2 Chainz has been in the rap game for a long time. His first mixtape Me Against the World dropped all the way back in 2007. He is now 41 years old and has still managed to remain relevant through all these years. That being said, when it was announced that he would be dropping his fifth studio album Rap or Go to the League many fans had to wonder what direction he would go in next.

Something felt a little different about this release. 2 Chainz is an artist who has thrived on having at least one or two hit singles before the release of a full-length project to build up significant hype. This time around he gave us nothing. Also, and probably more significantly, the A&R for the album was LeBron James. Based off of this decision in addition to the title of the project, it is clear the 2 Chainz will be talking about the various parallels between rap and sports, specifically basketball. We get this from the very first track of the album where the first thing we hear after pressing play is a high school announcer calling out 2 Chainz real name (Tauheed Epps) for the starting line up for a basketball game.

The intro track is actually one of the standout songs on Rap or Go to the League. “Forgiven” is very cinematic and commands your attention from the start. Marsha Ambrosius comes through with some stellar vocals throughout the duration of the song and 2 Chainz actually impresses the listener as a fairly compelling storyteller. Though it doesn't fall along the lines of his normal upbeat braggadocious trap rapping, “Forgiven” and moments like it on the album where 2 Chainz makes an effort to communicate a point are what really shine on the album. This continues onto the second song “Threat 2 Society.” There is a gorgeous gospel loop playing in the background, and 2 Chainz comes for anyone who would question his authenticity and standing in the rap game. This is one of the few solo tracks in which 2 Chainz is able to carry himself successfully.

Although on this album he expands on his subject matter and is able to keep a consistent theme throughout, his actual rapping is the true issue with the album. He doesn't get too adventurous with a lot of his flows and wordplay. It's not bad by any stretch of the imagination but nothing he does is something new. Though the message he is pushing out is admirable and something that did deserve attention, it's nothing groundbreaking. This leads to an album with some very solid highs and not many lows, just several average tracks.

Stream & Download - https://2chainz.lnk.to/HotWingsAreAGirlsBestFriend Follow Chainz: https://www.instagram.com/2chainz/ https://twitter.com/2chainz https://www.facebook.com/2Chainz/ http://www.2chainz.com Music video by 2 Chainz performing Girl's Best Friend. © 2018 Gamebread, LLC, under exclusive license to Def Jam Recordings, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc. http://vevo.ly/wiMQCt

What helps pick the album back up are the string of features in the middle of the album. The Kendrick Lamar feature on “Momma I Hit a Lick” might be one of the most strange and divisive verses Kendrick has done in a while. This is one of the few spots on the album where 2 Chainz has to switch up his flow to fit such a strange beat. Lil Wayne comes through on “2 Dollar Bill” which features a surprising E-40 verse as well. The most impressive of all the features has to come from Chance the Rapper and Kodak Black. “I'm Not Crazy, Life Is” might be the best song on the album, because it features all the best elements from other songs in the project and puts them into one track. It remains socially aware while 2 Chainz delivers a thought-provoking verse on his come up and all that it took. Kodak and Chance take similar somber approaches to their verses and it makes for a stellar moment on Rap or Go to the League.

Overall this is a good 2 Chainz album. There aren't any songs on here that are really bad or unlistenable. The only thing that the album suffers from is that it does drag at points because it isn't a quick listen. The fact of the matter is that this isn't anything special. Rap or Go to the League knows exactly what it is and doesn't stray too far away from that. The features all deliver solid contributions that significantly help spots where the album loses its steam. All of these factors lead to a good but not great final product.