Shortly following his recent success, Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz has become one of a handful of artists whose names have been brought up in regards to the ever-present Illuminati conversation. The word “Illuminati” allegedly refers to several secret organizations, which are said to have been created to control world affairs through a handful of individuals in government and through various aspects of popular culture. Among the artists frequently brought up in modern-day Illuminati conversations are Jay Z, Beyonce and Kanye West.
According to 2 Chainz, the perceived Illuminati symbols, which are sometimes seen in music videos, are the work of the video’s director. The Def Jam spitter, who previously rejected Illuminati rumors, stated that directors learn these symbols and icons in school and then use them to create an increase in views.
“Anytime I even talked about Illuminati, I would try to make people think about when and where it really became poppin’ popular in things like that,” the B.O.A.T.S. II: #MeTime rapper said during an interview with DJ Vlad. “In my opinion, I feel like directors or people that do imagery, who went to school the past last 10 years, these are some things that they learn. Which is symbols, different icons, different things—whether they be negative or positive, just to get us talking. So if I shoot a video, Vlad, and I look behind you, I have these statues behind you. You don’t know these two statues behind you…I’m the director. I’m shooting this shit. You don’t know that’s fuckin behind you…You don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. I’m shooting this shit right here. Boom, you leave. Boom, people go online and say, ‘Vlad is in Illuminati.’ And guess what happens? The views go up. The views don’t help Vlad. The views help me, the fuckin director.”
2 Chainz later questioned why the Illuminati debate only surfaces when it concerns those in the Hip Hop community. He then alluded to the debate being brought up when an act begins to gain fans from another race.
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“In rap, you fuck around and get white fans, nigga you did some crazy shit that I can’t even thank of fam,” 2 Chainz says. “And it’s slick ignorant. And if it is something that I don’t know about, I’m cool with just not being [in it]. But in my opinion, my theory of this stuff is something that basically the last…10 years.”
In the time since the Illuminati debate began to generate popularity, a number of rappers have shared their opinion on the matter. Most recently, Talib Kweli offered his thoughts as he commented on the fanaticism surrounding talks of the Illuminati, distracting people from real issues.
“The Illuminati was a real organization and quite possibly could be a real organization now, but the amount of power that people allow it to have on their lives is based on them,” Kweli said. “We have the International Money Fund, the World Bank. We have rich families that are conspiring and getting together to have one currency, to have one world order to make shit easier for them. These things are dangerous and catastrophic for millions of people, some of these decisions that these rich people make. But when you start adding a boogieman, ‘Oooh, mysterious, secret society’ aspect to it, you really distract it from the real issue and you’re not giving enough props and credit to how dangerous and how evil some of this shit really is.”
Jay Z also shared his thoughts on Illuminati rumors as he referred to them as “crazy” and “ridiculous” during a 2010 interview with Ed Lover.
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