July 06, 2017

From Trap to Rap: Why 2 Chainz is a Marketing Genius

 

 On first listen, many may view 2 Chainz as a drug dealing, chain wearing, woman getting, one dimensional rapper.  And while he does rap about all of these very typical "rapper things", 2 Chainz is a bit smarter than most trap rappers.  In fact, the way 2 Chainz has marketed himself as a brand and his music is genius.  He has successfully taken a music genre that is saturated and brought new elements to it.  Let's take a look at a few moves he has made to become the marketing genius he is

1. The Name Change

2 Chainz name change was arguably the most important move of his career.  He originally went by the rap monicker "Tity Boi" while he was apart of the rap group Playaz Circle.  The change to 2 Chainz was innovative, flashy, and smart.  Essentially, he was successfully able to recreate himself as a new artist. Shortly after, he had the whole world shouting "I'm ridin round and i'm gettin it"

2. Collaborations

Collaborations and features are a huge part of the rap game.  While some artists aim to make as many songs as possible with other rappers, others stay to themselves and build their own lane.  2 Chainz has definitely been the former; his track record of collaborations is extensive.  From Drake to Kanye to the Migos, 2 Chainz has made countless collab records which not only helped him expand his fanbase but allowed him to hit the charts time after time.

3. Dabbin' Santa Sweaters

In 2016, 2 Chainz started a Dabbin' Santa sweater line and successfully earned $2 million off of them! That's right $2 million off of sweaters.  How was he so successful? He utilized his own influence to push a design that was already so intertwined in the hip-hop culture at the time.  Usually brands look to rappers as influencers to promote their product; 2 Chainz looked to himself and was able to successfully profit outside of music.

4. GQ's Most Expensive Sh*t Series

While The Most Expensive Sh*t series might be mutually beneficial for both GQ and 2 Chainz, the branding and positioning of 2 Chainz wearing and experiencing expensive things is definitely a plus for his image.  Subconsciously, viewers are associating 2 Chainz with these expensive things, further validating his rapper image.  It's a smart move, and the series has racked up millions upon millions of views (even more exposure for the famous rapper).

5. Pink Trap House

2 Chainz latest marketing move might be his most innovative. He leased out a house, painted it all pink and put an all pink car in front of it.  He called it the "Pink Trap House". It was open to the public to take pictures in front of in promotion of his new album "Pretty Girls like Trap Music".  He even had free HIV testing taking place at the Pink Trap House one day.  The house prompted tons of IG and twitter pictures, further spreading the news of his new project. Genius!  

These are just a few of the marketing ideas 2 Chainz had up his sleeve.  What will he do next??

 

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