When I’m not working at my job, for myself, or around the house (for my wife), I’m listening to rap music. From the moment I heard the Beastie Boy’s Licensed to Ill CD my brother would let me borrow, I was hooked to hip hop. I first cut my teeth in audio production through beat making software like Reason and FL Studio, and have been following the latest releases my entire life.
To me, there is no greater musical example of “Strong Com” (Communication & Community Building) than hip hop. The rapper must command the attention of the audience through their unique voice and storytelling ability and keep them interested by curating an environment people can see themselves belonging to. Otherwise, it’s on to the next track.
As a creative professional and hip hop fan, I think the genre’s fusion of artistic expression and entrepreneurial spirit provides an endless variety of examples for how someone could succeed in business, and there may be no better role model for the subject of brand building than the rapper 2 Chainz.
Create a Brand Name
"I walk a thin line between confidence and cockiness, I'm a little bit of both" - 2 Chainz
First, a little history. Before he was 2 Chainz, Taheed Epps started his rap career in Atlanta as Tity Boi, one half of the rap duo Playaz Circle with Dolla boy. In an archived conversation with Sway on RapFix, 2 Chainz explains the origin of his original name as a southern, “dirt road” name given to him by his family and social circle.
Inspired more by his local community than his affections for female anatomy, he goes on to explain that he was never advised to change his name, as his future top-tier success wasn’t as clear at the time. But the more he used the “2 Chainz” moniker as an additional call sign in solo mixtapes, he decided to go all in with the more “family friendly” name and his career began to rise to another level.
While he does have an appreciation for jewelry and his first album features two chains on the album cover, it’s important to note that his alias isn’t merely a literal symbol. 2 Chainz explains how he invented a meaning outside of the jewelry, and that the name also represents his “second opportunity” after the success of Playaz Circle’s first popular single with Lil Wayne, “Duffle Bag Boy”.
What stands out to me about 2 Chainz’ origin story is that that each name came from an authentic expression about who he is. The first, Tity Boi, represented his upbringing and local roots, while 2 Chainz was and is a manifested identity grown from his actions that could appeal outside the south.
While naming is a very important aspect of brand building, it is equally important to remember that the quality of the product (in this case, you or your business) carries far more weight than the clever quality of the name you choose.
When setting out to make a name for yourself, choose one that is authentic to your personal experience and interest, can be accepted by a wide audience while resonating with a specific one, and infused with your personal vision.
Grow Strategic Partnerships
"Relationships will take you farther than money" - 2 Chainz
Creating powerful partnerships with brands like Google, Versace, Vice, and locking in Super Bowl commercial deals seems like a natural move for a pop culture icon like 2 Chainz today, but you don’t get reap the harvest of success this extravagant without cultivating a crop of healthy relationships first.
The earliest example of this would be his partnering with Ludacris’ Disturbing the Peace label when Chainz was still releasing records with Playaz Circle. DTP’s affiliation with Def Jam would eventually help connect him to the rest of the Def Jam catalogue (Kanye West, to name one) along with other southern labels like Lil Wayne’s Young Money.
2 Chainz eventually moved on from DTP and Def Jam and decided to work on making waves through multiple mixtapes. This strategy eventually paid off as a few made the top of the charts and earned him early introductions to some of the biggest stars in the world today like Drake and Nicki Minaj.
What I love about this aspect of 2 Chainz career is that it is a time-tested way to build a personal brand. While it’s possible to have one viral hit that catapults you to world-wide notoriety like a Lil Nas X, it’s far more sustainable to build relationships from the bottom up, as it will take you much further in the long run.
Lil Wayne delayed his mixtape to not take attention away from 2 Chainz’ debut album. Based on a T.R.U. Story.
Kanye West sent out a tweet “2 Chainz is charging 100k for a verse now cause he’s G.O.O.D!!!!!!“, creating speculation that he was signed with Kanye’s label and clearing any doubt of his star power and credibility if any existed. This was prior to the release of Cruel Summer, the infamous G.O.O.D. Music collaboration record with hits like “Mercy”, “Clique”, and more which featured Chainz.
While many young rappers today attempt to garner attention through wild antics or blatant criminal activity, 2 Chainz is a prime example of someone who built relationships with people to earn respect and network his way to the top. With patience and humility, Chainz made connections behind the scenes until he was given the right opportunities. Then he capitalized on them.
Conceptualize Your Message
"A lot of my raps are more like (film) treatments" -2 Chainz
As hip hop continues to evolve, I’m willing to give any new rapper a chance. But a spot in my playlist? You have to earn that. When I’m listening to rap, there are a few things I’m listening for:
Is the flow confident? Is the vocal presence distinct?
Is what they are saying creative, unique?
Are they telling a story that is greater than the sum of its parts?
2 Chainz delivers on this shortlist of criteria in spades. While much of his discography features humorous lines that fly seemingly out of left field, his raps have also become more personal, mature, and conceptual as his career has progressed.
This is most obvious with his two latest projects, Pretty Girls Like Trap Music and Rap or Go to the League. Pretty Girls dropped in 2017 and was partially inspired by his desire to grow his female fanbase after reviewing analytics streaming services like Spotify provide. While much of the content of the record fits squarely in the rap sub-genre of trap music, the roll out of the album was unique and unprecedented.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, 2 Chainz delivers an insight about the creative direction
“We're the pop stars. Trap rap is pop now. People's ears have adjusted to what we have to say and how we say it.”
First party analytics combined with the fact that hip hop is the most popular genre in the world led 2 Chainz to a more intentional approach on collaborating with artists who know the pop culture cross over well. Pharrell Williams contributed some production and oversight toward the end of the project, while pop artist Trouble Andrew designed the eye-catching album cover that took on a life of it’s own.
The pink trap house was the central figure of the album roll out, becoming a real world art installation where fans continually gathered as well as a fully working nail salon complete with the pink motif.
The album is widely regarded as the best of his career, so it made sense to see 2 Chainz tweak the winning formula for his most recent album, Rap or Go to the League. The splash of color moved from pink to yellow and pop-culture collaborators were swapped for basketball great and avid hip hop fan Lebron James, who A&R’d the album. The central symbol evolved from the trap house to a hollowed-out milk crate, a nod to the basketball theme and the urban environments which receive the adage turned album title as the only two options for success.
Each of these records are equally wide in their scope and dialed in on their messaging, allowing 2 Chainz ample room to use the themes to tell his personal story and unique perspective on each. All while giving his audience something to identify with.
Innovate Through Adversity
"All the wrong pivots got us right here"- 2 Chainz
While Pretty Girls like Trap Music achieved wide-spread appeal, the tour didn’t go quite as planned. Just days before the first show of a nation-wide tour for his most successful album to date, 2 Chainz broke his leg in a four wheeler accident. The first few dates had to be rescheduled, and because he couldn’t walk, he had to improvise.
In a matter of weeks, the show went on with one minor change; 2 Chainz would perform the entire tour in a wheel chair. Naturally, it couldn’t be just any wheel chair, but a pink one, pushed by a model that would periodically coordinate with the other dancers on stage.
This decision to persevere is an important lesson to internalize on the quest to build a brand. There will be setbacks and unforeseen circumstances that will make the journey to the top much harder and longer than originally believed. But in those challenges lie the opportunity to showcase the tenacity that sets the 1% apart from the other 99%.
In early 2019, Ariana Grande debuted the video for a hip-hop influenced record, “7 rings” which is set in front a pink trap house, serving as more evidence of 2 Chainz successful penetration into the pop-culture. While he did take the use of his influence without direct contact with him somewhat personally, Chainz took it in stride and used it as a way build a relationship.
After a few conversations, the two artists did a song swap. 2 Chainz would be featured on a remix of 7 Rings while Ariana would be featured as a guest on “Rule the World” from Rap or Go to the League. While a less mature artist could take it as an adversarial robbery of creative work, 2 Chainz used it as a way to create something new, ultimately benefiting both parties exponentially.
Not all adversity will have clear paths to a silver lining but it’s imperative to always be looking for it.
Double Down on What Works
"I base my music on two things, replay value and share-ability"- 2 Chainz
This article highlights the strengths of 2 Chainz’ career that serve as examples of the power and necessity of persistence. If you’re on the quest to build a strong brand, it’s important to remember that the game is a marathon, not a sprint. An ongoing evolution, not an ultimate destination.
With Rap Or Go To The League release just a few months back, Chainz has yet to tour, and is still releasing merch. Most recently, a t-shirt that re-iterates on the broader message of Rap Or Go To The League and uses a direct lyric from one of the songs, Statute of Limitations - “ex drug dealer – ex athlete”.
With so much work that goes into the creation of new content, from the planning to the final product, it can be tempting to think that once your idea is materialized that it is actually being received – not so.
The real work has just begun.
Every move thereafter is opportunity to distribute the idea deeper into the market, and 2 Chainz does it better than any other artist in hip hop today.
He knows how to package his personal interests and experience into brands that expand his business.
He doesn’t just rap about smoking marijuana, he owns his own strain.
He doesn’t just speak about his influences in interviews, he creates new content with them (See also #blackstorynow on IG).
He doesn’t just value his peers and local community, he is an active participant within it.
Your brand won’t reach 2 Chainz status over night. That’s not how trusted brands are formed.
It takes effective communication, community building, and a commitment to unending momentum.
Or as 2 Chainz says, “Sleep When U Die”.
Thanks for reading!
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