2 Chainz Continues To Top The Charts With His T.R.U./Def Jam Album “Based On A T.R.U. Story”

2 Chainz "Based On A True Story" T.R.U./Def Jam Records/IDJMG

The heat is on, the gloves are off, and the six-month self-styled “kampaign” to launch 2 Chainz pays off with 147,000 first week sales and a #1 Soundscan debut for BASED ON A T.R.U. STORY, his debut album released August 14th on Def Jam/T.R.U.  The album’s successful run to the top was fueled by “No Lie” featuring Drake, the album’s first advance single pick, which hit #1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The alliance of 2 Chainz and Drake didn’t stop with “No Lie,” as Chainz was recruited to open the second leg of U.S. dates on Drake’s 2012 headlining Club Paradise Tour.  Another close alliance – with Kanye West – has given rise to two huge singles: “Mercy” from G.O.O.D. Music’s Cruel Summer album, and “Birthday Song,” the new smash from B.O.A.T.S.

The signing of 2 Chainz and his T.R.U. imprint to the Island Def Jam Music Group was celebrated earlier this year with a performance at downtown New York hotspot S.O.B.’s, the rapper’s first N.Y. concert.  “2Chainz is a veteran who chooses being catchy over being cool,” raved the New York Times the next morning.  “He’s an inadvertent humorist, and awe and wonderment often sneak into his verses, as if he’s still surprised by every blessing his new success affords him.”

An onslaught of media attention ensued: XXL magazine ranked Chainz as “arguably the hottest MC out right now without a proper solo album under his Gucci belt.”  Covers of The Source and The Fader announced a new star on the horizon.  A glowing follow-up release-week piece in the New York Times proclaimed “2 Chainz oozes with intangibles.  No rapper currently working conveys a sense of impending arrival the way he does… The confidence and directness he displays make him an underdog worth rooting for.”  Last week’s album release was punctuated by an appearance on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, where 2 Chainz performed a medley of “No Lie” and “Spend It” with The Roots.

2 Chainz is a product of the competitive Atlanta scene that spawned his first group, the duo Playaz Circle (in which he was known as Tity Boi).  They made their mark back in ’07 with the rap-R&B-pop crossover hit “Duffle Bag Boy” featuring Lil’ Wayne on the hook, on the DTP (Disturbing Tha Peace)/Def Jam label.  Chainz’ solo career began with his first mixtape, 2007’s Me Against The World, then the double-disc mixtape All Ice On Me in 2009, followed by his two-part Trapavelli series.

Proving that he could write street anthems with crossover appeal, he capitalized on his notoriety with the back-to-back mixtape releases of Codeine Withdrawal in 2010, and Codeine Cowboy in 2011.  (The graphic 25-minute Codeine Cowboy documentary film has logged over 782,000 YouTube views to date: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3Lvc9eYMOE).  His 2011 mixtape T.R.U. REALigion mined downloads in the millions.  His ‘hit’ tracks, signatures that include “Riot,” “Boo” featuring Yo Gotti, and the Drumma Boy-produced smash single “Spend It,” established a new sphere of influence for the lanky, outspoken rapper.

Related Media

2 Chainz Featuring Drake

“No Lie” (Explicit)

From Based On A T.R.U. Story

T.R.U./Def Jam Records/IDJMG

2 Chainz Featuring Nicki Minaj

“I Love Dem Strippers” (Explicit)

From Based On A T.R.U. Story

T.R.U./Def Jam Records/IDJMG

Kanye West Featuring G.O.O.D. Music Big Sean, 2 Chainz And Pusha T.

“Mercy” (Explicit)

From Cruel Summer

G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Records/IDJMG