2 Chainz is a veteran in the rap game. While he experienced a rebirth and rise to stardom in the past decade, he has been making music since the 90s. Before there was the 2 Chainz we know and love today, there was Tity Boi, member of the hip hop duo, Playaz Circle. He has been signed to Def Jam since those Playaz Circle days. Given that he is now 42-years-old and has built his name to be one of the biggest in the game, it makes sense that he’s considering switching things up. 

2 Chainz is in the midst of promoting his T.R.U. University label’s compilation album, NO FACE NO CASE, which is set to drop next month. He appears on its first single, “Virgil Discount”, alongside Skooly. While this rollout is underway, 2 Chainz has also been preparing us for his next solo project. On Friday, he shared the Future-assisted single, “Dead Man Walking”. With all this going on, he called in to do an interview with Beats 1’s Zane Lowe. 

While speaking on the Apple Music radio show, 2 Chainz revealed that he’s hoping to be an independent artist by the end of 2020. “Shortly after [the release of NO FACE NO CASE], I’m dropping my solo project, which will probably be my last solo on Def Jam,” the Atlanta rapper said. When Lowe probed him on why he would leave the label after developing such a fruitful relationship there over the years, 2 Chainz explained that the motivation behind this move concerns ownership. “The future’s unknown, but I been with Def Jam for a long time. That’s my home right there. It’s no bad blood over there. I’m just coming into another layer – another section in my life – to where it’s just about owning more. And that’s all that it is. And who knows? I might stick around. It just depends on how the negotiations go. But for now, I’m looking forward to possibly being independent by the end of the year and rocking out with my guys.”