Later, Scarface and John Legend team up on “Ghetto Dreams.” Nicki mimics her “Beez” verse on “I Luv Dem Strippers,” where 2 Chainz tries singing over a thundering tick-tock beat. And so, on an album where names matter, there are names: Kanye’s “Birthday Girl” is a grower, not a shower, and Mike Posner’s whisper-singing mixes well with the rapper’s yell-rapping on “In Town.” (It’s a tender love song, if one’s definition of ‘love’ is sex as a result of geographical convenience.) “Countdown,” with Chris Brown, starts off with a beat that sounds like cicadas swarming, or maybe it’s rusty hinges, which turns Skrillex-y as Brown falls down a drain. With 14 songs listed, he has 11 guest spots, making his solo tracks the rareties. For someone who has built his career on short guest verses and cagey alliances, he has yet to prove himself on his own, and this album doesn’t really offer him the opportunity. collective “Beez in the Trap” costarring Nicki Minaj “No Lie” with Drake. Music videos looped on screens throughout the club: “Mercy” with the G.O.O.D. Def Jam president Joie Manda observed the room from above, smiling. Rick Ross and 2 Chainz danced the tarantella, trying to get close enough to say goodbye to one another rapper Gunplay dabbed at a small stain on his jeans with a giant stack of napkins while following Ross’ footsteps. “There’s a lot of big dogs in the building tonight, a lot of black cards,” 2 Chainz said, referring to the cavalcade of names who came to pay respect: DJ Khaled, Memphis Bleek, Hot97’s Angie Martinez. Def Jam is shipping 450,000 copies of his debut record to stores ahead of its August 14th release date, anticipating to sell around half of that number. Now he’s inescapable, his voice no longer a surprise feature on a song. Two years ago, he was all but forgotten, a minor one-hit wonder at best, a Ludacris liner note at worst. Just last weekend, “No Lie,” his much-played single, was certified gold by the RIAA, proving him to be an ageless wonder who appeals to everybody: young girls who scream for Justin Bieber, grizzled TI and Jeezy fans, Kanye’s art-haus followers. Finally, by the DJ booth – wearing a Persian rug masquerading as a button-up and screaming into a microphone – was 2 Chainz himself, who went off-message by choosing to wear a heavy Anthropologie-like string of semi-precious stones around his neck.Īt the age of 35, 2 Chainz finds himself in the very weird position of being both a new artist and a seasoned veteran.
Def Jam staffers worked the room, patting backs and tossing shots, their shirts emblazoned with the two 14 karat Cuban links seen on the album cover.
Story, held last night in Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club, gold bottles lined the walls, their bubbles and baubles glowing bright. At the New York listening party for Based on a T.R.U.
0 kommentar(er)
