2 Chainz has always had bangers, but this is different. This feels like an album should.
Here, 2 Chainz is really settling into his role as a father of rap, he's getting real and talking about his life experiences, his past crimes and regrets and new responsibilities as a family man.
It's not just about trap bangers and flexing now, this is 2 Chainz' 4:44, or at the very least a massive step in that direction.
The title refers to the two career choices afforded to young black men if they want to escape the trap; rap or sport - both of which 2 Chainz pursued, as well as drug dealing to the extent that he even admits selling to his own mother.
On the opening track Forgiven - a heavy, sombre affair weighted down by Marsha Ambrosius' stunning vocals - Chainz talks openly about life in the streets, the death of his friend's son and ultimately life as a black man, closing out poignantly with some spoken word followed by a single gunshot to drive it all home.
