2 Chainz & Lil Wayne “Welcome 2 Collegrove” Album Review

Welcome 2 Collegrove

After more than ten years of working together, Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz have an unbreakable relationship. With the publication of “ColleGrove,” their first collaborative endeavor in 2016, they demonstrated their appreciation and respect for one another’s abilities and approaches.

They’ve finally released the sequel, “Welcome 2 Collegrove,” after years of waiting, and it shows that their relationship and collaboration are still going strong. The album “Welcome 2 Collegrove,” which includes guest performances by 21 Savage, Usher, Fabolous, Benny The Butcher, Vory, Rick Ross, and Marsha Ambrosius, was released on November 17, 2023 through Def Jam Recordings, and consists of 21 tracks.

In addition, 50 Cent contributes humor and commentary to the CD by narrating five skits. “Welcome 2 Collegrove” is proof of Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz’s enduring success and influence in the rap industry. Their chemistry is evident on the record, along with their incisive poetry and wide range of musical influences.

The title of the album is a mix of the hometowns of the two rappers: Lil Wayne is from Hollygrove, New Orleans, and 2 Chainz is from College Park, Georgia.

Album Cover Art

A mesh of Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz’ faces are used for the cover of their joint new project. Weezy’s face and infamous locs are blended out with some prominent facial features from 2 Chainz.

Tracks and Features

After the title intro, the first track on the album, “G6,” begins with an unimpressive trap instrumental, even though the lyrics legitimately claim that they are the greatest ones here. In contrast, the song “Big Diamonds,” featuring 21 Savage, picks up the pace with a ratchet Mannie Fresh beat and talks about being big dogs.

While “Long Story Short” has a more soulful flair since Big K.R.I.T. acknowledges that this life they are living would ultimately lead to their death, “Presha” incorporates some whistling and hi-hats from Bangladesh in an obvious attempt to serve pressure. Wayne and 2 Chainz discuss everything from women with extra BBLs to Devin Booker’s broken nose in their chill, humorous punchlines.

Following the “Duffel Bag Boys” interlude, Apex Martin and Mike Dean’s horns are featured on “Millions from Now,” making it a very enjoyable aspect to the song which has its major theme talking about forgetting specific people once wealth arrives.

Afterward, we enter the subpar “Crazy Thick,” which leaps over a bass-heavy instrumental. And as the title suggests, the bars are an ode to thick women. “Transparency” ditches the drums entirely in favor of synths provided by Hitmaka in search of clarity, shortly before “Significant Other,” produced by Honorable C.N.O.T.E. & 30 Roc, which is a 2-part track: ColleGrove’s answer to Future & Drake’s “Life is Good,” except Chainz and Weezy deliver better.

Following the interlude “Ladies Man,” the next in track is “P.P.A. (Pretty Pussy Award)” with Fabolous, which features a lovely vocal sample chop that lasts the entire song as the rappers tell the special women in their lives what they deserve. Meanwhile, “Oprah & Gayle” with Benny the Butcher abandons the romantic themes and drops nothing but bars for five minutes over an upbeat DJ Toomp beat.

“Crown Snatcher” muses about being precisely that over an intense instrumental by Murda Beatz. This is one of those songs that you just can’t hate. It has a really appealing melody, a powerful beat that will get you pumped, and a decent balance of aggressive and competitive lyrics. Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz provide steady flows and cadences as well.

Tracklist

NO	TITLE	ARTIST	TIME
1	Scene 1: Welcome 2 Collegrove	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	0:49
2	G6	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	3:04
3	Big Diamonds	2 Chainz, Lil Wayne & 21 Savage	3:19
4	Presha	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	3:05
5	Long Story Short	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	3:30
6	Scene 2: Duffle Bag Boys	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	0:29
7	Millions From Now	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	2:19
8	Crazy Thick	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	2:56
9	Transparency	2 Chainz, Lil Wayne & USHER	3:15
10	Significant Other	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	4:23
11	Scene 3: Ladies Man	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	0:31
12	P.P.A.	2 Chainz, Lil Wayne & Fabolous	3:40
13	Oprah & Gayle	2 Chainz, Lil Wayne & Benny the Butcher	5:13
14	Shame	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	2:36
15	Bars	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	3:42
16	Scene 4: No Fent	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	0:28
17	Godzilla	2 Chainz, Lil Wayne & Vory	3:02
18	Crown Snatcher	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	2:36
19	Can’t Believe You	2 Chainz, Lil Wayne & Rick Ross	4:39
20	Scene 5: Never Was Lost	2 Chainz & Lil Wayne	0:14
21	Moonlight	2 Chainz, Lil Wayne & Marsha Ambrosius	3:48

Album Theme

“Welcome 2 Collegrove” makes an effort to be a large-scale concept record: This Southern fable is broken up into five “scenes” or suites, with 50 Cent narrating the introduction to each one.

The hazy story revolves around two drug lords, Tunechi (Lil Wayne) and Toni (2 Chainz), who are frequently sidetracked by women. Their ultimate goal is to retake Collegrove, an imaginary neighborhood that combines their two hometowns, from a group of young, up-and-coming fentanyl dealers.

Production Credits

Producers on the album include 30 Roc, Apex Martin, Bangladesh, B Ham, Big K.R.I.T., Big Papito, Dem Jointz, DJ Toomp, Dom Solo, Fridayy, German, Havoc, Hitmaka, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Indyah, Jordan Fox, Juicy J, and many others.

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