2 Chainz is an American rapper born and raised in College Park, Georgia. He initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, alongside fellow hometown rapper Earl "Dolla Boy" Conyers. The duo was signed to fellow Georgia-based rapper Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace label and became best known for their 2007 debut single "Duffle Bag Boy" (featuring Lil Wayne).
In February 2012, 2 Chainz signed a solo recording contract with Def Jam Recordings. The following August, he released his debut studio album Based on a T.R.U. Story, which peaked the Billboard 200. The album spawned three successful singles: "No Lie" (featuring Drake), "Birthday Song" (featuring Kanye West), and "I'm Different"; each charted within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100 and received double platinum certification or higher by the RIAA, along with the album itself going platinum. His second studio album, B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time (2013) was preceded by the lead single "Feds Watching" (featuring Pharrell Williams) and saw improved critical reception despite a slight commercial decline. 2 Chainz would subsequently release the albums ColleGrove (2016), Pretty Girls Like Trap Music (2017), Rap or Go to the League (2019), So Help Me God! (2020), and Dope Don't Sell Itself (2022).
2 Chainz began working with television network Vice TV on the reality show Most Expensivest, which debuted on November 15, 2017, and aired for three seasons. The artist has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, ultimately winning his first in 2017 for Best Rap Performance for his guest feature on the song "No Problem" by Chance the Rapper. In addition, he's received three BET Awards from eleven nominations, as well as five BET Hip Hop Awards from nineteen nominations.