In 1997, a 20-year-old 2 Chainz, then known as Tity Boi, formed a rap duo Playaz Circle with his friend Dolla Boy. They released their debut album United We Stand, United We Fall, which is now virtually unavailable online. (You can buy the physical copy for $299.99 (plus shipping)).
Due to a variety of snafus, they wouldn't release their debut album for another ten years. Eventually they dropped two studio albums, and Tity dropped a slew of solo mixtapes before switching to the more family-friendly nom de guerre 2 Chainz and signing a solo deal in 2012.
Playaz Circle discography is no longer available online due to copyright claim on the duo's logo (hence the absence of "Big Dawg"). But judging from Isaiah Rashad's excellent new song "Tity & Dolla," they still hold a special place in the heart of the southern rap canon.
Ludacris - "Eyebrows Down" feat. Playaz Circle
Ludacris was the artist that really introduced Playaz Circle to a broader audience. He invited Tity & Dolla to contribute on a pair of songs on his multi-platinum 2003 album Chicken - n - Beer. Tity only spits a couple of bars on the closer "Eyebrows Down," but God knows he would have murdered this beat. Which is downright nasty.
Playaz Circle - "You Can Believe It" feat. Ludacris
On "You Can Believe It," one of the best songs on Playaz Circle's 2007 debut album Supply & Demand, Tity's thick southern drawl mingles beautifully with an exuberant 9th Wonder-style soul sample, which is actually handled by Buckwild. "And every round I'm making toasts to show off my bracelet."
Listen to "You Can Believe It" here.
Playaz Circle - "Play Pen to the State Pen"
Disturbing Tha Peace was at its hey-day in the early 2000s, when Ludacris was a southern titan, when Chingy released the slept-on classic Jackpot. In 2002, the label released its first compilation album Golden Grain. Tity Boi makes a number of memorable performances on the album (shoutout "Smokin Dro,) but his best song is likely his "Play Pen to the State Pen" collab with Dolla Boy.
Playaz Circle and I-20 - "You Ain't Got Enough"
Disturbing tha Peace released its second compilation album Disturbing Tha Peace in 2005. In retrospect, the clear standout on the album is Shawnna's "Gettin Some (Head)," though the project is rife with hidden gems likes "You Ain't Got Enough." Between "You Ain't Got Enough" and "You Can Believe It," Tity clearly needs to spit on this style of beat more often.
Playaz Circle - "First Class"
Tity takes over on "First Class" (which appropriately appeared on Flight 360: The Takeoff).The bombastic horn-driven beat is a perfect compliment to his celebration of wealth, which takes place in a private jet hangar. True to their name, Playaz Circle has clearly been Preparing Legal Assets for Years from A to Z.
Playaz Circle - "Look What I Got"
The timeless steez of Dolla's spinning Atlanta Braves "A" rims indicate that spinning rims are poised for a massive comeback.
Tity Boi - "Up In Smoke"
R&B inflected "Up In Smoke" was one of the more popular tracks off Trapavelli 2 (The Residue), which Tity released in 2010, during his transitional period to 2 Chainz.
The iPhone 3 that makes an appearance in this video reminds me of the guy who dropped a hip hop ode to the iPhone 6 when the phone was first released and filmed the video on his new iPhone 6. This will only get more hilarious with time.
Tity Boi - "Kitchen"
Another T2 standout, "Kitchen" eventually got a remix with Jeezy and Pusha T, interpolates Waka Flocka's "I Go Hard in the Paint," and briefly sees Tity utilize a Lil B-esque flow, minus the irony. His swagger is still incredible, and every line is memorable. "Everytime I leave the booth they put yellow tape up."
Tity Boi - "Chalk Lines"
A chest-thumping testament to Tity's drug-selling exploits, "Chalk Lines" will take listeners back to high school math class with lines like "When I was born, my momma weighed me on a triple beam" and "Do you know how many bricks you can fit in a Durango?"
Playaz Circle - "Duffle Bag Boy" feat. Lil Wayne
We saved the best for last. Playaz Circle's debut single "Duffle Bag Boy" has aged like a fine wine, a high-water mark in southern rap that represents the beginning of a beautiful partnership between Tity and Weezy.
In the words of the immortal Angus Walker, "both come equipped with an onslaught on entertaining punchlines, Weezy's full of otherworldly imagination and those of Tity packed with fiery trap energy."
Get high or get low.