"Transparency" is a song by American rappers 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne, featuring R&B singer Usher. It was released on November 17, 2023, as the third single from their collaborative studio album Welcome 2 Collegrove (2023).[2][3]
| "Transparency" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne featuring Usher | ||||
| from the album Welcome 2 Collegrove | ||||
| Released | November 17, 2023 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:15 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| 2 Chainz singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Lil Wayne singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Usher singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Transparency" on YouTube | ||||
Background
edit"Transparency" was originally a Chris Brown song featuring 2 Chainz, that was supposed to be included on his tenth studio album Breezy (2022), and sampled Michael Jackson's 1982 song "The Lady In My Life".[4] However, the song wasn't released, with Brown stating in 2022: "We couldn't clear the sample and we felt it took away from the song if that music wasn't there", unofficially releasing a solo version of it on his Instagram account.[4]
The track was later taken by 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne for their 2023 collaborative studio album Welcome 2 Collegrove, enlisting Fridayy, Hitmaka, Mike Dean, Paul Cabbin and Tarik Beats to rearrange its instrumental, and Usher to perform the song's chorus.
Critical reception
editSlant commented the song saying that it's "a repurposing of a previously leaked Chris Brown song. It’s supposedly a somewhat serious song about integrity, but the two rappers groaningly take the titular concept literally, making cracks about, among other things, see-through garments".[5] HipHopDX stated that the song "feel[s] dated and slapdash", adding that it "rips lyrics from the chorus of a 2021 Chris Brown song of the same name, sounds like a lazy reach for radio play".[6]
Music video
editThe music video for "Transparency" was released alongside the song.[7]
Charts
edit| Chart (2023–2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[8] | 3 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[9] | 35 |
| US Rhythmic (Billboard)[10] | 12 |
References
edit- ^ "2 Chainz, Lil Wayne - Welcome 2 Collegrove Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". Archived from the original on 2023-12-16. Retrieved 2023-12-29 – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ "2 Chainz & Lil Wayne Drop Highly Anticipated New Album, Welcome 2 Collegrove, Available Today". Umusic. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ "2 Chainz & Lil Wayne Release Their Joint Album Welcome 2 Collegrove". iHeart. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ a b Hynes, Hayley (December 4, 2022). "Chris Brown Leaks Michael Jackson-Sampled Song, "Transparency" On IG: Listen". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ Lyons-Burt, Charles (November 20, 2023). "2 Chainz and Lil Wayne 'Welcome 2 Collegrove' Review". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ "Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz Make Up For Their Recent Poor Solo Albums On 'Welcome 2 Collegrove'". HipHopDX. November 19, 2023. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ "New Video: 2 Chainz, Lil Wayne, & Usher - 'Transparency' - That Grape Juice". thatgrapejuice.net. Archived from the original on 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
- ^ "2 Chainz Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ "2 Chainz Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- ^ "2 Chainz Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2024.