aking the stage as rumors swirled about a new label deal, Georgia rapper 2 Chainz made his New York debut on Monday night (Jan. 30) with a raucous showcase at S.O.B.'s. The MC, one-half of rap duo Playaz Circle who was previously known as Tity Boi, tore into cuts like "Spend It," "Hard in the Kitchen" and "Supafreak" during a breathless set that barely lasted over half an hour.
2 Chainz gave a special shout-out to the Def Jam executives in attendance at the end of his set, and is expected to officially announce his deal with the label on MTV RapFix Live on Wednesday. The rapper confirmed to XXL that he was no longer signed to Ludacris' Disturbing Tha Peace imprint, but that he and Luda, who is also signed to Def Jam, were "still working" together.
After briefly leaving the stage, 2 Chainz was summoned back by Raekwon, who made an unexpected appearance in front of the crowd and officially co-signed the white-hot headliner. "When I came to Atlanta, you weren't even super poppin' yet… but I believed in you," Raekwon told the young MC. "All I wanna say is I'm so proud of this man. I love you, son.
Meanwhile, opening act Marcus Manchild brought out two special guests of his own: Slim Thug and Paul Wall, who delivered an impromptu version of "Still Tippin'" during the Houston native's set. Neako and Phreshy Duzit were also featured as opening acts at the event, which was sponsored by Noizy Cricket!!, Rap Radar and Power 105.
The S.O.B.'s show continued a whirlwind period for 2 Chainz, who has released seven solo mixtapes in the span of two years, including the DJ Drama-hosted "T.R.U. REALigion" tape last year.
