Larry June, 2 Chainz & The Alchemist's 'Life is Beautiful' album review

The first collaborative album release of note in 2025 comes in the form of Life is Beautiful by Larry June, 2 Chainz, and The Alchemist. Larry June has released over a dozen collaboration projects throughout his lengthy career, many of which have paired him with a variety of different producers such as The Alchemist, Cardo, and more.

Larry June had previously worked with The Alchemist on The Great Escape, which was released back in 2023. The Great Escape is June’s most well-known and critically acclaimed album up to this point, having peaked at 32 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album also featured many prominent rappers including Wiz Khalifa, Joey Badass, Big Sean, Ty Dolla $ign, Boldy James, Action Bronson and more.

Furthermore, The Alchemist’s discography includes many highly-acclaimed collab albums such as Alfredo with Freddie Gibbs, Voir Dire with Earl Sweatshirt, Haram with Armand Hammer, and a selection of others.

With Life is Beautiful, Larry June and The Alchemist are paired with 2 Chainz for a collaboration that is interesting to say the least. Larry June and 2 Chainz are quite different in terms of rapping style, as well as in the type of hip-hop they typically make. In the case of this project, it’s very much 2 Chainz fitting into Larry June’s world rather than vice versa. 

The album opens up strongly with the song “Munyon Canyon,” a laid back track with a luxurious sounding beat from The Alchemist. It’s the type of song that fans have come to expect from Larry June. 2 Chainz also manages to give a solid rapping performance on the song while adapting to Larry June’s style at the same time.

Other highlights on the album include the title track, “Life is Beautiful,” “Epiphany,” and several others. It is also a big positive that the album is only 11 tracks long for a total of 36 minutes. The shortened length adds to the accessibility of the project while ensuring that it does not overstay its welcome.

The primary factor that holds Life is Beautiful back from being a really good album is the lack of amazing standout moments. The performances of both rappers is strong, as is The Alchemist’s production, yet it still feels like something is missing that prevents the album from being great.

Overall, Life is Beautiful is a solid project that proves to be a light and breezy listen. It’s the kind of music you play when you want to relax and enjoy good vibes. The album’s lack of nuance ultimately averts it from being anything too crazy. Nevertheless, it’s a good project that is worth a listen.

Overall Rating: 6/10