debuted in the early 90’s and released a string of albums that have become part of the canon of golden era NYC Hip-Hop. Like P said on the “I Shot Ya” remix “Prodigy will forever S-H-I-N-E…” Rest in Peace to a true Hip-Hop legend.
