# Life Is Beautiful (Larry June, 2 Chainz and the Alchemist album)
**Life Is Beautiful** is a collaborative studio album by the San Francisco rapper [Larry June](https://www.edgepedia.org/larry-june), the Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz, and the producer the [Alchemist](https://www.edgepedia.org/alchemist), released on February 7, 2025. The Alchemist produced every track, and the album was released through The Freeminded Records, 2 Chainz, ALC, and EMPIRE.[1](https://www.sleepingvillagereviews.com/reviews--premieres/larry-june-x-2-chainz-x-the-alchemist-life-is-beautiful-mini-review) • [2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/larry-june-2-chainz-the-alchemist-life-is-beautiful/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release date | February 7, 2025[3](https://hiphopdx.com/news/the-alchemist-album-2-chainz-larry-june-soon) |
| Artists | Larry June, 2 Chainz, and the Alchemist (sole producer)[4](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/2-chainz-larry-june-alchemist-life-is-beautiful-interview) |
| Label | EMPIRE[2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/larry-june-2-chainz-the-alchemist-life-is-beautiful/) |
| Runtime | 37 minutes[2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/larry-june-2-chainz-the-alchemist-life-is-beautiful/) |
| First single | "Bad Choices", released with a video before the album was announced[3](https://hiphopdx.com/news/the-alchemist-album-2-chainz-larry-june-soon) |
| Precedent | Second Larry June and Alchemist album, following *The Great Escape* (2023)[3](https://hiphopdx.com/news/the-alchemist-album-2-chainz-larry-june-soon) |
| Milestone for 2 Chainz | His first release since leaving Def Jam, where he spent more than a decade[5](https://www.undergroundwave.life/post/larry-june-2-chainz-the-alchemist-break-down-life-is-beautiful-the-art-of-independent-hustle) |
## Origin and recording
The project began as a text message. In the spring of 2024, the Alchemist wrote to 2 Chainz proposing "Me, you, and Larry. Let's do a five-pack." By that point the Alchemist and 2 Chainz had already been recording together, and 2 Chainz had worked with Larry June in the past, though the two rappers had not yet met in person. What was planned as a five-song pack grew into a full album; 2 Chainz said they were five songs in before they shook hands for the first time.[4](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/2-chainz-larry-june-alchemist-life-is-beautiful-interview)
**A single-producer album.** Larry June said that, unlike his earlier projects, which used several producers, locking in with one producer created a unique vibe. The Alchemist picked all the beats himself, presenting one at a time rather than sending batches, which 2 Chainz credited with making the process easier. The trio promoted the record with appearances on [The Breakfast Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-breakfast-club) and [The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-tonight-show-starring-jimmy-fallon), and Larry June later released a behind-the-scenes video covering the studio sessions and press tour.[5](https://www.undergroundwave.life/post/larry-june-2-chainz-the-alchemist-break-down-life-is-beautiful-the-art-of-independent-hustle) • [4](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/2-chainz-larry-june-alchemist-life-is-beautiful-interview) • [6](https://blackouthiphop.com/blog/larry-june-behind-the-scenes-of-life-is-beautiful/)
## Music and themes
The album runs 37 minutes and sits in a placid, luxurious register. Pitchfork's review describes serene loops and drumless minimalism across much of the record, with the opener "Munyon Canyon" built on a serene vocal sample reminiscent of old Italian movie theme songs, and sparse callbacks to the Alchemist's boom-bap roots in the mafioso piano loop of "Colossal" and the loud mix and screaming soul interpolation of "Bad Choices". The title track is carried largely by a fluttering flute sample.[2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/larry-june-2-chainz-the-alchemist-life-is-beautiful/)
The trio calls the style "lifestyle rap": both rappers focus on elevation and growth, with verses about intermittent fasting, organic eating, financial discipline, and living in buildings with amenities. The Alchemist joked that a listener might finish the album with four new LLCs. He rejected genre labels for the project, saying he does not consider it boom bap and does not consider 2 Chainz's contribution trap per se.[4](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/2-chainz-larry-june-alchemist-life-is-beautiful-interview)
**Contrasting voices.** The two rappers' styles differ sharply. Larry June works in a nonchalant, laid-back delivery over post-hyphy-influenced sounds, while 2 Chainz brings the larger-than-life spontaneity of a veteran of Atlanta trap. Reviewers consistently found that 2 Chainz drives the album's momentum, with Larry June ceding ground at times, though his verse on "Epiphany" was singled out as a highlight. Larry June said 2 Chainz pushed him to vary his flow, pointing to rapping in reverse on "Colossal" and a different approach on "Generation".[2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/larry-june-2-chainz-the-alchemist-life-is-beautiful/) • [4](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/2-chainz-larry-june-alchemist-life-is-beautiful-interview)
## Reception
The album drew a divided but broadly positive response. Complex called it one of the standout rap albums of 2025 to that point, and [Tyler, the Creator](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyler-the-creator) publicly praised it, which 2 Chainz highlighted as a counterexample to gatekeeping in hip-hop. Pitchfork's review by Matthew Ritchie called the record pleasant but a bit underwhelming, arguing the Alchemist acted more as a floor-raiser than a virtuoso at the album's lowered stakes. The aggregator Album of The Year recorded a user score of 69 from 3,839 ratings, with user reviews split between praise for the Alchemist's production and 2 Chainz's verses and criticism of the chemistry between the two rappers.[4](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/2-chainz-larry-june-alchemist-life-is-beautiful-interview) • [2](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/larry-june-2-chainz-the-alchemist-life-is-beautiful/) • [7](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1208536-larry-june-life-is-beautiful/user-reviews/?p=22)
**Independence as a theme.** The release was fully independent, and the trio discussed the economics around it. 2 Chainz, who left Def Jam after more than a decade at the label, said independence means controlling release timing but also carrying the budget for videos, promotion, and features himself. The album was followed by a Chopped Not Slopped (Houston remix style: slowed, chopped versions of songs) edition on streaming services.[5](https://www.undergroundwave.life/post/larry-june-2-chainz-the-alchemist-break-down-life-is-beautiful-the-art-of-independent-hustle) • [8](https://music.apple.com/us/album/life-is-beautiful-chopped-not-slopped/1798301348)
## Context in the artists' catalogs
For Larry June and the Alchemist, the album is their second full collaboration after *The Great Escape* (2023), a record that had marked a peak of interest in Larry June's work according to [The Wire](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-wire)'s coverage of his catalog. For 2 Chainz, it followed his departure from Def Jam and preceded a one-producer project with Statik Selektah that he had been developing for several years; he described *Life Is Beautiful* as a bridge toward the kind of rap he wanted to do outside of trap music.[3](https://hiphopdx.com/news/the-alchemist-album-2-chainz-larry-june-soon) • [9](https://fullyaltered.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-09_TheWire.pdf) • [4](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/2-chainz-larry-june-alchemist-life-is-beautiful-interview)
## References
1. [Larry June x 2 Chainz x The Alchemist – Life is Beautiful (Mini-Review), Sleeping Village Reviews](https://www.sleepingvillagereviews.com/reviews--premieres/larry-june-x-2-chainz-x-the-alchemist-life-is-beautiful-mini-review)
2. [Larry June / 2 Chainz / The Alchemist: Life Is Beautiful, Album Review, Pitchfork (Matthew Ritchie, February 12, 2025)](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/larry-june-2-chainz-the-alchemist-life-is-beautiful/)
3. [The Alchemist, 2 Chainz & Larry June Announce Joint Album 'Life Is Beautiful', HipHopDX (Marisa Mendez, January 30, 2025)](https://hiphopdx.com/news/the-alchemist-album-2-chainz-larry-june-soon)
4. [How 2 Chainz, Larry June, and The Alchemist Perfected "Lifestyle Rap", Complex (Dimas Sanfiorenzo, March 7, 2025)](https://www.complex.com/music/a/dimassanfiorenzo/2-chainz-larry-june-alchemist-life-is-beautiful-interview)
5. [Larry June, 2 Chainz & The Alchemist Break Down Life Is Beautiful & The Art of Independent Hustle, Underground Wave (February 12, 2025)](https://www.undergroundwave.life/post/larry-june-2-chainz-the-alchemist-break-down-life-is-beautiful-the-art-of-independent-hustle)
6. [Larry June – Behind The Scenes of "Life Is Beautiful", Blackout Hip Hop (April 21, 2025)](https://blackouthiphop.com/blog/larry-june-behind-the-scenes-of-life-is-beautiful/)
7. [Life Is Beautiful – User Reviews, Album of The Year](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1208536-larry-june-life-is-beautiful/user-reviews/?p=22)
8. [Life Is Beautiful (Chopped Not Slopped), Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/life-is-beautiful-chopped-not-slopped/1798301348)
9. [The Freeminded Records feature on Larry June, The Wire (September 2024 PDF)](https://fullyaltered.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-09_TheWire.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Albums and recorded releases › Studio albums › Hip hop albums*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license