I Didn’t Know How Badly I Needed To Watch 2 Chainz Try Expensive Stuff

Clearly men’s media isn’t my jam, because I had no clue that GQ had an ongoing web series hosted by 2 Chainz, one my most beloved rappers. Most Expensivest has the man responsible for some of the best rap features of the past decade trying a variety of luxury items, from food to cigars. Viceland has nabbed the show as part of its new television lineup, which is how it ended up on my radar. I honestly couldn’t have dreamed up a better concept. The show has updated Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous for the millennial crowd with a new host that we can really believe in.

Here’s what you need to know about 2 Chainz other than the fact that he’s a hip-hop hitmaker. In a moment where rappers like Future and Drake are now allowed to fully lean into their darkest emotions, 2 Chainz remains a literal ball of sunshine. He is by far one of the most charismatic figures in trap music. He has committed himself to good vibes and positivity. It shows in his lyrics, his public persona, and even his style. At 6’5, he still isn’t afraid to rock flashy ensembles and bedazzle himself in excessive jewelry. At his live shows, he doesn't stand idly in one spot putting all of his energy into the words of his songs. He dances wildly around the stage just like you are in the audience. 2 Chainz has no problem letting his light shine.

On the flip side, he is far from being all glitz and glamour. The college graduate has been known to speak on social issues that are important to him, like when he opened an HIV testing clinic in Atlanta. When I saw him perform at an event over the summer, he explained to the crowd that he wanted to encourage all of us to become millionaires, but he stopped to clarify that he wanted to see this vision come true for women the most. This was coming from the man whose latest album was called Pretty Girls Like Trap Music and who invested in his own line of flower crowns. All of these parts of 2 Chainz — the consciousness, carefreeness, and his many carats of gold — are on display for Viceland’s television premiere of Most Expensivest, and it works.

The first episode saw 2 Chainz eating a $1,000 donut, a slab of beef that was just as expensive, and smoking a cigar that costs nearly two grand. And while these extravagant items are interesting enough in their own right, it’s getting to know 2 Chainz in the process that makes the magic happen. For example, he hasn’t eaten beef in over 17 years and is reluctant to try the beef at Old Homestead Steakhouse in NYC. And when the owner brags about all of the celebrities that have dined there, 2 Chainz’s only takeaway is that the iconic establishment needs more Black history. Bjorn Delacruz named the expensive donut he created after his mother and grandmother, so 2 Chainz inquired about their skills and influence on Delacruz. He even nicknamed the donut “Grandmama/mama sweet biscuit.” Seriously, can he be anymore perfect?

Overpriced donuts don’t seem very important in the grand scheme of issues affecting our country, but it’s still fun to watch. Most Expensivest gives me a little bit of hope that even guilty pleasures — in my case, a voyeuristic interest in things I can’t afford — can come with silver linings, or in this case, gold ones.