HotStar: 2 Chainz

Rapper 2 Chainz took a chance on going solo from his duo Playaz Circle and “rebranding” with a new name. That decision has paid off handsomely.

Within two years, his trajectory has skyrocketed, with his debut album Based On A T.R.U. Story up for a best rap album Grammy and his work on Kanye West s single “Mercy” giving him two more. He’s in demand on the road, and now the Georgia native is taking on Hollywood.

Pollstar caught up with his agent, William Morris Endeavor s Cindy Agi, the day after 2 Chainz shot a guest part for the second-year CBS comedy “2 Broke Girls.”

“It just shows he’s such a versatile guy,” Agi told Pollstar. “He’s changed his name, completely rebranded himself, and now he’s nominated for three Grammy Awards. He’s killing it right now.”

Based on a T.R.U. Story debuted at No. 1 on Nielsen SoundScan’s Top 200 album chart in August, and has certainly done much to raise his stock as a touring entity.

He’d been in front of thousands of fans already, as part of Drake’s amphitheatre tour package just before the album was released, and 2 Chainz opened a few shows for Nicki Minaj. But his fall outing as a headliner saw him selling out 1,000- to 1,500-seat venues.

Currently touring in Europe, 2 Chainz will return to the States in April before heading to Europe again for the summer festival season and other international dates. He is already working on a follow-up to T.R.U. to be released in 2013, and plans to hit the road again in the U.S. in the fall.

Between now and then, his team is assessing a touring strategy that isn’t a matter of if, or when, but how.

“He had an extremely busy 2012 touring year. He toured separately with Drake and Nicki Minaj as well as a couple of headline tours. We are currently working on an even bigger 2013,” Agi said.