Ariana Grande & 2 Chainz Are The Perfect Odd Couple In Their Swanky "Run The World" Video

Ariana Grande and 2 Chainz have had an odd relationship these past few months, resulting in one of the most unexpected collaborations of 2019. The video for Ariana Grande and 2 Chainz’s collaboration “Rule The World,” off the rapper’s new album Rap Or Go to the League, was released on Monday, March 11, and it’s more dazzling than any party you’ve ever attended.

The Sebastian Sdaigui-directed video sees the unlikely duo time-traveling to an old-school, underground jazz club, with Grande taking the mic and transforming into the star singer of the night, feather boa and diamond choker in tow. 2 Chainz starts off the clip in his dressing room before joining the singer on stage as they co-host the decadent soirée, with their photo being framed on the wall of the club as a memory of their epic night.

Perhaps the ending of the clip is more of a peace treaty than a memento, considering their brief yet nearly treacherous history. After the release of her most recent hit “7 rings," Grande was accused of ripping off 2 Chainz’s flow and imagery, with people comparing her track to bars from his 2011 hit “Spend It," amongst comparisons to other hip-hop artists. But, rather than indulge in an online beef for the public to pour over, the rapper instead hopped on a remix of the hit song. And in return, it seems, Grande gifted her angelic vocals to “Run the World."

2 Chainz opened up about his decision to work with Grande rather than tear her down or even make a public statement about the "7 rings" debacle in an interview with Genius. “What [kind of] points do I get off snapping on Ariana Grande or dissing her, I don’t get anything off that,” he said. “I can just see people saying that I’m being petty, and I can’t be that.”

The collaboration first came about because of the rapper’s longtime connection with Grande’s famed manager Scooter Braun. "So they set it up so we could actually meet and talk face to face,” he explained to Genius. “I think that kind of changed everything because I started getting what was going on, having a clear understanding of what was going on. She was more or less saying that, ‘Well, yeah, I thought people knew I took it from you.’”

What resulted was a genuine connection and mutual understanding between the two artists, who used their newfound chemistry to create two collaborations that most people definitely weren't expecting. “What we did was organic because I didn’t come with that plan originally,” the rapper said. “I just had a dope song, she heard it, we went from there and vice versa with the ‘7 rings’ joint.”

As he explained in another interview with radio.com, the biggest lesson 2 Chainz took from working with Grande was that artists that would usually never cross paths can create unexpected magic. “What I learned is that more artists from different genres should get in a room together and feel each other out,” he explained. “There’s no telling what kind of music we can give to the world." There's also no telling where the duo goes from here, but we expect it to be a smash regardless.