There's an old adage from Les Brown that goes "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land on the stars." In his fifth studio album, 2Chainz did just that as he shot for a classic and came away with one of his better albums.
Upon initial listen, Rap or Go to the League sounds like a classic, and it's blatantly evident that 2 Chainz wanted this one to live on as one of the best albums of 2019. However, the album is largely misleading, as the first-class production and world-class features could trick anyone into thinking that 2 Chainz just made something special.
The album's best comparison is Josh Smith. For those who don't know Josh Smith:
Throughout the highlight of his career, Smith was a borderline star, but he always presented himself as if he was on the same level as a LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. To the eye of a casual basketball fan and any 2k14 player, Josh Smith could give off the impression of being near the level of superstars, but any further examination would disprove that impression.
The exact same sentiment carries Rap or Go to the League into the same sentence as words like "classic" and "his best album". 2 Chainz treats this project like it should top his discography, but, while it does have all the makings of a classic, Rap or Go to the League ranks behind his last project--Pretty Girls Like Trap Music.
The Good
I mean this in the most non-patronizing manner, 2 Chainz gets an 'A' for effort on Rap or Go to the League. Evidenced by the projects 70,000 first-week sales, not many people were begging for a new 2 Chainz album, but, nevertheless, he stepped up to the plate and swung for a home run.
Only DJ Khaled can put together a collection of features as star-studded as Rap or Go to the League. The project has features from both rap and pop's biggest names(Kendrick Lamar and Ariana Grande), hip-hop legends( Lil Wayne and E-40), young superstars(Travis Scott and Young Thug), the feature god(Ty Dolla $ign) and a literal god(Chance the Rapper).
Another aspect of the Chainz' home run swing is the shining production. Each beat sounds like something you expect a legend to come in and body, and 2 Chainz knows it. On "Threat 2 Society" he literally brags "this beat hard enough to put Jay on it". Chainz does his best to live up to the production, providing some of the most introspective lines of his career, like "I done did things I ain't proud of, like sold my momma drugs."
2 Chainz tests deeper elements of his artistry by challenging himself with the natural competition of top-notch features and production, but the development doesn't seem like a natural fit.
The Bad
This album sounds like 2 Chainz' version of Jay-Z's 4:44, and it comes off exactly as it sounds--like a forced copycat attempt at a classic.
The song "NCAA" serves as the perfect example for that previous statement, as 2 Chainz spends the song rapping and chanting about the practices of college athletics and the athletes being unpaid. While the subject does fit with the theme of the album, the song and topic feel like it's coming from the wrong person in the wrong manner.
"N-C-double A, We the young and dangerous, We be ballin' hard, I just want some paper," serves as the song's hook and creates an image of a bunch of college athletes reciting it outside of the NCAA's headquarters. But it just comes off as corny.
This underlying persistence of staleness grows upon every listen of the album and makes you dread each additional listen, as the original feeling of admiration for the album fades more and more. Much like when you realize something is trying to be cool and it loses the cool factor, Rap or Go to the League loses its classic feel once you realize 2 Chainz is trying to force that feeling on you. The star-level features lose some of their brightness when you realize they're strictly on the song for commercial purposes. I love Travis Scott, but even I am getting tired of him being featured on songs; other than bringing the fans that naturally comes along with the name Travis Scott, he serves no purpose on "Whip".
The Verdict
2 Chainz Fyre Festival'ed his way to mass acclaim, but the more people listen the less they will enjoy the project. Chainz forced big-name artists and classic-synonymous production to create the allure of a legendary project but didn't deliver enough substance to truly earn what he was shooting for.
Nevertheless, the album isn't bad when it's not compared with the image 2 Chainz puts out there. Rap or Go to the League is the 41-year-old's second-best album, but it's far from the classic Chainz paints it as.
Score: Josh Smith/10
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