2 Chainz - “So Help Me God!” Review

Story posted November 18, 2020 in Arts & Entertainment by Matthew McLaughlin.

Over the course of his career, 2 Chainz has built up one of the most consistent discographies over the past decade, but he hasn’t gotten the proper respect until his 2017 release “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music.”

The 2017 trap classic catapulted 2 Chainz from underappreciated veteran to adored icon in the trap genre with heavy hitting bangers such as “Good Drank,” “4 AM” and “Rolls Royce B---h.”

Fast forward three years and the artist formerly known as Tity Boi has put together three very good projects, “Rap or Go to the League,” “No Face No Case” and 2020’s “So Help Me God!”

“So Help Me God!” features some of 2 Chainz’s best skills and adds to his legacy as one of the best rappers to ever come out of Atlanta.

Throughout the project, 2 Chainz stays true to himself by mixing vivid storytelling of his past while still flexing his infinite amount of jewelry and women over 15 bass-pounding tracks, which include guest verses from Kanye West, Lil Uzi Vert, Chief Keef and more.

Overall, this is a solid album and 2 Chainz starts strong with “Lambo Wrist,” “Grey Area” and the YoungBoy NBA-assisted “Save Me.” If there was any track that encapsulates Chainz’s greatness, it’s “Lambo Wrist.”

On the LilJuMadeDaBeat produced intro “Lambo Wrist,” 2 Chainz menacingly spits about his status as rap’s elite over the banging bass, “I’m on a warpath I go homicidal on a beat/Lil' b---h you ain't nothing to me, my partner spin your block like Uber Eats.”

However, the album doesn’t solely rely on the braggadocious approach that listeners are accustomed to from 2 Chainz’s biggest hits.

On “Save Me,” which features Baton Rouge superstar YoungBoy NBA, 2 Chainz opens up about his past trauma in the first verse; “I got that PTSD syndrome so all I hear is sirens/Smile in your face and when you turn your back, they stab your spine.”

There are still some tracks that make this album fall flat, which could’ve been cut down to at least 14 or 13 tracks.

“Toni” falters in storytelling, and “Money Maker” featuring Lil Wayne doesn’t utilize both 2 Chainz and Wayne’s full skill sets, nor does it feel like an organic track despite the success of their collaborative album “Collegrove.”

Overall, this is another very good album from 2 Chainz that builds anticipation for more released music from the Atlanta wordsmith, which includes a rumored follow-up of his collaboration with Lil Wayne and an entire solo album produced by West.

Rating: 7/10

Writer’s favorite songs: “Lambo Wrist,” “Save Me,” “Feel that Way”

Writer’s least favorite songs: “Toni,” “55 Times,” “Ziploc”

 

Matthew McLaughlin is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mem6936@psu.edu.