2 Chainz

by itemvn  |  December 29, 2011 [Edit]

Tauheed Epps, better known by his stage name 2 Chainz, formerly Tity Boi, is an American rapper from College Park, Georgia. He was first known for being one-half of southern hip hop duo, Playaz Circle, which was recognized for being signed to Ludacris' record label Disturbing tha Peace and their debut single "Duffle Bag Boy". He is currently signed to Def Jam Records, an imprint of Universal Music Group.

Throughout Epps' career, critics and fans alike have speculated the name "Tity Boi" was meant to be derogatory towards women, although he repeatedly denied such accusations. In early 2011, Epps decided to change his stage name to 2 Chainz as he perceived it to be more "family friendly". Following his name change, Epps released a mixtape entitled T.R.U. REALigon, which mixtape became his first album to appear on the music charts, peaking at number 58 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Since the success of his most recent mixtape, Epps has made numerous guest appearances on tracks by prominent recording artists such as, Kanye West's hit single "Mercy" and Nicki Minaj's "Beez in the Trap".

On March 24, 2012, Epps announced his debut studio album, Based on a T.R.U. Story (originally titled T.R.U. to My REALigion) was set for an August 14, 2012, release date. The album's lead single, "No Lie", features Canadian rapper Drake and was released on May 8, 2012. On May 11, it was under speculation that Epps' had signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music label after West tweeted: "2 Chainz is charging 100k for a verse now cause he's G.O.O.D!!!!!". However Epps later denied those rumors, saying: "He just said I’m good, like I’m ill. But we was talking and I think I was jeopardizing my brand sometimes by doing the homeboy special. So I think he felt like we should just put that out there that we ain’t doing no more of that." On May 30, 2012, Ciara revealed 2 Chainz was featured on "Sweat", the first single from her fifth studio album One Woman Army. Based on a T.R.U. Story debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 147,000 copies in its first week. The album was met with mixed reviews, earning a score of 55 on metacritic. As of September 23, 2012, the album has sold 288,000 copies in the United States. In September Epps performed alongside Lil Wayne at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards.

(Last edited by eesen)