2 Chainz, formerly known as Tity Boi, released his much talked about and anticipated mixtape, T.R.U. Realigion today (November 1). Coming off months of heavy buzz, appearances on awards shows, and hit remixes, 2 Chainz is ready to reintroduce himself to the Hip-Hop community and music industry as a force to be reckoned with. After the success of Playaz Circles’ first albums on Ludacris’ Disturbing Tha Peace imprint, which 2 Chainz was and still is a part of, the talk about Tity Boi and Dolla seemed to fizzle out. In 2011, it seems people can’t get enough of the Tity 2 Chainz movement, and more importantly, the music. AllHipHop.com got the opportunity to speak with the “humble hustler” on a number of topics, including his past with Playaz Circle, what kind of empire he is trying to build for himself now, his BET Cypher, and much more. Before his mixtape, T.R.U. Realigion, was released, 2 Chainz shed some light on his relationship with the mixtapes host DJ Drama, as well as artists like Wale, T.I., Ludacris, and even Kreayshawn. Read below to see what exactly was on the mind of the “Codeine Cowboy” also known as 2 Chainz: AllHipHop.com: What’s going on, Chainz? 2 Chainz: What’s going on, brother? AllHipHop.com: I heard you were just wrapping up a video. What were you working on? 2 Chainz: I’ve been doing a lot of promo stuff; it’s just been crazy with the media. There’s a lot of outlets, so I’ve been speaking to all of them. AllHipHop.com: So first things first, and I’m sure you’ve been asked this a lot, but what happened to Tity Boi, and who is 2 Chainz? 2 Chainz: Tity Boi – nothing happened to him – and 2 Chainz is basically the same person. They are still the same humble, hungry person. The name change just came with experience. It’s crazy, I’ve been asked that question so many times. [laughter] Basically what happened was I was going by Tity Boi as like a family, household name. My mother called me that, my father called me that, and when it became time for me to rap and put music out, I couldn’t think of an MC name, so I just stayed with a name that people called me and I was comfortable with in my area. SO, when I started moving around and telling people my name was Tity Boi, some people thought it was derogatory; other people thought it was cool. But in all my raps, dating back to my second album, I was calling myself Tity 2 Chainz. AllHipHop.com: OK. 2 Chainz: So, I think what happened was the way I delivered it made it sound friendly and made it easy for the kids to get out. Not to mention, I go hard as 2 Chainz. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsaxI1-tm84&w=560&h=315] AllHipHop.com: S0, just out of curiosity, as a pretty flashy guy, what are two of the favorite chains that you own? 2 Chainz: My plane chain is definitely one of them. I had that made for the Flight 360 album with Playaz Circle, and probably my “Duffle Bag Boy” logo would be the other one. That duffle bag logo is heavy as sh*t like a little midget. AllHipHop.com: Nice! Since you just mentioned it, what is up with Playaz Circle? Are you still working together and signed to Disturbing Tha Peace? 2 Chainz: Yeah, I’m definitely down with Dolla [Boi] still. We have a studio together back home, and we’ve been working on future business and ventures, but for right now, I’d be a fool to ignore the type of buzz that I’m creating as 2 Chainz and the music I’m putting out on mixtapes. I’m just really trying to follow my dreams right now. I’m ready to be my own boss, and that’s something I’m prepared for. AllHipHop.com: Definitely. I saw online that a week or two ago you had made a surprise appearance at Wale’s show in Chicago. What is your relationship with him like? 2 Chainz: Well, Wale stays in Atlanta. A lot of people don’t know that. Even before that, we were rocking with each other. We had a little rapport with one another, so it’s a situation where we talk to each other like once a week. He had invited me on the tour, not knowing what my schedule was going to be like, and I had to be in Chicago for a video shoot that I was doing for someone. We have a record together that’s not actually on his album, but has done well in the streets called “Globetrotter.” AllHipHop.com: What about you and T.I.? That “Spend It” record is all over the place right now. What was it like to be one of the first artists to work with him when he got out of prison? 2 Chainz: It felt good, man. I got word that he was going to be coming out, and it was a pleasure when he actually came home. I had one of the hottest songs out in the area, so when he came home and was around for BET Hip-Hop Awards weekend, I put him on the remix, and it just blasted off. It worked out good for me as another reintroduction of 2 Chainz, formerly Tity Boi. AllHipHop.com: You were one of the last minute additions to a BET Cypher this year, where you got to spit alongside Reek Da Villian, Busta Rhymes, and Ludacris. What was that experience like for you? 2 Chainz: Yeah, it was definitely last minute. I appreciated it, though. You just always have to be ready for things like that. I just had to grab some things and make it to the plane; I can’t really complain. It was dope to show off my skills in the Cypher. AllHipHop.com: For sure. Let’s get into your upcoming project, T.R.U. Realigion that you have DJ Drama hosting. You were featured on two tracks on his recent album Third Power, and now […]