Welcome 2 Collegrove

The partnership between the pair of rap veterans predates even the name “2 Chainz.” In 2007, when the Georgia native still rapped as Tity Boi, his duo Playaz Circle released their debut single “Duffle Bag Boy”—a great song made even better by a guest verse from Wayne in his prime. Since then, the rappers’ paths have remained entwined: the 2010s are littered with joint tracks from the two, including *ColleGrove*, the 2016 collaborative album that mashed together their hometowns. (That’s College Park, Georgia, for 2 Chainz and Hollygrove, Louisiana, for Wayne.) Seven years later, the forty-something rappers still sound inspired by one another, trading scene-stealing moments for 21 tracks. (It isn’t a contest, but let’s say it is: 2 Chainz excels on minimalist productions like Bangladesh’s “Presha,” whereas Wayne dominates “Shame” in spite of Chainz’ pitch-perfect Ol’ Dirty Bastard impression.) The project is also loaded with more Easter eggs than a Marvel movie; the pair’s verses are riddled with nods to Southern rap greats: Wayne shouts out Fabo on “Long Story Short,” a track that samples Project Pat and channels UGK’s “International Players Anthem (I Choose You).” And on “Big Diamonds,” they take it back to 2000 with a classic Mannie Fresh beat, over which Wayne proclaims: “Me and 2 Chainz, bitch, we’re the new Big Tymers.”

2 Chainz and Lil Wayne’s ‘Welcome 2 Collegrove’ is an uneven concept album that demonstrates the rappers’ unwillingness to grow up.