Rapper 2 Chainz came to St. Louis with something to prove last Friday at Chaifetz Arena. After two visits to the city, he wanted to show the crowd of 4,000 or so that he has what it takes to headline a tour.
The odds were stacked against him based on the lackluster showings twice before – once as a show opener for Nicki Minaj’s St. Louis debut, and as a featured performer for Super Jam 2013.
Both left much to be desired, but much like his latest hit “I’m Different,” 2 Chainz set himself apart from his previous stage efforts when he greeted the crowd. He was energetic, committed to the performance and dedicated to giving fans a concert they could vibe to.
It was as if his sole purpose of the “2 Good to Be T.R.U.” was to silence those who consider him a second tier rap star.
His resurgence on the music scene in recent years is the stuff that fairy tales are made of. He came on the scene strong nearly ten years ago with Ludacris and Lil Wayne’s stamp of approval as a member of the rap duo Playaz Circle.
He was known by a different name back then – one that’s not necessarily safe for print. Under Ludacris’ Disturbing Tha Peace Label, Playaz Circle enjoyed a club hit with “Duffle Bag Boy” and the group members seemed destined to join the endless pool of hip-hop one hit wonder.
Years later he changed his name and climbed back to relevancy with his a mixtape in 2011 and his debut studio album “Based on a T.R.U. Story” debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 in 2012. Since then he’s enjoyed a constant stream of hits and features that have turned him into a household name.
His latest visit to St. Louis played much like his hip-hop happily ever after story. Plenty assumed he would be marginal at best, but he blew the minds of naysayers with a performance that would rank alongside his many musical co-signers.
Known as much for his features as his own music, he offered plenty of variety – and kept fans engaged with songs like “Birthday Song,” and “No Lie” and “[expletive] Problem.”
Those looking for lyrical wit or heavy hitting content won’t find it with 2 Chainz. Some would say his flow is downright remedial, but he’s capitalized on the notion that sometimes it’s just not that deep. People connect with him for the sake of the swag filled grandiosity that put rap on the map – with a Dirty South touch. And that’s exactly what he provides with “2 Good to Be T.R.U.”
Sadly, the same can’t be said for his featured performers.
August Alsina, the newest rising R&B heartthrob, proved himself to be every bit the rookie as he performed to the tracks of selections from his soon-to-be released “Testimony” debut. He crooned gratuitous profanity in songs like “I Love This” and “Ghetto.” And while he’s made a splash with his young female base, he’ll need some extreme polishing on vocals and stage presence before he’s able to rank alongside his contemporaries.
Pusha T was the weakest link of the tour. He lip synced, seemed out of place on stage (often overshadowed by his hype man) and failed to connect with the crowd.
Locals Lil’ St. Louis and Vega Sills served as pre-show openers and managed to muster more energy from the audience that Pusha T – which is atypical for an artist with a national following.
