Like most rap collaborations in 2025, it all started with a text.
“Me, you, and Larry. Let’s do a five-pack,” Alchemist texted to 2 Chainz last spring. By that point, Al and Chainz had already been locking in the studio, and Chainz had worked with San Francisco rapper Larry June in the past. Despite being in different time zones and Chainz and Larry not having met yet, they quickly realized they had something special brewing.
“I just kept saying, ‘We should keep recording,’” 2 Chainz told Complex. “I was working with Alchemist because I like to work on some rap shit, and that’s what we were kind of working towards. But I’m a fan of what Larry does, and he already had a project with him, so it just felt good to do the collaboration thing.”
What started as a “five-pack” quickly turned into a full album—Life is Beautiful, released last month. It may be early, but it’s one of the standout rap albums of the year so far, receiving praise from fans and multiple shoutouts from Tyler, the Creator. The key to the album’s success is the undeniable chemistry and mutual respect between all parties.
Alchemist is the sole producer, crafting a landscape that’s sometimes lush (“Life is Beautiful”), sometimes jazzy (“Epiphany”), and sometimes unorthodox (“Colossal”). All while 2 Chainz, known for his charismatic hit-making, tones down the animated energy, almost slowing down his delivery while dishing out game. Chainz sounds like he’s influenced by Larry June, who mostly operates in his signature mode: sturdy, collected, and obsessed with healthy living. Both rappers are focused on elevation and growth, rapping about intermittent fasting, organic eating, and living in a building with amenities..
“You might listen to the album, and afterward, you’ve got four new LLCs,” Alchemist said. Larry adds, “You’re going to be able to play this 20 years from now and say this was a classic. You don’t have to do shit but press play, turn on the whip, and bend some corners. You don’t have to skip anything.”
On paper, the collaboration might seem like a clash of styles, but in reality, all members have more in common than you might think. Larry June has been one of the most prolific rappers working, while 2 Chainz, who just wrapped up his deal with Def Jam, is now independent and embracing his MC roots. (He also has an album with Statik Selektah in the works.) Really, the project speaks to the splintered sounds of rap right now: there’s an edgy, frantic underground juxtaposed with a more established class of vets, prioritizing clarity.
The trio calls it “lifestyle rap.” You might label it “adult contemporary rap.” Whatever you title it, just don’t call it “boom bap.”
“I don’t even know what that is,” Al said. “They try to put you in a box so they can categorize…Those terms are kind of corny to me. I don’t feel like I do boom bap. Or that he does trap, per se.”
We spoke with 2 Chainz, Larry June, and The Alchemist about their latest album, their creative process, and why they hate labels like “boom bap” or “trap.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
When was the first time you guys realized you had something?
2 Chainz: Probably by the second song we did together or something like that. I just kept saying “We should keep recording.” I was working with Alchemist because I like to work on some rap shit and that’s what we were kind of working towards. But I’m a fan of what Larry does and he already had a project with him and so it just felt good to do the collaboration thing.
Larry June: It was real organic, you know what I mean? Truly organic.
When you say you like to work on “rap shit,” do you mean a certain sound or are you just always in the booth?
2 Chainz: I’m just recording every night. And so Al and I had just built a rapport to where he was just blessing me with a lot of things. I’m about to drop a project with [Statik Selektah] which is in the same type of lane. So it’s something I’ve been gearing up to do for a while. I feel like this project could almost be the bridge to get to the other side of what I really love to do outside of trap music.
I was trying to think of what was the first time I’ve heard 2 Chainz on an Alchemist Beat. Was it the song with you and Conway, “200 Pies?”
Alchemist: That might have been the first.
2 Chainz: He was working with Griselda. I definitely love what they do. [Right now, I’m] just showing growth, maturation—showing the level of process. I think I still can do a hit record as well, but it feels good to do lifestyle rap.
“Lifestyle rap.” Is that how you look at it too, Larry?
Larry June: It’s kind of like talking about what you feel. Not thinking too much about it and just being 100 percent true. It ain’t too complex. Just giving them you.
Shit, I feel like there’s a lot of game on the album.
2 Chainz: I agree. You don’t have albums like that anymore, though. That’s why I feel like it’s a void that we filled with that and obviously getting a lot of replay value with people saying they can’t stop listening to it. But I think it’s something in there. It’s like a gem in there. Obviously you got your wordplay and your dope beats, but I think there’s some game in there as well. Everybody like getting game via music. And it’s been a while since somebody just gave us something as pure as Life is Beautiful.
Alchemist: You might listen to the album and afterwards you got four new LLCs.
Larry June: You going to be able to play this 20 years from now and say this was a classic. You ain’t got to do shit but press play, turn on the whip, bend some corners. You ain’t got to skip nothing.
Al is known for that, the way he sequenced the tracks and transitions—everything goes. So when we came together on it, it was undeniable. And if you know Chainz, he a real lyricist. He might rap on different beats and shit like that, but he really got bars. So it was fun for me having him rapping on these beats with him because he was turning me up, making me step my bars up.
Alchemist: I look back to the text and I think it was April of last year when I hit Toni and was like, “Yo, me, you and Larry, five pack.” That was the first idea. They were already cooking but they hadn’t even met low key.
2 Chainz: We was five songs in before we even shook each other hand.
Larry was ducking me. Larry was in LA when I was in LA. Then something came up. Then he came to Atlanta and he ended up going out with Killer Mike because he cool with Mike—everybody cool with Mike. And then he had an early flight so we couldn’t get together that night.
He got a player spirit. A player is really somebody that think before they react, super calm, not afraid to be themselves. We share that common denominator. We want to be ourselves to the utmost. It’s hard in a world full of copycats to just have that individualism.
Alchemist: For me, I’m like a coach. So I’m sitting back watching two ballplayers get on the court and just start having chemistry.
You probably saw something even maybe before they did?
Alchemist: I mean they have history with a couple records already. But seeing them together on the court, it was like,” Oh this is going to be easy.” And Toni was hitting me,” I’m having a good old time.” This is what he does. He’ll smack it out the park every time you send him a record. I think we might’ve cut three or four joints the first day he came out, started this project and then we start sending him to Larry because Larry likes to cook in his spot.
2 Chainz: Yeah, he records himself. It’s funny you using court as an analogy because I would always record in my studios. I have one in Florida, I have one in LA and I have one in Atlanta. But I recently started saying I want to go play away, meaning in somebody else studio. And I was saying that I’m going to give the fans their money’s worth because I’m going to drop 50 in front of them.
When you’re going to someone’s studio, do you feel a competitive surge?
2 Chainz: I have trained myself to be able to do this in any terrain. when I go to someone else’s studio, I have no control over who’s in the room, who around—if it’s a bad bitch, if it’s a gangster. I have no control of any of that. I still got to show up and play ball.
And so that has been my element, probably the last two years to where I don’t mind pulling up to somebody else’s studio and working. And that’s what I did with Al.
Larry June: His studio magical though. Because I wasn’t rapping in no studios at all. I went to his shit and got straight in the booth. I never do that. The energy was just flowing and shit.
Alchemist: Chainz, he made us raise our level. Me and Larry already proved what we could do with The Great Escape and I felt like that was cemented. But adding Chainz into the mix just changed everything. if you think of their styles, even phonetically, they’re very different. Chainz is dynamite, animated lines, colorful, crazy lyrics. Larry is smooth, laid back. So it was like putting them together was kind of magical just because of how they played off each other. Chainz obviously put us both on a lot of game.
How so?
Alchemist: I mean just seeing his ecosystem. We went out to Atlanta, damn near everywhere we went, he owned. It was very motivating. Tony is a real mastermind. I felt like he was able to give a lot of pointers.
Larry June: He brought different patterns to me which nobody ever do. Even on “Colossal,” I would’ve never rap backwards. Even on “Generation” I’m like damn, I got to come different. It’s like going to the gym working on different muscles that you didn’t even know you needed to work on.
2 Chainz, you’re known for your versatility, but you’re also a legit spitter. It feels like you’re really focusing on flexing your rapping skills now.
Alchemist: “Legit spitter”—what does that even mean? Aren’t you supposed to be? He didn’t get all that for nothing.
2 Chainz: I think the thing with me was connecting the dots with the fans. I think my peers completely know. We all kind of study each other. We got a gist for who do what. I’ve been on…I don’t know, how many features? So that lets you know what type of respect I get—they call me to get on their stuff.
But sometimes it’s hard to drill it with a fan who think they know everything. I think that’s where I am right now though. Just doing a full body of work in that mode, in that wordplay mode in that mode where it’s not many trap drums but it still feel good.
Alchemist: Some of those terms like ” trap,” “boom bap,” I kind of hate it. Some of them are outdated. The terms in general need to be updated.
2 Chainz: Yeah. Boom bap sounds crazy.
Alchemist: I don’t even know what that is.
They try to put you in a box so they can categorize you and be like, “All right, let’s put it on the shelf right here,” and if you step out of that it’s like “No, no, no, I had you filed over here.” Those terms are kind of corny to me. I don’t feel like I do boom bap. Or that he does trap, per se.
it’s just categorizing shit. I like going against that. I got different bags that I go into. I produce different artists and that’s kind of my job to find the right sound.
Did you find it challenging coming up with a middle that they could both hit?
Alchemist: Usually I try to figure out the sound. I want every project to be different. I don’t want to produce everything for everyone. Me and Larry kind of already had a bag. And then once me and Chainz started cooking, it was like he’s so versatile that he could really cut anything down. I never really thought too much about “Am I going to use this type of sample?” I just was like, this sounds good.
2 Chainz: I think he picked all the beats. It wasn’t like we were going through a bunch of beats. Al would just pull up one and we’d just be like, “That’s hard.” So that made it easier, too. When the producer is confident in what they’re presenting.
Alchemist: I appreciated that as a producer because I could tell you the flip side is sending 50 beats to somebody and they like, “I still didn’t find it. Keep sending me.” But then you just go nowhere.
Larry June: You can’t even label your beats. “Generation” wasn’t no trap beat, but when Chainz got on there he made it what it was. So I feel you on the label stuff. it’s outdated, man.
Are there any other labels that bother you?
Alchemist: All of them.
2 Chainz: They have to put it in a certain column and I get it. I like to think that I can expand outside of the norm.
Did you guys see Tyler, the Creator gushing over the album?
2 Chainz: Yeah, Tyler’s dope man. We appreciate that for sure.
I feel like you guys are looking at rap through a very similar lens. These are albums with game that feel a little adult. You don’t see it a lot with modern rap.
Alchemist: It’s funny that it’s like a statement. But it is, I guess. But yeah, to me it’s just making dope music. But maybe I think what you’re saying is the juxtaposition of [2 Chainz’s] style on the type of beats that I’m doing. And I think somebody like Tyler, he’s definitely into that.
2 Chainz: Yeah. He’s all into production.
Alchemist: Taking somebody from that world out and putting it on a sample based beat or something like that.
2 Chainz: It feels like a reinvention for me. I’ve done this a couple times so it’s crazy. But just the amount of comments that I’m reading of people not knowing that I really love this and really do this is. I don’t even know who to blame, man. I don’t know if I ain’t show my passion or my love for it. I don’t know if it’s the only child in me. But I really love what I do for a living. I have created other ways to eat. But I still love this. I’m just thankful that God has blessed me with ideas that I ain’t even thought of yet. My ideas are currency so I can never go broke.
What do you love the most about it though?
2 Chainz: I think I love being on stage probably more than anything. I used to correlate basketball to the microphone. If I got an and one, I would get a tech at the same time cause I just do some silly shit. I just like to let people know I’m in the building.
Larry June: I like the creative process of recording. I don’t like doing too many shows like that. But the music part, the beats and just expressing my thoughts through music is what I really love about it. Sometimes the stage and shit give me a little anxiety.
2 Chainz: You better get used to it, I’m finna drag you.
Larry June: I’m going to go touch some streets and do what I got to do for sure. But I love the process of making the music. Just waking up in the morning, drinking me some tea, light a candle, play a smooth beat and just talk about my life.
You guys record in the morning?
2 Chainz: He does. He a single parent. So his schedule different from mine. By the time I wake up, I be trying to catch up on their group texts because. I don’t get up ‘till 1 or 2 PM sometimes.
Larry June: But when I’m with him, we’re in the studio ‘till 6 AM. We going to sleep from the studio. So I can jump on both sides. In my previous interview I talked about how I just do three hours a day. I definitely stepped that up and it’s like anytime I feel like doing it, I just go do it. My son way older now so I got more flexibility.
Who records the fastest?
Larry June: 2 Chainz. Instantly, three minutes.
I got you on [“Munyon Canyon”] though. I wrote my verse quicker. That was legendary. I beat the n*gga Chainz.
2 Chainz: You tripping. I did my verse and I moved it to the second. I went in there and I said “move” because I didn’t want my idea to leave my head. So I said let lemme just get this shit out right quick.
I be writing in my head. I call it gigabytes. I got these gigabytes in my head and so if I don’t need to remember something, I don’t even really listen. I block it out because I don’t have that much space left. And so when I’m writing raps sometimes, and I’m writing it with somebody else, I might be like, “I don’t care if I go first.” I just need to get this out my head. I don’t know if I’m going to still remember everything.
Alchemist: I actually put a verse on that and I took it off.
It wasn’t up to par. It ain’t easy to rap with these guys. I make beats. I rap on my off days.
2 Chainz: I said because we used the word “Munyon” and he’s a super backpack guy and I thought his hip-hop friends would mess with him.
Alchemist: There you go with those labels, Chainz.
2 Chainz: Hey man, you’re right. You don’t like labels. See that was my thing because his verse was hard. So I said, “He might not want them folks saying, ‘Oh, oh you got some Munyon.'” But I’m sorry for labeling you because you fire.
Alchemist: I work with some street artists, too.
How do you juggle it all?
Alchemist: I love what I do. I got two kids, a four and a two year-old. As soon as they’re up, I rush to the studio. I can’t wait to get to the studio in the morning. We make money off of what we love to do. You know how many people I know that got a job they got to go to all the time? They can’t stand it. They’re in traffic, they’re stressed. This is a blessing to be able to create art and even profit from it.
And then when I sit down to make a beat, I psych myself out on some shit. “I’m going to be like Michael Jordan right now. Whatever I’m going to do, nobody else can do what I’m going to do.” I just try to put that in me while I’m creating to be the best version of you. I am in my third, fourth quarter. Everybody knows I’ve been around since the ‘90s.
What I appreciate about you is your versatility. You could do this then an album with Yasiin Bey. How do you juggle it?
Alchemist: Production is secondary to me, meaning raps are cavalier. A beat is just a beat. All these beats for this album, they may have just sat in my computer or in a drum machine had they not written the words that they wrote to make them what everybody loves. I always try to figure out when I’m working with an artist, what is the type of bed they want to lay on because the beat is just a bed.
I try to figure out what moves their pen. It doesn’t have to be the best beat. It doesn’t have to be my favorite beat. It just has to be something that inspires them because what they’re going to write ultimately is going to make it what it’s going to be.
So how often do you feel like sacrifice a beat to make a great song?
Alchemist: All the time. And I hate it. I want to shine too. I want a beat that wows all my producer friends so they could text me and go, “How’d you flip that?”
But to be honest, I would be selfish if I was doing that. I want to make music for the world. I don’t want to just make music for me. I mean it is dope if you satisfy both. I feel like “Bad Choices” might be something like that. “Oh, you cut that up crazy.” But it’s also just a song that anyone could enjoy.
Is there an example that comes to your, an iconic song where you like, oh man, wish this beat was better?
Alchemist: I mean when I did “The Realest” for Mobb Deep, I was very insecure about it. because it was just a loop. And at the time that was kind of risque. “Oh you just looped the two bar loop. You didn’t add your own drums and spice it.” It was kind of risky. But to this day, that’s one of my best records of all time. And I had to grow to understand, you go through stages as a producer, like belts. But that don’t mean you can’t do a simple kick as well. Sometimes that’s more efficient.
What’s this year looking like for you guys?
Larry June: It’s going to be a great year. We started it off on fire. We ain’t stopping. Chainz working on a classic album. I ain’t stopping. I’m keeping it going. I’m doing what I want to do when I want to do and I’m just doing dope shit.
When you live this shit, it just come out normal. I ain’t got to go read the dictionary about this shit. Every day it’s something new. I might wake up in the morning and go drive to Big Sur, grab a coffee with the yitch, grab some motherfucking sneakers. I’m talking about juice a fresh orange. Read a book and we go just talk about it.
2 Chainz: That’s what it is, man. It is it about everything you do being cool. Yeah, that’s how I feel. Everything I do being cool, being smart is cool to me. Taking care of your family, that’s some cool shit to do shit. Yeah, it’s also cool to have a nice dress code, but it’s just certain things about making everything you do cool.
Chainz, what can you say about the album?
2 Chainz: [Me and Statik Selektah] been working on the album for a few years. So there’s been some changes, some beat replays, some additions. I had [1500 or Nothin’] come in and bless some of the boom bap.
Alchemist: Watch it.
2 Chainz: I was using last year to really handle a lot of the personal business I had. But this year is more catered to feeding the music side of my hunger. So it’s just another one producer produced project. I have various features: Mary J. Blige, I know CeeLo Green is on there, Westside Gunn, Larry on there, [Lil] Wayne on there. I think people will maybe accept it and digest it a little different because of Life is Beautiful. And not to say they sound anything alike, I just think it’s the same kind of lyrical display.
I was just listening to “Kyrie & Luka” the song you had with Eminem. I was like man, you went crazy.
Alchemist: So crazy. He lost his mind on that actually.
2 Chainz: I actually did that beat.
Larry June: You made that beat?
2 Chainz: Em did his part, but I did my part. Em came in and added some crazy drums on his part. But yeah, that was fun.
There is is only two things a person could say: that’s yes or no. And when I asked him to get on it, he said “yes” and the rest is history. And it is crazy. I’m so confident it’s like, “Here go my verse” and I’m done. “Do you Mr. Eminem, because I already know how you get down.” And still ain’t going to change my verse. And so I’m glad it came out from him too.
Larry June: Oh, so you sent him the song but he ended up using it?
2 Chainz: What happened was I sent it to him and he rapped for a while. And so this is when I was working on [Welcome 2 Collegrove] with Wayne. And so I said if I put Wayne on this song, it’s going to be about 10 minutes long. So I said I’ll just sit on the song. But they would ask me, “When you going to put this song out?”
And for me, sometimes I sit on songs too long just like sometimes I wait to wear clothes. It’s just a bad thing with me trying to figure out when is the right time to do something. And I didn’t know what project to put it on. I’m trying to say I’m going to put it on this. And it just made sense for it just to come out because people like you were able to hear it and have your opinion on it.
