| 2 Chainz | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Birth name |
Tauheed Epps |
|
Also known as |
Tity Boi |
|
Born |
12 September 1977 |
|
Genre |
|
|
Occupation(s) |
Rapper |
|
Years active |
1997-present |
|
Label |
Def Jam Recordings (2012-present) |
|
Associated acts |
Cap.1, Drake, Gucci Mane, Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Mike Will Made It, OG Maco, Playaz Circle, Pharrell Williams |
Tauheed Epps (born 12 September 1977), better known by his stage name 2 Chainz, is an American rapper from College Park, Georgia. He began his career using the stage name Tity Boi as a member of the duo Playaz Circle alongside Dolla Boy, who was signed to Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace label and known for their debut single "Duffle Bag Boy".
In February 2012, 2 Chainz signed a solo record deal with Def Jam Recordings. The following August, he released his debut studio album Based on a T.R.U. Story to mixed reviews, but the album was later certified Gold in sales by the RIAA. The album spawned three successful singles: "No Lie", "Birthday Song", and "I'm Different", all of which charted in the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100 and were certified Gold or higher by the RIAA. His second album B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time was released in 2013, supported by the singles "Feds Watching" and "Used 2". His third album, ColleGrove, was released in 2016. He appeared on Chance the Rapper's Grammy Award-winning song "No Problem" alongside Lil Wayne in 2017. His fourth album, Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, was released in 2017.
Early life[]
2 Chainz was born Tauheed Epps in College Park, Georgia. He attended North Clayton High School, where he played basketball and graduated second in his class. While in high school, he dealt marijuana and was arrested for felony cocaine possession when he was 15 years old. He later attended Alabama State University on a scholarship and played for the school's basketball team from 1995 to 1997. In 35 games, Epps averaged 2.8 points, .5 assists, and 1.6 rebounds.
When asked by Rolling Stone about longstanding rumors that he had graduated from Alabama State with a 4.0 GPA, which had been widely reported on many sources including Wikipedia, 2 Chainz said: "Don't believe anything on Wack-ipedia. There's a lot of false stuff on there, to the point that every time I try to fix one thing, something else comes out." In fact, he transferred to Virginia State University due to circumstances he was reluctant to speak about. "I got into some trouble, went somewhere else, and came back. But I graduated, and that's that. That was then," he said.
Musical career[]
1997-2010: Playaz Circle and Disturbing tha Peace[]
Epps formed the hip hop duo Playaz Circle (the word "Playaz" being a bacronym for "Preparing Legal Assets for Years from A to Z") in College Park, Georgia in 1997, with his high school friend Earl "Dolla Boy" Conyers. Epps adopted the name "Tity Boi" as his moniker. Following the release of the independent album United We Stand, United We Fall in 1997, the duo were introduced to fellow Atlanta rapper Ludacris, when he moved into their College Park apartment complex whilst he was acting as a DJ. After taking interest in Playaz Circle, Ludacris began to record several songs with the group, playing some of them on his radio station.
Ludacris, after pursuing a career in rapping, soon became one of the highest-selling hip hop artists in the Southern United States. After hearing of their situation, Ludacris requested of Epps that the duo join his newly formed record label Disturbing tha Peace, a subsidiary of Def Jam Recordings. Epps agreed to sign, although Conyers did not officially join the label until his ill mother regained her health, a year after the initial signing.
Playaz Circle's debut album, Supply & Demand, was released in 2007. The lead single and their debut single, "Duffle Bag Boy", became an urban hit single. The song features Lil Wayne and was performed by the duo at the BET Hip Hop Awards. The duo released their second studio album, Flight 360: The Takeoff, in 2009. In January 2010, Playaz Circle filmed a music video for their single "Big Dawg" featuring Lil Wayne and Birdman at Studio Space Atlanta. Shortly afterward, Epps left Disturbing tha Peace, a move he claimed was in order to advance his career. Although Ludacris was initially reluctant to allow Epps to leave the label, as he felt Epps could still prove financially successful, he eventually accepted the decision. In February 2012, Epps signed a solo record deal with Def Jam Recordings, an imprint of Universal Music Group.
2011-2012: Name change and Based on a T.R.U. Story[]
Throughout Epps' early career, critics and fans alike speculated the pseudonym "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". He also cited that the "2 Chainz" represented his second chance at making a name for himself in the world of hip-hop and at the age of 35, 2 Chainz would fully enter the world of mainstream artistry. Following the name change, Epps released a mixtape entitled T.R.U. REALigion, which became his first mixtape to appear on the music charts, peaking at #58 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
On 24 March 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 a 14 August 2012 release date. The album's lead single, "No Lie" featuring Drake, was released on 8 May 2012. Based on a T.R.U. Story debuted at #1 on the 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 23 September 2012, the album has sold 288,000 copies in the United States. Epps performed at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards in September, alongside longtime friend Lil Wayne. After the release of Based on a T.R.U. Story, 2 Chainz was brought to a great prominence. He facilitated his first worldwide tour, selling out most dates, earned The Source magazine's "Man of the Year", released a collaborative endeavor with Adidas and later Beats by Dre, and was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album.
2012-2015: B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time and ColleGrove[]
In late 2012, Epps stated once he completed the B.O.A.T.S. concert tour, he intended to head back into the studio to immediately record more music. In November 2012, he revealed he had already recorded three songs for his second studio album. The album's estimated release date was April 2013. Epps made a guest appearance on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in an episode that aired 8 May 2013. He also appeared as himself in the second season (episode 16) of the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls, where he travels on the same private planes as the two main characters.
On 23 May 2013, he announced that his second studio album would be released on 10 September 2013. On 2 June 2013, Epps premiered the first single from the album, "Feds Watching", at the Hot 97 Summer Jam. The song features Pharrell Williams and was recorded on the night of the 2013 Grammy Awards. On 15 June, Epps announced the title of his second album would be B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time. The album was released through Def Jam Recordings on 10 September 2013. Upon the album's release, it was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. It also faired well commercially, debuting at #3 on the Billboard 200, and #2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, selling 63,000 copies in its first week.
On 23 October 2013, Epps revealed that he had begun working on his third studio album immediately following the release of B.O.A.T.S. II. He also stated that he had the first single from his third album ready for release.
2015-present: Pretty Girls Like Trap Music and Rap or Go to the League[]
In November 2015, Epps revealed that he was releasing a joint album with Lil Wayne, titled ColleGrove. Due to Lil Wayne's ongoing lawsuit with his label Cash Money Records, only 2 Chainz was credited as the primary artist when the album was released on 4 March 2016.
On 2 January 2017, at an Atlanta Hawks press conference, Epps revealed that his fourth album would be titled Pretty Girls Like Trap Music. In May 2017, 2 Chainz appeared on The View, where he said fans should expect "growth and maturation" on the album. The album's initial release date was 7 April 2017, but it was revealed on 29 March that the album had been pushed back. It was eventually released on 16 June 2017 to widespread acclaim from critics. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 with 106,000 album-equivalent units, of which 57,000 were pure album sales.
On February 19, 2018, Epps announced his new album, Rap or Go to the League, was set to be released later that year, but it was pushed back and finally released in 2019.
Personal life[]
Family[]
Epps has two daughters: Heaven and Harmony. His third child, a boy named Halo, was born on October 14, 2015. On August 18, 2018, Epps married his longtime girlfriend and mother of his three children, Kesha Ward.
Legal issues[]
At the age of 15, Epps was convicted of felony cocaine possession.
On February 14, 2013, Epps was arrested in Maryland en route to a concert at UMES for marijuana possession. He was cited and released.
On June 11, 2013, Epps was arrested while onboard a departing flight at LAX airport for possession of a controlled substance after TSA agents found that his checked bag contained marijuana and promethazine. He was booked and charged with felony narcotics possession. Later that day, he posted a $10,000 bond and was released. He was due back in court on June 21, 2013. Two days previous, he was reportedly robbed at gunpoint outside a medical marijuana dispensary in San Francisco.
Just before midnight on August 21, 2013, Epps' tour bus was pulled over in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma because the passenger side taillights were out. The arresting officer reported that he smelled marijuana and saw smoke through the open door of the bus after he had stopped and pulled over the bus. The driver of the bus shut the door and told officers he was not authorized to allow them on the bus. The officer said the marijuana smell gave him probable cause to search, but the driver refused to open the door. After many attempts to enter, the bus was towed with the men still aboard to the police training center in Oklahoma City. Officers obtained a search warrant and the 10 men, including Epps, got off the bus. Police discovered two semi-automatic pistols and a 12-gauge pump shotgun, along with some prescription painkillers and marijuana residue, on the tour bus according to papers filed by the Oklahoma County District Court.
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
- 2012: Based on a T.R.U. Story
- 2013: B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time
- 2016: ColleGrove
- 2017: Pretty Girls Like Trap Music
- 2019: Rap or Go to the League
EPs[]
- 2014: Freebase
- 2016: Felt Like Cappin
- 2016: Hibachi for Lunch
- 2018: The Play Don't Care Who Makes It