Rapper 2 Chainz, previously known by a different stage name that can’t be printed here, is the latest go-to name when it comes to making guest appearances on albums.
The Georgia native has appeared on tracks from Nicki Minaj, Kanye West and others. Now those names join an all-star roster for 2 Chainz’s debut studio album, “Based On A T.R.U. Story.”
Check out the track listing and you can pretty much figure out what this story is about. The album includes track titles such as “Crack,” “I Luv Dem Strippers” and “Dope Peddler.” There’s also “Birthday Song” on which 2 Chainz lays out his birthday wish with the line “all I want for my birthday is a big booty girl.”
For most of the album, the accompanying beats are just as generic as some of the lyrics about having an excessive lifestyle. “Extremely Blessed” is one of the better songs on the album thanks to a guest part from The-Dream. But lines about “big face Rolexes” and “22s on the Lexus” don’t really translate given the current economic climate. Where were these songs when Jay-Z was “Big Pimpin’” in the early 2000s?
Other quick guest spots from Drake and Kanye are a little more effective as they mostly keep the spotlight on 2 Chainz. Then again, is that really a good idea when he’s spitting lines such as “when I die, bury me inside the Gucci store”?
“Based On A T.R.U. Story” isn’t exactly the album you want to listen to between working your two jobs in order to make your rent payment for your cramped one-bedroom apartment.
Also out this week: Michael Andrews, “Spilling a Rainbow”; Blackberry Smoke, “The Whippoorwill”; Black Pistol Fire, “Big Beat ‘59”; Spencer Breslin, “Labor Day”; The Classic Crime, “Phoenix”; Dead Can Dance, “Anastasis”; Insane Clown Posse, “The Mighty Death Pop!”; In This Moment, “Blood”; Korpiklaani, “Manala”; Loudness, “Eve to Dawn”; Loverboy, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival”; Corb Lund, “Cabin Fever”; Michael Maricle, “The Heart Found You”; Charlie Mars, “Blackberry Light”; Daniel Powter, “Turn On the Lights”: Shoes, “Ignition”; Slightly Stoopid, “Top of the World”; Twitch the Ripper, “Colorblind”; Steve Vai, “The Story of Light”; Various artists, “Just Tell Me That You Want Me: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac”; Yellowcard, “Southern Air”.
Out Aug. 21: Bloc Party, “Four”; Ry Cooder, “Election Special”; The Darkness, “Hot Cakes”; Dispatch, “Circles Around the Sun”; Eyes Lips Eyes, “What You Want (If You Want)”; Fallulah, “The Black Cat Neighbourhood”; The Heavy, “The Glorious Dead”; JT Hodges, “JT Hodges”; The Kennedys, “Closer Than You Know”; Dustin Lynch, “Dustin Lynch”; Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Last of a Dyin’ Breed”; George Michael, “White Light”; Ombre, “Believe You Me”; Owl City, “The Midsummer Station”; Gregory Pepper and His Problems, “Escape From Crystal Skull Mountain”; Plan B, “Ill Manors”; Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, “Mature Themes”; Selah Sue, “Selah Sue”; Trey Songz, “Chapter V”; Sunflower Dead, “Sunflower Dead”; Tenth Avenue North, “The Struggle”; Van She, “Idea of Happiness”; Matthew E. White, “Big Inner”; Yeasayer, “Fragrant World.”
• Rob Carroll writes about pop culture and entertainment for the Northwest Herald. He can be reached at rcarroll@shawmedia.com. You can also follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
