‘Mercy’: The greatest 2 Chainz verse of all time
Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz has been on the scene for over a decade and has managed to gain quite a name for himself over the years. Around the early 2010s, the rapper was one of the hottest new rappers out of the South and gained a lot of followers through his various features.
2 Chainz began his career as part of the Atlanta hip-hop duo Playaz Circle. As part of the duo alongside Earl “Dolla Boy” Conyers, he acquired moderate success, with the team even signing to Ludacris’ Disturbing Tha Peace label. However, one of their breakthrough singles that put 2 Chainz on the map was ‘Duffle Bag Boy’ featuring Lil Wayne. However, although the rapper became slightly known in the South, he did not achieve mainstream success as part of the duo.
As the duo’s traction rapidly declined by the mid-2000s, 2 Chainz began working on his debut project, and in 2011, he finally released his debut mixtape T.R.U. REALigion. Following this, 2 Chainz was signed to Def Jam and began featuring on various high-charting tracks, such as ‘I’m Different’ and Nicki Minaj’s ‘Beez In The Trap’.
With so much material and a significant number of features under his belt, 2 Chainz has delivered a lot of verses since his rise to fame in the 2000s. Although there are many rhymes he has rapped, one verse he delivered really certified his status as a high-level rapper with the ability to rhyme alongside the greatest in the culture.
Following the release of his chart-topping debut project, Based on a T.R.U. Story, 2 Chainz was at the forefront of hip-hop. As such, when Kanye was gathering the best of the best for his G.O.O.D Music compilation album, Cruel Summer, 2 Chainz was someone he called upon.
The body of work boasted a star-studded line-up, including Teyana Taylor, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, and even DJ Khaled, but 2 Chainz’s appearance came in the form of ‘Mercy’ alongside Pusha T, Kanye, and Big Sean.
It is hard to describe how important 2 Chainz’s contribution to ‘Mercy’ was. Many would argue that he stole the show and that his lyrical ability somewhat revived his career and caused an unexpected resurgence that included a platinum album and Drake and Kanye features.
The verse epitomised everything Chainz had represented since breaking away from Playaz Circle and saw his brand condensed into potent lines. On the track, Chainz describes his “coupe the colour of mayonnaise,” his “chain the colour of Akon,” and energetically places his ad-libs perfectly, ending his verses with a “Tell ‘em” or “damn.”
One of the best lines from the track hears 2 Chainz emcee, “Grade A, A1, chain the colour of Akon / Black diamonds, backpack rhymin’, co-signed by Louis Vuitton.” The verse was a turning point for the ‘I’m Different’ creator and, akin to Nicki Minaj’s verse on ‘Monster’, saw him elevate to another level.