The seventh 2 Chainz studio record, Dope Don’t Sell Itself, is out today, and while it doesn’t reach the sustained heights of his best projects, it’s the perfect excuse to comb back through his discography and select the great deep cuts of his career. And he’s managed to transition into a stage of his career where a devoted fan base eagerly awaits his albums, something that was far from guaranteed a decade ago when “No Lie” and “Birthday Song” were dominating radio. He’s no longer at the center of rap culture, but he held a place there into his 40s, which is truly rare. Then, he began putting out complete bodies of work like ColleGrove and Pretty Girls Like Trap Music that showed he was so much more than just a punchline savant. He initially seemed destined to be a singles artist whose occasional hits could never match up to his stellar guest verses. What makes 2 Chainz so special is how much better he’s gotten since entering the public eye. But those Instagram caption bars only capture part of the Chainz story, and tucked away on nearly every one of his releases are smart, imaginative, and even poignant bars that point to a more fully-rounded sensibility.

Some would stick with the so-simple-it’s-brilliant options (“She got a big booty, so I call her Big Booty”), while others would probably opt for something from one of his star-making guest verses (“I’m drunk and high at the same time/Drinkin’ champagne on the airplane”).

You could ask 20 rap fans what their favorite 2 Chainz lyric is, and chances are you’d get 20 different answers.

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