Atlanta rapper, 2 Chainz, has started his own independent record label. The record label named, The REAL University, has signed rappers Cap 1, Young Dolph, Bankroll Fresh, Skooly, and Fre$h (also referred to as Short Dawg). In honor of his new venture, 2 Chainz will be releasing a mixtape entitled TRU Jack City. The mixtape will be released on January 27, and it will showcase the artists on the label. The REAL University label announced it will drop one song every Tuesday, leading up to the official mixtape release date.
2 Chainz is currently working on his third studio album. The rapper told MTV that his new album will “transport listeners back to the trap.” The same trap where he made his “bones as a frenzied lyricist bent on superstardom who come hell or the hot water needed to cook freebase cocaine.” Last year, a rumor about the possible title of his third album circulated the Internet, “We not gon’ even call the next album B.O.A.T.S. It’s gon’ be a whole new campaign. I can’t wait to come back in and unravel that and show y’all what’s up.” Fans of the rapper can expect his new album to piggyback off of his Freebase EP. Although the album won’t be titled Freebase, it will shadow the lifestyle and culture of the EP. The Freebase EP was released in May of last year.
2 Chain’s last studio album, B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time, was released in 2013. Although the album was well-received by music critics, it didn’t garner the same success as 2 Chainz’s first solo album. His first album, Based on a T.R.U. Story, has sold 623,000 copies. 2 Chainz’s second effort has only sold 221,000 copies in the United States. Based on a T.R.U. Story was supported by three successful hit singles. “No Lie,” “Birthday Song,” and “I’m Different.” To date, all three singles managed to sell 500,000 copies each, awarding the rapper three gold singles. Based on a T.R.U. Story was nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammy Awards. Spin magazine named the album the twenty-fifth best hip-hop album of 2012.