A wise man from the Marcy projects once reminded people that they “Can’t Knock the Hustle.” Another man who lives by a code similar to the rap lord Jay-Z is 2 Chainz. The artist formally known as Tity Boi has been on a remarkable high since he made his name on guest spots with Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, A$AP Rocky and even Justin Bieber. Chainz is known for his punch lines and energy showcased on other people’s songs, and his do-or-die method of guest rapping allows him to come up with lines that nearly steal most of the songs he is on. Thanks to his busy work schedule and persona, Chainz’s major label debut album “Based On A T.R.U. Story” shot up the charts and made him the most in-demand man in rap music. But how seriously can you take a man known for funny one-liners and one of the most laughably simple names in rap history? It may be easy to judge, but let the man himself plead his case.
“#METIME” is the sequel to “Based On A T.R.U. Story” and comes only a year after part 1’s release, so credit goes to Chainz for wanting to keep the hype up. He uses the time to rap about his dream where “rap wouldn’t work” on album opener “Fork.” “36” is a brief follow-up song about Chainz, now in mainstream culture, being a street hustler at heart. Chainz actually takes moments to remember his friends less fortunate than him. “U Da Realest” is a beating memorial to all his friends who passed on as he says R.I.P. to his friends that “died while they was servin’” and even “all the soldiers that died in the service.” “Beautiful Pain” is a spacey synth-driven number and driven by a hook from R&B singer Lloyd (a step down from part 1’s R&B contribution from The-Dream on “Extremely Blessed,” but a step up song-wise.) Chainz does not hold back on his claim to dominance but remains somewhat humble (“Run this rap s–t, I got stamina/You an amateur, I aim at ‘cha,/I bang at ‘cha, hope a plane hit ‘cha/F–k you and whoever came witcha/ Trying to express the beautiful pain witcha/Like a tattoo of a framed picture/Of a dead homie, maybe a family member.”) “So We Can Live” has a great T-Pain hook and Chainz uses it to rap about his old friends leaving him alone as he has made it big. It is just the right amount of sentimental without sounding like a Drake copy.
Keep in mind, despite the more honest and confessional fare Chainz delves into here, this is still the man who wanted “big booty hoes” for his birthday, so there are certainly some great party jams on this record. First single “Feds Watching” benefits from a Caribbean beat and a hook from super producer Pharrell. Chainz reminds us of his new designer wardrobe of Gucci, Armani and Alexander Wang, along with chuckle-worthy punch lines (“And I’m known to kick it like the captain of a soccer team/Billie Jean red leather same color red lobster/And she brain wash ya, head doctor/I be fresh as hell if the feds watchin.”) “Where U Been?” has typical elements of 2 Chainz’s signature style (“I get high and I fly past, I don’t know nothing ‘bout iChat/I work in this iPhone they need an app called iTrap.”)
“Used 2” is a club jam that involves commands to twerk and Chainz YouTube-ing his own sex-capades, hoping for a million hits (it is actually more funny than annoying.) Chainz also gets considerable backing from the likes of Fergie (“Netflix,”) Drake and Lil Wayne (“I Do It,”) but Chainz has main control of the whole album.
Chainz, as serious as he tries to be sometimes, is a party rapper at best. His energy and constant “yaa”s and “tru”s in between verses are more Lil Jon than anything, and look where he ended up (seriously look, because I have no idea what happened to him.) The production on “#METIME” is glossier and shinier, as evidenced by the album cover, so this seems to be a bit of a softer album than its predecessor. But like its predecessor, the album runs out of gas too quickly and falls flat in the last third of the record. By the time you reach “Black Unicorn,” the grand statement the album is supposed to be ends up becoming a bit bland. It is good that 2 Chainz knows how to pull out all the stops front and center, but it would not hurt to save a few gems for the closing of a record. There are a few more ups than downs, but “#METIME,” though an impressive step up, is not flawless. This is in no way a cuddlier version of 2 Chainz, nor is it the same crack dealer chic that occupied his first record. This is more like 2 Chainz’s victory lap: a record that allows him to speak up a little bit more thanks to new found fame while still being proud of who he is as a rapper. It is a stretch to take a man who compares his place on top of the hip-hop ladder as being the toupée on a bald man’s head (see “Mainstream Ratchet,”) but he still means business. “#METIME” is proof that now more than ever, people are waiting to take 2 Chainz’s calls instead of the other way around.
Final Verdict: 4 out of 5 stars
Essential Tracks: “Fed Watching,” “Used 2,” “Where U Been?” “U Da Realest,” “Beautiful Pain,” “So We Can Live”
