Dope Don’t Sell Itself

1.5.22

2 Chainz

The best album of 2022 is currently up for grabs, and the bidding starts now. It has been almost a full year since 2 Chainz released his last album. There has been a few EPs in between, but the word is out that 2 Chainz seventh studio album, Dope Don’t Sell Itself, will drop at some point this month.

2 Chainz announced the album himself on Instagram. The photo attached to his comments was a photo of himself on stage, so this is likely not the album artwork. However, he stated that the album will drop this month, and the first single later this week. He noted we should expect something new and exotic, as he has been studying the game nonstop during his time away from the limelight this past year. Last summer, 2 Chainz suggested his next album would be his last trap album, so by this note, I think we’ll be getting something very different.

Hey you how you been !?, Its been a minute I know ,but im back with something new and exotic . You know I ain’t been around this long with out being a thinker and a constant student & teacher of the game my album “ DOPE DONT SELL ITSELF “ drops this month and single drops this week Sincerely Yours , Two Tone Toni 🤲🏿

2022 marks a decade since his first studio album, and 2 Chainz has been making hits for years on top of that. We’ve listened to his work progress over time, we’ve watched his Verzuz battle with Rick Ross, and heard all his stories about his experiences growing in the industry. Now, he is ready to show us what he has learned overtime from the industry, and how he adapts to different generations, trends, and new artists.

It is likely that the first single will include a feature from 42 Dugg. Just a few hours after announcing the new album with a single on the way, 2 Chainz also shared an Instagram Reel in the studio, tagging 42 Dugg. The two have an age gap of eighteen years (44 vs 26) - they are the current “old school and new school” working together. To me, this is always super exciting and interesting to see.

That being, because the different generations of sound, beat and delivery are always so different. If the artist that has been around for over a decade does not know how to adapt, they will sound out of place. If the newer talent cannot hold their own, the track will lack substance. The snippet that was shared lets us know that Lil Ju made the beat for the track, which consists of some heavy base drums and a whistle-like instrument.

We do get a quick preview of both 42 Dugg and 2 Chainz’ verses. They sound like they both met each other half way in ways that lend itself to each others strengths and styles. At times with collaborators, they go off on a verse and their partner picks up in the middle of the bar. I feel like you typically see this in two artists that maybe are a group or super close. This happened in the snippet we heard, so you know the chemistry was instantly there between the two. 42 Dugg is from Detroit, but does see himself around Atlanta artists most often, so this duo makes a lot of sense and I feel like is a going to be a great first single for the album. The single, “Million Dollars Worth of Game” from 2 Chainz and 42 Dugg drops this Friday.

I am thinking this album will have a good amount of features from the new top tier talent of hip-hop, as well as some of those whom have been around just as long as 2 Chainz. Hopefully, we’ll have the album by the end of the month, and see more of a full track list even sooner.