Sam
Basically let me break down all the fake industry talk. 2 Chainz first hit the rap scene in a group called Playaz Circle. That group and the people in it are signed to Ludacris’ DTP Records imprint on Def Jam. At first he was going by Tity Boi, and the group was obviously known for their “Duffle Bag Boys” hit record. Then the heat from that single cooled off, and DTP/Def Jam just threw out a sophmore album from the rap duo, and it flopped.
So what did 2 Chainz do? Did he complain, act bitter, and blame other people? No. He linked up with Charlie Jabaley & DJ Teknikz of Street Executives management and started putting in work! Dropped a hot mixtape with hot videos, and got sh*t poppin! I mean dude is so wavy he is showing up to birthday parties in a helicopter. Even made a Codeine Cowboy documentary based on the mixtape. However, even though 2 Chainz & Co. made themselves hot, 2 Chainz is still signed DTP/Def Jam. The same label that kind of abandoned him. The good news is that it seems like Mr. Chainz is taking it in stride and trying to make the best of the situation. 2 Chainz told XXL:
“Shout out to Chaka Zulu, Jeff Dixon and ‘Ludacris’ Chris Bridges,” he said. “They are the owners of DTP. I’ve been signed to them for ten years, some people know it, some people don’t. I put out two major albums with them [as part of] Playaz Circle. The first one was Supply and Demand, it had the major hit ‘Duffle Bag Boy’ with [Lil Wayne]. That was ’07. We came with Flight 360: The Takeoff in ’09. That had features on there from Raekwon to Cee-Lo Green. I felt that not necessarily DTP or Def Jam, it was another project that someone just threw out. As an individual who puts time and effort into it, I just couldn’t be apart of something that just gets thrown out for whatever reasons. I’m trying to do my own thing, have my own imprint, trying to be my own boss. That’s what I’m working on. [DTP] do have first dibs. We have to work it out where everybody is happy. We trying to figure it all out.“
It also appears that Ludacris is at least aware that 2 Chainz is swaggin’ right now because Tity Boi will be doing some A&R work on Luda’s next album.
“I’m actually doing some A&R for Luda’s new album, LudaVersal” he said. “I’m not giving [Luda] too many ideas, but I have a lot of producers that fuck with me that ‘Cris may not even be knowing. I like fucking with that type; that young and hungry and probably nobody knows. Before M-16 did ‘Duffle Bag Boys,’ nobody knew him. A name doesn’t drive me. It used to be you open up the cover and see names like Timbaland. It’s not like that no more. You have guys like Lex Luger come and kick the door down. Sonny Digital come and kick the door down. I’m part of that new wave, that new wave of music. I understand the new wave and new sound. I understand that was. For a artist like ‘Cris who might not be out as much because he has a liquor to promote, or a movie or headphones, I’m still out here. That’s why I think he hired me. I can bring that to the table.“
