2 Chainz hopped on the line fresh in his Versace robe sitting in the Rolls to chat with the team. Of course the huge focus was the debut of his newest album, So Help Me God.
He explained how the style of the project (he thought would be the last on Def Jam) was different from the others he's put out in the past.
"This project right here is like a time capsule of 2020. So when you hear a lot of these joints, you know that it was recorded this year...I describe it as the light at the end of the tunnel or a light during a dark time because it's a fun project and it talks about some of the things that we're going through right now. But not so much of the social inequalities that you touch on a lot, Charlamagne. It's just like the other side of the pillow. The cool side."
"So Help Me God, I explain has having all the nuances of 2 Chainz. So it got my silly side, my humorous side, and then it has my storytelling side and my pain side. I obviously mask a lot of my pain by telling jokes. And I didn't realize that until I got older."
Knowing his worth as an artist and what he brought to the table helped 2 Chainz throughout his journey as a signed artist. Though he joined the roster of the notorious music label, it was never a secret that he always felt like an independent artist. By going to the company with the intent of expanding his domestic stardom into international waters, owning all of his masters, and refusing to sign a 360 deal, the Atlanta-bred creative was sure to hold all the cards to his career in his hands.
This album has been a therapeutic outlet for the "Vampire" rapper, who's main goal is to ditch the seriousness of the world today and have fun. All of this goes hand-in-hand with the expected techniques he has in store to push the piece. Of course taking advantage of his hometown being "wide open" during the pandemic plays in his favor, but the responsibility of being as careful as possible is heavy load on his shoulders.
But for the HBCU students who gave 2 Chainz grief for not shouting out their individual schools on "Money Maker," he has a very simple explanation we hope you'll be satisfied with.
"It's 101, I think, HBCUs maybe, right? And what happened was, I knew some of them by heart and you just be rambling and rambling, then you be goin back like, 'Damn, auntie went here. Damn, my mama went to Fort Valley,' so that's where that last one came from. So I just started thinking about individuals and what school they went to. Like, 'Damn, nephew went to TSU.' And I'm trying to say stuff that could mean different schools. Like Texas Southern, Tennessee State. I'm just tryin to play around with stuff...but it was no disrespect on that joint."
The lockdown has obviously effected many who rely solely on music to make ends meet, but Mr. Chainz is a man of many hats. His rhymes will always thrive but his entrepreneurial spirit is what keeps everything alive. Well-timed investments opened the ability for him to launch a new restaurant in Atlanta at the beginning of December.
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