If there's a reason to cheer for
2 Chainz
, it's that the limited but now loveable rapper lifted himself out of a dead-end group (the
Sporty Thievz
-like
Playaz Circle
), dropped his awful name (who wants to say they're the world's biggest Tity Boy fan?), and reinvented himself as a welcome character somewhere between the syrup-sipping Pluto and the slang-slinging Pootie Tang, all while rocking True Religion everything (and if the clothing company didn't pay for all this album's product placement, they should send
Chainz
a box of swag immediately). This devil-may-care style that's right in line with the flash-flavoring landscape of 2012, was refined over mixtapes, street releases, and guest spots, all of it smart preparation for this official debut.
Based on a T.R.U. Story
is a fine payoff, coming off as trendy as those jeans
keeps repping, but still quirky enough to stick to the ribs. Prime example is the opening "Yuck!," a high-powered
Streetrunner
production with
Lil Wayne
getting in the distasteful spirit of the album (warning: he's searching through his black book for a girlfriend who's not experiencing "the monthlies") while
places his second favorite product when Similac gets another mention, once again thanks to the rapper's skill at baby making. "Birthday Song" borrows
Wayne
's love of dumb bluntness for the great "She got a big booty, so I call her 'Big Booty'," while "Extremely Blessed" offers both "Our first date was the Waffle House" and "If you a chicken head, go and lay some eggs" which producer
The-Dream
coats in polished R&B for a track that's quite velvety and
Ludacris
. In this environment, a stripper track with
Nicki Minaj
can't go wrong, and when hooky singles "No Lie" with
Drake
and "Birthday Song" with
Kanye West
find their respective superstars coming down to
' big booty level, it's like free drinks and table dances all night long. Still, there are a couple unexpected highlights, like
Mike Posner
getting convincingly nasty on "In Town," or "Stop Me Now," which plays it soulful, smooth, and nostalgic ("All my Planets were Digable"). The claim "Every line is so dope, you can snort it" is an oversell, but
over-promises and almost delivers on his official debut, putting him right in the punch-line rapper's sweet spot. ~ David Jeffries