Southern Plug Magazine: Leaders of the New School 2017 Volume 2 Issue 1 A | Page 39
2 Chainz is the stage name of Atlanta rapper Tauheed Epps, once
known as Tity Boi in the Atlanta-based Playaz Circle. 2 Chainz
launched a successful solo career in 2010 and issued hits like "No
Lie" and "Where U Been" while becoming the go-to artist for guest
verses. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, 2 Chainz first
went solo in 2007 with the mixtape Me Against the World. The
2Pac references continued with his 2009 mixtapes Trap-A-Velli and
All Ice on Me, but 2010's Me Against the World 2: Codeine
Withdrawal hit his style on the nose with the last bit of its title,
and when DJ Teknikz and DJ Frank White collected his best street
tracks in 2011, the hard and hazy set of cuts was dubbed the
Codeine Cowboy mixtape. That same year he was featured on
David Banner's "Yao Ming" and Big K.R.I.T.'s "Money on the Floor."
The year 2012 was major for 2 Chainz. He landed on Kanye West's
"Mercy" and Nicki Minaj's "Beez in the Trap" before dropping his
official debut, Based on a T.R.U. Story, on the Def Jam label. Lil
Wayne, Nicki Minaj, and Mike Posner were among the Grammy-
nominated album's special guests, while production was handled
by the likes of the-Dream and Drumma Boy. Following later
announcements that 2 Chainz had been working on new material
with Pharrell Williams and Drake, a sequel, B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time,
arrived in September 2013. The album featured the hits "Feds
Watching" and "Where U Been." 2 Chainz was also heard on
singles from B.o.B ("Headband"), Major Lazer ("Bubble Butt"), and
Juicy J ("Bandz a Make Her Dance") that year. In 2016, after
additional featured appearances, he released "Feel Like Cappin'"
along with the album ColleGrove, a collaboration with Lil Wayne,
although only 2 Chainz was credited due to label issues. By the end
of the busy year, he had dropped a handful of additional mixtapes
and debuted the Drake-assisted single "Big Amount." Led by the
hit "Good Drank," featuring Quavo and Gucci Mane, Pretty Girls
Like Trap Music, his fourth proper album for Def Jam, arrived in
2017.