Larry June, 2 Chainz, The Alchemist - Life Is Beautiful (2025) Hi-Res

Three hip-hop greats find common ground amid contrast. When Larry June and The Alchemist get together, the results are invariably magical. Two West Coast hip-hop mainstays, their 2023 joint album The Great Escape and a few surrounding one-offs clarified just how marvelously the Bay’s healthiest MC could vibe with LA’s infamous beat artisan. While that project’s featured guests were overwhelmingly comprised of ALC familiars, the duo’s 2025 follow-up welcomes a relative newcomer to that particular scene as its third headliner: 2 Chainz. Having established his reputation primarily with trap producers, the Georgia native reached a certain level of ubiquity by working beyond subgenre borders, which contextualizes his presence on Life Is Beautiful. As his biggest fans assuredly know, he and June are in no way strangers, appearing together on the latter’s Spaceships on the Blade and The Night Shift, albeit not over Alchemist beats.

Commonalities and contrasts between the two rappers make Life Is Beautiful a uniquely satisfying listening experience. “Colossal” recalls 2 Chainz’s Most Expensivest exploits, his luxe litany of decidedly un-humble brags pleasantly incongruous with June’s signature lifestyle index involving fresh-squeezed juices, vintage timepieces, and automotive excellence. At times, they suit one another like a well-balanced cocktail, trading unapologetically profane bars for more methodical and measured ones on “I Been” and “Any Day.” Elsewhere, their shared maturity differentiates them from the brand-name-dropping rap pack, their grown-folks motivations informing the flexes of “LLC” and the title track. Devoid of distractions from outside guests, both artists’ skills and quirks come to the fore over Alchemist’s breathtaking, often sublimely soulful, instrumentals.