Loading summary
Shannon Sharpe
You're listening to an iHeart podcast.
2 Chainz
The NBA 82 game grind is done and now the real fun begins. The NBA playoffs are here and it's time for all the hot stakes, drama, clutch moments and draw dropping plays. Make it a playoff run. To remember with DraftKings, download the draft King Sportsbook app. Use Code Shannon. That's Code Shannon for new customers to get $200 instantly in bonus bets when you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings, the crown is yours.
Shannon Sharpe
Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York, call 877-8-HOPE NY or text Hopeny 467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas. 21 + age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario, new customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkng co Audio. Here's why April chose to vaccinate her child I think actually meeting someone who.
2 Chainz
Was not vaccinated and now has a lifelong struggle with a childhood disease really cemented for me that it's super important.
Shannon Sharpe
That we as parents continue to vaccinate our children. Talk to your pediatrician or visit yvaccines.com brought to you by Merck when it's tip off time at my house, there are a few things that are must haves on my checklist. My fellow friends and fans. Check my favorite jersey.
2 Chainz
It is good luck.
Shannon Sharpe
Check an iconic drink that's a fan favorite. Check. Hypnotic can turn any cocktail into an iconic creation. With its game changing color and tropical flavor, Hypnotic should be in everyone's starting five. I consider Hypnotic the point guard on my game day roster because not only is it versatile, like having it on the rocks or as a base for cocktails, it also finishes smooth. So grab a bottle of Hypnotic and make your next basketball watch party iconic. Enjoy the vibrant taste with friends and turn every game into a memorable celebration. Hypnotic where every sip is a slam dunk. Hypnotic Liqueur Bardstown, Kentucky 17% alcohol by volume. Hypnotic reminds you to think wisely. Drink wisely.
2 Chainz
Hello. Welcome to another episode of Club Shay Shay on the Road. The guy that's stopping by, well, we're following him around in the day. In the life of He's a hustler's hustler, a man of the people and a unifying force in Atlanta. He's celebrated for his unique style and entrepreneurial endeavors. He's transcended music into fashion and philanthropy. He's a versatile entertainer, a multi platinum artist, a Grammy award winning hit maker, a chart topping songwriter, pop culture influencer, hip hop superstar, a creator of anthem and trends, a rapper turned entrepreneur, talented actor, host, HBC alum athlete. He's part owner of the Atlanta Hawks NBA G League team, A prominent figure in the community, an ATL icon, a proud father, a husband. And here he is, ladies and gentlemen. Two, two chains.
All my life been grinding all my life Sacrifice hustle, paid the price Wanna slice, got to roll the dice that's why all my life I've been grinding all my life all my life Been grinding all my life Sacrifice hustle, paid the price Want a slice got to roll a dice that's why all my life I've been grinding all my life we gonna vibe on this one, Give you a little rundown.
Who did you meet first in the industry? Was it Luda or was it Lil Wayne?
I met Luda first. Luda used to work on the radio down here.
Right.
And you know, we had a mutual friend together. And so I met Luda through that way and then eventually signed into him and then with Lil Wayne, some weed story. But it's. I had like gave baby some weed and then like he hadn't paid me for it. So I had went to New Orleans.
To collect on the weed.
Yeah, because it was only like $900 or whatever. But the fact it was the time I ain't, you know, you ain't had.
The bread like that.
I didn't have it like that. So you don't know I'm going down there for this. But I'm following him down here like, uncle, I need this. You know, whatever. And then I end up meeting Wayne that way and we built a great relationship, kind of like smoking and Wayne didn't even know I rapped for a while, you know.
Did Luda know you rap?
Yeah, he knew how to rap.
Okay.
Yeah, he knew I was trying to rap.
Trying to rap.
Yeah. Yeah. Wayne had no clue. He thought maybe I just sold weed.
So start telling him I did that on the side. But rapping is what I really tried.
To do, and this is what I want to do, you know. And then honestly, being around Wayne shaped me to be, you know, the artist I am now. Wayne had a Maybach with a driver, he had a chef. So I was able to get around him and pick up on certain instincts and certain things that I felt like help make him Successful. And it was convenience. It was like having all these things around that.
Right.
Well, you didn't have to do a lot. You know what I'm saying? You just need to focus now.
You can just focus on one particular thing being the best at what I want to do.
Yeah. So it's not a secret. I got that directly from Wayne, the work ethic of him. Just, you know, studio every day, every night. I got that from him.
You mentioned that being around Lil Wayne, you saw he had a Maybach, you saw he had a private chef. You saw he had a certain thing, a level of convenience. What did you learn from Luda? Because Luda had blown up at that time, and now he's a household name. What did you learn, if anything, from that situation?
Ludo is very business savvy, so I can say I picked up a lot of the business savviness from him and his team. It was a product somewhere. It was product placement. He was getting paid for it. He wasn't just holding a product. You know what I'm saying? He just wasn't rapping about something that he not getting paid. You know what I mean? So he was somebody that, I guess I could say, you know, kind of taught me how to monetize, you know, things through music. Right. You know, product or whatever it could be.
Is it hard to really blow up when you sign to someone else's label?
No. I mean, we saw Drake and Nikki was signed to Lil Wayne. Correct. I think it just.
Kanye was under.
Yeah, ho. So I think. I think it just depends, you know, sometimes it looks good, the numbers. The more, you know, the strength of numbers, things kind of. It looks good if everybody's doing well. But, you know, sometimes there's only room for this one thing to go through or this or two things. And if you're not a part of that, you seem to get put on the back burner and feel some type of way. So just to cut the emotion out, let me just be responsible for my own career. In the A that. Remember Tony told you about the A? They gonna door lock your vehicle if you don't park in the valet.
If you go, Lil Wayne, Jermaine Dupree are trying to sign you. What made you. Why did you decide to say, you know what? I'm gonna do this on my own?
Jermaine actually called me one time. He had hov on three way. And he tells the story different. He said that. I said it was a young man's game or. I don't even talk like that. But what I said at the time was, my manager, who is my manager now, he was a DJ. Okay? But like many other people, like DJ Khaled, he's bigger than a DJ. Most DJ, DJ drum, a lot of DJs, mustard and all those, they should just drop the DJ up their name. People actually think their name is DJ or something like that. So when I'm telling them on the phone, they're trying to invite me somewhere, like, to meet up with me, which I was like, still flatter. Like, me and ho, we would talk about it to this day, bro. You know what I'm saying? I don't know what would have happened either way if I'd have went, you know what I'm saying? I know what happened by me not going. But I don't know what would have happened if I would have went. Yeah. So I said, if you don't mind, I want to bring one of my partners with me who kind of been helping me, you know, beat the concrete. Can get to where I'm even on y' all radar, you know what I'm saying? Like, is it. You know what I mean? Cause I'm recognizing that when they come, what happened is Tech and Charlie, my management at the time, they came to me and they offered their assistance on. The first thing they told me was, we think you a superstar. And I thought the same thing. So we already.
Okay, we in agreements. We in agreeance.
Well, okay, cool. Okay, cool. And then they told me, like, what they had did for another group. Like, we did this. We made this kind of money for these type of folks, you know what I'm saying? I'm like, oh, man, you can do that with that type of stuff. I'm gonna see what you can do with mine, you know? And, you know, that might have been 2010 or something.
Okay.
I get the call around, maybe, I don't know, 2011 from JD and I just was saying, do you mind if I bring, you know, my partner with me now? You don't need nobody with you. You don't wanna bring my partner. You know who I'm thinking Tech might. I'm not. I'm thinking JD might know something, you know, DJ technique. They. Oh, man. Well, you don't need to bring your DJ with you. You ain't got no, you know, it's kind of like a little joke a little bit, but you ain't got no show or nothing. I'm like, nah, you know, like, home be helping me. And, you know, it was a situation where I don't Even know if it was calling my bluff or whatever, but. And I think they were sending me a jet. I didn't get on the jet because they wouldn't let me bring. You know what I'm saying? Who's helping me?
Cause Chris Brown told the same story that somebody wanted to sign him, and he was like, 14, 15. He said, okay, cool. I just. Yeah, hey, hey. Just tell my mama what you telling me. Like, nah, I don't need to talk to your mom. And he said, I didn't sign with him because, like, bro, you talking to a kid. And if everything's on the up and up, you can't tell my mom. So if everything is cool, you mean to tell me I can't bring my partner, somebody that I trust, that I've been around?
Yeah. And, you know, looking back, they don't know that he was probably that to me, you know what I'm saying? And probably looking like, boy, you know, this a blessing and an opportunity. You know what I'm saying? And I got this book coming out, Shannon be out like another year is getting edited right now.
Right.
The name of the book is the voice inside your head is God. Right. And I talk about this in the book JD And J. Now, I don't talk about them, but I just talk about this instance, Me listening to the voice and wondering if it led me in the right direction. Obviously, I'm right here now. But what happened if my. If I say I just go on my own? And I don't know what would have happened. But this is one instance where I listened to my voice, and they said I couldn't bring my daughter, and I didn't go. But I always wonder what would have happened. You know, listening to this voice has gotten me to this point now. Yes.
Yes.
So I don't even know why I'm questioning it. But I do wonder sometime, had they.
Said you could bring him, would you have gotten on that flight?
Absolutely. I didn't say I wanted to get on the flight. I definitely wanted to get on the flight, but I almost wanted to be loyal to a partner that's been there for years. Yeah. Yeah, kind of like that. That's all it was.
How did you get Wayne to hop on the song with you, though, Man?
Wayne, he was just cool, man. Me and him were friends. Like I said, we were friends. First it was a music bass, and then I remember being. If it wasn't a Maybach, it was a Phantom. And I told him I rapped and played some of the music, and we just Bonded quickly. We've been. He's one of my best men at my wedding. So, you know, anytime. It was just been an anytime thing for him. I've been in the studio with him many times where he ain't. I haven't rapped one. One second. Because he likes to just do what he does in the studio. Then there's been many times that we get in and kind of, you know what I'm saying, sharpen each other up.
So is it true you paid amic 150,000 for him to hop on the.
Give you a feature for Duffel Bag boys? Well, at this time, Wayne was charging. Well, baby was charging 100, and he was charging Wayne 100.
So how he charges, he ain't on.
His own, but he was over cash money. So anybody. When Wayne was so hot, if anybody wanted Wayne, he would be like, I need 100 too. And people would obviously do it.
Absolutely.
So Wayne does the song for me. So this is really what happened. Wayne used to wear like these skateboarding shoes. Been skating a long time. They were called Supras and something like this. And I will wear stuff like Pradas and Gucci shoes and all this stuff. And so I go to Gucci and they got these red Gucci's out. I'm like, hey, shorty, what size shoe you wear? You know what I'm saying? Boom. You know, he represents the Red team and all that. So I get these red Gucci's and I take them to him at the studio. He don't know I'm about to take it to him. But I also got like a beat cd, right? And I'm not doing this for the other thing, right? But I just take it to him and he like, damn, you know what I'm saying? You know? You know, New Orleans, if you know New Orleans people, they say bitch a lot, you know what I'm saying? Like, damn. Bitch this bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch. These harder than a bitch. These bitches hard. You know, whatever. So, you know, I end up saying, man, I hang out with him, I say, I got this. He already. He working. I give him this. It's a CD at the time. I give him a beat cd, right? I give him the beat cd. Time goes by, Katrina happens, he moves to Miami. When he moves to Miami, he like, man, you ought to come, you know, come visit, you know what I'm saying? Come holler, you know what I mean? Boom. I catch a flight to Miami, and him and Cortez, who was his manager at the time, they picked me up we go from the airport to the mall because he is trying to, I guess, show his appreciation for me buying him them shoes. And so now he like, oh, what size shoe you wear? Let's get out. You know, let me get this for, you know, whatever. And we doing that. And then out the blue, he says, what you thought about the hook I did for you? And I don't know what he talking about. And he's like, I sent you. He asked, tez, did you email him the song? And he says, yeah, I did. And he said, email. I'm like, that's not my email. And they said, oh, man, I don't know why I done sent this song to. So Wayne is literally in the mall. He's like, trying to remember this is when we could go to the mall. It's crazy. He was trying to remember the hook. He was like, if I don't do nothing. But he couldn't remember. So we literally, right there, he was like, let's go to the studio. And we go to the studio, which was the hit factory in Miami. It's a room. He mashes, play. This beat comes on, and this hook comes on. And I remember. I remember at that particular time knowing what a hit sounded like, because it just sounded.
Yeah.
So, like. And I looked at him like some damn. Like a.
Like he had eight heads.
I said, man, you did that for me. He like, yeah, boy. I'm like, I run out, call my boy dollar. I mean, play a circle at the time. Oh, man, we got us one. Like, what? I said, man, home on here, you know? I'm like, home on here singing and everything. Like, I'm like, bro, this shit, you know, hard. I gotta get back to Atlanta, bro. I'm gonna make sure I come, you know, next couple days, I get up there, you know, that was it. That was it, man. And it just really helped, you know?
So you. Who got the beat, so.
Nah, I got.
No, I'm saying, who did he email the beat to? The hooky?
I don't know.
Somebody still got it, huh?
Somebody still got it. But when Wayne did that, he didn't charge me, but so baby was. So it was only gonna be just 100. Baby still wanted his hundred, right? Baby come to Atlanta. Say, nephew, I said, what? We gonna need some rooms and we gonna need some. I hit, baby. Oh, man, Unc, man, man, man, Aunt tell me, say, man, don't even worry about it, bro. He said, don't even worry about it, man. And he could tell, like, I had. He, like, don't even worry about it. And he already knew who I was dealing with.
Right.
With, you know, Luda and all those guys. And he just told me, man, you know what I'm saying? Don't even worry about it. And we, I brought them to Godby Road on Old national, which is very, very epic. It's like bringing, you know, it's like bringing a superstar to any hood. You know what I'm saying?
Yeah.
And it was received very well, had a lot of people come out. There's some here, some no longer with us from that era as well. And I haven't looked back.
Wow.
Shannon Sharpe
Here's why April chose to vaccinate her child.
2 Chainz
I think actually meeting someone who was.
Shannon Sharpe
Not vaccinated and now has a lifelong.
2 Chainz
Struggle with a childhood disease really cemented.
Shannon Sharpe
For me that it's super important that we as parents continue to vaccinate our children. Talk to your pediatrician or visit yvaccines.com brought to you by Merc when it's tip off time at my house, there are a few things that are must haves on my checklist. My fellow friends and fans. Check My favorite jersey. Check. An iconic drink that's a fan favorite. Check. Hypnotic can turn any cocktail into an iconic creation. With its game changing color and tropical flavor, Hypnotic should be in everyone's starting five. I consider Hypnotic the point guard of my game day roster because not only is it versatile, but like having it on the rocks or as a base for cocktails, it also finishes smooth and just like the banners in my stadium, letting people know that we take championships seriously. Having Hypnotic at my watch parties lets people know that I also take quality seriously since it's crafted with high quality ingredients for a championship level drinking experience. So the next time you need a break from the action with a distinctive timeout, look no further. Grab a bottle of Hypnotic and make your next basketball watch party iconic. Enjoy the vibrant taste with friends and turn every game into a memorable celebration. Hypnotic where every sip is a slam dunk. Hypnotic Liqueur Bardstown, Kentucky 17% alcohol by volume Hypnotic reminds you to think wisely, drink wisely. Custom window treatments are a small upgrade that have a big impact. No better time to shop than now@blinds.com's Memorial Day mega sale. Blinds.com invented a better way to shop for custom window treatments. 100% online with upfront pricing. No showroom markups, no pushy salespeople in your home. Whether you're a DIY warrior, prefer the white glove treatment or somewhere in between, blinds.com can help our design experts can help you make the perfect selection on your schedule. Plus, we can even handle everything from measure to install. Style every room effortlessly with classic shutters for living spaces, blackout for bedrooms. Motorized options for ease. Shades for your patio, too. With over 25 million windows covered and 40,000 five star reviews, Blinds.com is the trusted name in custom window treatments, all backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. ShopBlinds.com's Memorial Day Mega Sale. Save up to 50% sitewide, plus get a free measure now at Blinds.com Rules and restrictions may apply.
2 Chainz
Kanye tried to sign you to his label, didn't he?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like an indirect member of good music for sure. I learned from that situation, too. Yeah, Try to learn from every situation I get in, you know what I'm saying?
Yeah. You mentioned that you was doing verses for free, and Kanye said, man, hey, he charging a hundred bands now.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly what he did. And they. And they went up to 100 right then and there. Yeah. I mean, I could have been charging the whole time, but it was like, man, I was just knocking that junk out, man, at the time, and still now, when somebody would ask me to do a future, it would be very important to give it back to them, like, the same day. So it was more about me just showing my level, the level of business and work ethic that I had.
Right.
You know what I'm saying? As far as I'm gonna get this done, I'm gonna get back to you. I'm gonna, you know, make sure I show up and show out, and I. And hopefully, you know, I got somebody to handle the type of business for me. But, you know, when you, you know, it wasn't that I was just first in the game. It was just that I was, you know, becoming successful right at that time. And, you know, when you get successful, a lot of people gonna call your phone or, you know, ask for certain things. So I think I just wanted to be like the dude that got on and wasn't acting funny.
Right.
You know what I'm saying?
Right? Yeah, yeah.
I think that's what it was like, man. I ain't changed, you know what I'm saying? That's. I kind of. Kind of just try to play by.
That right there and then sometimes people try to take advantage of that. People take your kindness all the time.
They'll play with you until they know they can't play with you. Cyber beast, same color orange. And the strike and the lease Sailor, beach dogs over here.
Kanye Put you on one of his songs. When you featured on one of his songs. Kanye still huge, but during that time, it was probably was at the crescendo when. When you get the call, okay, Kanye, Weeds. It's a big. And they want you on it. Do you. I mean, you like. Okay, okay.
Yeah. So with Kanye, he reached out when I was like, at. At my. We had a studio on old national 5540 that was really like a trout. But it was. It was a studio in the back. And every day a different artist was. Was calling me. And so it's funny, man. One of my homeboys. He's no longer here. Rest in peace to Troop. But he. Troop was like a hustler, you know what I'm saying? And he was trying to figure out a way. Me knowing Troop, he was trying to figure out a way how he can get something out this introduction, you know what I'm saying? And what ye had did was send out a few different messages on trying to get in contact with me. So it was coming from a couple of different directions. And he finally got me on the phone, and our first time ever talking on the phone. We probably talked just probably more than an hour. And, like, it was almost two hours. It was weird that we.
Y' all talking like y' all known each other for years.
Exactly. That's how we got. It was. The first conversation just didn't start with, like. It didn't stop with, like, man, I like your stuff. I like your stuff. We gotta hook up. It just got to get into other stuff and talk about other things. And we built a real cool rapport with that. I remember him being on tour with Jay at the time or about to go on tour, but. Yeah, and then I got invited into a session in la, where this is. It was a hotel that basically he rents out the whole floor and used it for a studio. So I'm there with, at the time, Teyana Taylor and Saha and a few other artists that were affiliated with Good Music. And, you know, I have a hotel. I have a room across the street from the room they're using for a studio. So I'm just right across the hall. Right across the hall, excuse me. And I go over there and I do a verse, and I do the verse fairly quick, you know what I'm saying? And I hear the guy, Che, my homie Che, he on the phone with. Yeah. And I guess he telling him, man, he. He knocked it out. He, like. He did. What you mean he knocked out? I hear. I guess he's saying, like, he's. He's done. And so I guess he telling me to pull up something else. So he pull up something else, and I knock it out again. And I remember Saha at the time, he asked me, like, but you must have this verse wrote already in your head. And I'm really like, nah, I'm just really, like, motivated. I'm coming in here, you know, I want to do something. I want to prove myself. And so this happens about three or four times where they tell me, pull up another song, and I knock it out, fast forward. I go about my business. I get a call, they tell me a single going to drop tomorrow with you, Kanye, Push, and Sean. Now, keep in mind, I've never heard the song before. I've never heard it. When I did the song, it didn't sound like this. This person wasn't on a yay one. So I don't even. So I'm like, man, can I hear the song? So I hear the song, and it's Mercy, right? You know, and that's when I started realizing, like, the magic home possessed, because the song sounded nothing like that when I did my verse, you know, and would go on and mercy becomes, you know, whatever it becomes. But yeah, that's like the beginning introduction of, you know, our relationship.
Is Mercy your best verse? What you think? Your best verse is, what you want, who you want.
I actually think some of my best verses is on my latest project.
Really?
Which is cool to see because that's cool to know that I hadn't, like, peaked out, you know what I'm saying? Or burnt out. I think the project that I just dropped with Alchemist and Larry has some of my best. Some of my best verses on it, but I have some scattered around. My friend just sent me a text message with the verse I did on the Schoolboy Q record. He said it was like seven, eight years ago, which is the homie. And I think the song I got with Game Alabama was hard verse.
You called the little sturdo online when you say you had the hardest verse on Mercy.
I did, though. I did. Which camera should I look at? I had the hardest verse on Mercy. I had the hardest verse on Mercy. I had the hardest version. I'm not trying to be funny. I did, though. I did, though. I did, though.
Big Sean called you and said you.
Had the hardest one on Big Sean. Know that too, though. Big Sean ain't nothing to play with. First of all. Big Sean one of them ones, you know, Right? But, you know, when it came to that right there, man. I just took pride in it. You know, there's everybody from somewhere else. Sean from here, Push from here. Yeah. I'm from the south. Atlanta, you know what I mean? So it was just like that kind of like.
It was a nice mixture, though.
It worked out real well, right.
Seemed like everybody been getting into it with Kanye. Big Sean said, man, that man owe me money. Cause he. Kanye said that Jay making money off his catalog. Big Sean said, well, you ain't. You know, you got mine.
So what's the.
You don't have those problems.
Yeah, neither do I speak on anybody else's.
I like that. I like that. How'd you get on a song with Ariana Grande?
Inspired. I inspired her to do something through that inspiration. She reciprocated it by doing a hook for me. So she had, like. When I did the Pretty Girls, like, trap music thing, where everything was pink, right? And, you know, just. I had a pink trap house in Atlanta, which inspired the trap museum that TI Has. So I had a museum that was pink, but, like, Tip told me I didn't own mine, so he end up. So that was a lesson I kind of learned, but that was that inspiration. But it just. Some of the ideas that I put out into the world inspire other things. And so with Ariana Grande, it inspired her to do her stage basically just like my all Pink car all. You know what I mean? And so I knew somebody, or it was somebody that knew both of us. It was a mutual person that put us together because it was just different. You know, if you get caught up into that social media stuff, you know, which I didn't. We communicated. We figured out a way to make it work for both of us, and it did.
Who is someone you haven't worked with that you'd like to work with?
I used to want to work with Hov, because I know he does it when he wants to.
Right.
You know what I'm saying?
Yeah. He ain't really. That ain't. He gotta be in that space. He gotta be there.
And I understand and respect that. I think I might have. Might have missed my opportunity. Yeah. You know, it might have just was a bad. It's just a. You know, you just respect him as what he's done and everything. And then when I look at, you know, and think of all the. And just list all the people you named, there's not many people left that I hadn't done anything with, brother. Old or new. I just shot a video of Ron Isley. I had Ron Isley man, I had my mom, aunties. It was a photo shooter. I had Ron and Ernie on the block. Ernie playing the guitar on more than that in front of the corner store. So it's like, man, I'm just so, you know, blessed. But in that. In that, in that, in that vein, I guess the only person would be left would be him. I've done something with, like, I mean, everyone else, but everyone else, man. All the. All my favorites. All the, you know, I mean, I love Drake and Kendra. I love Scarface. I love, you know, Eminem is such a lyrical giant. Doing something with him, you know, all. All the. And then you just talk about people that just, like, this is what they want to do. Rap at a high level. And then you go to talking about, like, just people who got something to do with the culture, like, you know, the Migos Rest in Peace, Takeoff. And just being a part of, like, you know, just different generations of Atlanta, you know, Atlanta is someone that's been just doing their thing for so long. Andre 3000.
That's who you want.
That's it. Andre 3000.
Three stacks.
That's it. And he doesn't really rap anymore.
Nah, he like. He done.
He don't really rap anymore, but because.
I heard him on an interview, that's.
Who I actually just super love, bro. I love.
I heard on the interview, he said, at his age, you're like, what are you rapping about?
Colonoscopies. Yeah, he'll make it sound cool, though. Yeah, he'll make. He'll make a. He'll make. He'll make somebody that don't want to get no colonoscopy. He probably makes somebody go get one because he's just. Man, he's just a real cool Atlanta player, man. I love. I love him.
And big boy, actually, you won't a Grammy would chance to rapper for no problems. What was that moment like, man?
It was one of the moments where I'mma explain this. I'm explaining this in a way that you can understand. Okay. So I was very happy to get the Grammy. Very, very, very excited. So when I. My first platinum plaque I got was no lie, Right?
Right.
And I was happy, but it had Drake on her. And then the second plaque I got was birthday song. And I was. I was happy because it was my song, but it had yay on it. My third platinum plaque was I'm different. And there was nobody on it. It was just me, my hook, my verse. DJ Mustard did the beat. And when that went platinum, I got chill bumps because I realized that a million people had bought just my idea, you know? And so with the Grammy, when I look in the mirror, I'm thankful for the Grammy. But I know, like, you know, even though, like, Chance didn't know Wayne, I put Wayne on the song, like, that was my guy. He didn't know him. I wouldn't have did all that. Chance came to my studio, shot the video. I was really helpful for it and thankful for it. But it's chance, huh? Right, Ms. Chan?
Something you want to grab me on your own?
You so smart, you so intelligent. It's crazy. Mm. Yeah.
It's an interesting time for business. Tariffs and trade policies are dynamic, supply chain squeezed, and cash flow tighter than ever. If your business can't adapt in real time, you're in a world of hurt. You need total visibility from global shipments to tariff impact to real time cash flow. That's NetSuite by Oracle, your AI powered business management suite. Trusted by over 41,000 businesses, NetSuite is the number one cloud ERP for many reasons. It brings accounting, financial management, inventory, HR into one suite. You have one source of truth and giving you visibility and control. You need to make quick decisions with real time forecasting. You're peering into the future with actionable data. And with AI embedded throughout, you can automate a lot of those everyday tasks, letting your team stay strategic. Netsuite helps you know what's stuck and what's costing you and how to pivot fast. It's one system, full control. Tame the chaos with NetSuite. If your revenues are at least seven figures, download the free ebook Navigating Global Trade. Free insight for leaders@netsuite.com Shay Shay. That's netsuite.com. shay Shay. Y' all won that Grammy over Fat Joe's all the way up.
Really?
Yeah.
I didn't know that. Yeah, yeah, that was it. That was in there. I probably was so surprised because that song there all the way. Fat Joe don't play either, man. Yeah, Fat Joe do not play with them folk. But he put out. When he put out one, he. He let you eat. It's a hit.
Yeah, the story about Dre, like, when you went Dre, and you was trying to rap, and he's like, bro, I can't. I can't understand your dialect. Bro, What's.
Yeah, I told, you know, Dre is a perfectionist. And that's why, I guess you want to be around him, you know? But he is a. You know what it is? It's like, Dre, it's like, rap is at a point now where you. It's like, AI. Well, not AI, but it's quicker and faster. And sometimes if the end of a word is not enunciated, it's still taking as, like, dope. Cause it's a vibe. It's an energy. Dre ain't going for that. He want to hit a T. He want to hit a dot on the I. I said, man, I got an overbite, bro. I can't. Some of this stuff just ain't gonna come through yet.
Okay. Yeah.
And I think I'm finna just get a couple lives. And he stopped me. No, no, no. Go back and. And say that one again. But, man, I really enjoyed being around Dre because of, obviously, who he is to the coach and who he is.
Yeah.
And, man. And the people around and just. He record every day. Whether he gonna put somebody. He worked hard. You know, he in the studio, going hard. Every day. I'm going there. He playing full songs that he. With a whole man, all type of instrumentation, a whole skit involved. I'm like, I did this three songs today. So it's cool to know that he's still, you know, musically motivated.
What's it like going to the studio with a Dre? Because, like you said, I mean, when it come to this hip hop, it ain't many bigger than him. I mean, he go back to the NWA's, and then he brought it forward.
Well, Dre, we got cool. We got cool quick. He showed me around the house. I'm into interior design, so. His house so fast, you know what I'm saying? Hom got fingerprint, I guess where I got my fingerprint.
That's where you got a fingerprint from, man.
I get something from Eric, you know what I mean? He got the fingerprint, but he got the real, like, some, you know. Yeah, you really cut it off. And you ain't gonna be. If he ain't there, you dead. So. But he got all this stuff, and, you know, then he got a gym, kind of the same bond, you know what I mean? And then, you know, I smoke, you know, often. And so his place had never been his studio. He was even saying, like, at the time, I don't even know if Snoop had even been over there, but no one had smoked over there. But he said, you know what, Chains? I'm gonna let you smoke, man. And smoke. We just.
I appreciate it.
I sure appreciate it. Cause when I did work with Eminem, I couldn't smoke in there. They put my. When it was time to work with Eminem. It was actually kind of. Kind of funny. When it was time to work with Eminem, they put. And this is his people. It's not Eminem. Eminem is somewhere writing. He's not even standing. But his people are just so concerned with them. They put the speakers outside so I can listen to the beat. So I'm outside. It's a beautiful day in Malibu. I'm just smoking the speakers outside. So then I come back in to do my verse and the door is closed and I'm in the booth smoking. And I see him. I actually see him out. Out there. So I'm like, man, he in here while I'm recording. It's hard. And so he's about to like, come in and say something. And like some of his people, like, you know, no, you know, don't go in there. He's smoking and em looks like, man, what the. Man, sit the down. Like, y' all, like, what they. I guess he was thinking, like, what do you think I'm about to do? Like, you know. I guess you think like, what you. I don't even know if that. That lets you know the time, though. That's a DVD player. Yeah, that's a DVD player. Put a DVD in and watch a movie. But I remember them kind of like tripping on him being around. And he was not tripping at all. But other than that, that's basically like all I need for a studio. A couple joints, you know what I'm saying? I'm self motivated. I don't need.
You don't need much?
You don't need much.
I'm not gonna say he was instrumental with Drake. I mean. Cause Drake has helped a lot of people and we know what Drake can represent. And you cool with Drake. So how was that? How was that? How did that relationship start? And then you working with him through.
Wayne, you know, he's with Cash Money. So when I had. When we had the song Duffel Bad Boys, Wayne was on tour. It was called the I Am Music Tour. And when he went on tour, the first night he went on tour, he did. He rapped my verse to Duffel Bad Boys on stage. Like somebody had like, told me in Florida. So I'm calling him like, bro. And he was like, man, you need to come out here, because I can't just stop after the hook. People know your verse type stuff, you know what I'm saying? So that was like indirect invitation. And when I went on tour with him, I met Drake and a few other People, you know what I'm saying? And Nikki and all of those people. So that was maybe like 0809 met him and, you know, we all did a tour together, so that's how those stuff kind of happened.
You. But you. The, the, the song. I don't. You like. And I heard you talk about it. You like, ain't got nothing to do with me. The man put my name in the song. I thought it was cool. But I ain't got nothing with that diss and stuff because I guess Drake means a lot to the culture. I mean, Savage has worked with him. You've worked with him. I'm trying to think who else has worked with Drake that I know of off the top of my head. But it's been about five. The Atlanta rappers. I mean, Drake is, is. Is huge with the Atlanta culture. You guys love him.
Yeah. I mean, it's not even that. It's just like when people ask me how I felt about my name, it's like, yeah, how did you. What do you want me to. I don't even have an answer. I don't have zero feeling about it. I have zero emotion on that. I have zero. Because this is what happens, right? This is exactly what happened.
Shannon Sharpe
Listen, as Silenia tells us why she chose to vaccinate her daughter.
2 Chainz
Right after my daughter was born, my husband and I are having to decide whether or not to get her vaccinated. I definitely felt like the pros far outweighed the cons. The diseases that I am protecting my child against, they're still here.
Shannon Sharpe
Talk to your child's doctor and learn more at yvaccines.com brought to you by Merck. When it's tip off time at my house, there are a few things that are must haves on my checklist. My fellow friends and fans. Check. My favorite jersey. Check. An iconic drink that's a fan favorite. Check. Hypnotic can turn any cocktail into an iconic creation. With its game changing color and tropical flavor, Hypnotic should be in everyone's starting five. I consider Hypnotic the point guard of my game day roster because not only is it versatile, like having it on the rocks or as a base for cocktails, it also finishes smooth and just like the banners in my stadium, letting people know that we take championships seriously. Having Hypnotic at my watch parties lets people know that I also take quality seriously since it's crafted with high quality ingredients for a championship level drinking experience. So the next time you need a break from the action with a distinctive timeout, look no further. Grab a bottle of Hypnotic and make your next basketball watch party iconic. Enjoy the vibrant taste with friends and turn every game into a memorable celebration. Hypnotic where every sip is a slam dunk. Hypnotic Liqueur Bardstown, Kentucky 17% alcohol by volume Hypnotic Reminds you to think wisely. Drink wisely. Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. And every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn more@discover.com credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report.
2 Chainz
If he say your name you you, you, you. You feel a certain way. If he don't say your name, you're gonna feel a certain way. Right?
Right.
You know how many people from Atlanta he could have said okay and And. And vice versa. So why I'm gonna get into a thing of man I'm glad or man I wish he won. Like it really. It really. I really have.000 emotion about my name being said. If you really want to know. People have probably said two chains in their rap. I don't know. I guess it just rhymes with a couple of different things, you know? A few. A few times. I hear it a lot. You know what I mean? So it don't. It don't bother me, man. I ain't getting caught up in it.
How about this? Were you on ghost riding?
I've never had a ghost. Had a ghost writer.
Are you out on it? You just never have it or you don't feel that okay if you are. Because I hear a lot of people say if you're a true MC, ll say he a true MC. This one says they're true MCs. True MCs write their own verses.
Yeah. So I've thought about this a couple times because when I think about Michael Jackson and Beyonce, who've all had writers, right? And hit hits off these riders. And then here I am writing my stuff every night. Who's doing it the right way? I don't know. I don't have an answer for that. So I can't. As bad as I want to be like man, my confidence lies with me knowing that no one helped me articulate this idea. Get this metaphor out. Like I came up with these words but at the same time my pride hadn't let me accept a song from somebody and re I won't even do if somebody has a hook and they say, I would like for you to re. If I didn't come up with the hook, I don't even say it. Wow. Yeah. Somebody say, man, I want you to say, down. Down. I'm like, I ain't saying I'm sorry, brother. Like, I'm sorry. That ain't me. You know?
It's gotta be you.
Yeah, because somebody, they'll think they'll hear me saying something like this, but I'm just. I wouldn't do it. So, yeah, everything has very much been me. But, like, I say, I don't know if that's the right or the wrong way, because, I mean, I'm here.
That's just not your way.
Yeah, but this is just how I've been operating, you know what I'm saying? But when I really sit back and think, so many people has had writers help them get over some other place, you know? But I can honestly look in the mirror, and that's one of the things. I can look at the mirror and kind of be a priest above, too. Like, man, everything that y' all heard in the universe has been from. From me internally.
Would you ghostwrite for an artist?
I would. Yeah. I have before. Oh, have you? Yeah.
Sampling.
I love sampling. I do. I love. I love. I love. But I love to create. I love the creative part of taking a little piece of something and modernizing it, upgrading it. Like, I love. I love samples. Especially, like, feel good, sample sofa sample stuff like, I don't know, you might have heard as a kid or whatever. And they've been able to chop that up and then add something to it. I like samples. Original. Originality is dope, too. If you can make a beat from scratch, I rock with that. But I like samples.
If somebody were to sample one of yours, do they. Do they. Do they need to play you the song? Or you like, hey, they call you up, say, change. I want to sample this. You're like, okay, it's gonna cost you X, Y, and Z. Or do you need to hear the song before you?
Like, yeah, I'm always here the song. I'm always here the song.
Cause you don't want nobody putting no Boo Boo on your track.
But even if they put Boo Boo, I don't wanna. I wanna hear the song. I don't want to be affiliated with nothing, you know? Crazy, right? But if the song is Boo Boo, I still make clear, because I know what it's like for my song not to be clear. I know that feeling. Like like, so I figure out a way for it to make. Make sense for me. Long as it's not a huge interpolation of what I did. It was something small, whatever. I ain't really tripping on that because it's just a way to, you know, kind of, you know, kind of keep. Keep my algorithm going.
Creator recently showed you some love. Do. Are people sleeping on your pen chains?
Yeah, but that's cool though. I mean, Tyler's dope too.
Yeah.
Just took to my daughter to see his concert. He gave me a shout out while he was on stage. So that was. That was cool. You know, today it's dope for people who have that kind of impact to, you know, throw some shine on something as opposed to Shade.
Right.
And so when he did that, I looked at as he was, you know, throwing some shine on something.
Good morning.
Welcome home, Shake.
Yeah, man.
Welcome home, Claire.
I switch whips in the am, Pick.
Up the bagel with the cream cheese.
When I played, I didn't get an opportunity to really enjoy it because I was so, so caught up in the journey. I wasn't really concerned with the destination. And then once I arrived at the destination, which was when I completed my career, now I get back, like, man, I did that. I had a great. Blah, blah, blah. Do you have an opportunity? Do you sit back and just think about what you have accomplished in your young career?
No, I think that's one of the. That's something that I think I started feeling a little late in my career. I didn't become really successful until I was in my 30s. And then I think by taking me so long to become successful, I didn't want to celebrate too much. I didn't want to go on vacation. I didn't want to, you know, take the time to like, reflect, look back or even judge where I was currently. And so now as I start to get older and understand, you know, how life works and how the universe works, I really wish I would have spent more time in that. In those places. Like, and not just like, figuratively speaking. I'm talking about internalizing what I was doing at the time, you know, But I'm still here and confident that I can make some more waves and experiences along my journey.
We're here in Candyland. For your 46th birthday, you bought yourself a strip club. Of all the birthday presents you could have gifted yourself, why? Why an adult entertainment?
I mean, why not? You know, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Okay.
How this whole thing came about, it was just God involved, you Know what I'm saying? Anybody from Atlanta would be interested and having something to do with a strip club because it's a major fixture in the city.
Correct.
But you're not able to open up any strip clubs unless you have a dance and permit, which they stop even issuing them in 93. Wow. So you would have to actually buy one from someone who has one or get grandfathered in.
Right.
And so I was able. My partner was already in the midst and in a situation to where he was starting that process. And, God, just put me in the picture at the right time, at the right place at the right time, like me and you discussed. And so that's what happened. I end up being at the right place at the right time. I didn't put all my eggs in the basket. I put a lot of them in the basket for this one. And I just feel like it's one of those things. It's just gonna be around, you know, we have food. It's entertainment. And, you know, I tell the dancers that you are entertainers. You know what I'm saying? So you have a fan base as well. Right. You know, it's always cool to try to. You know what I'm saying, spread some game. Yeah, there we go.
Let me show people the food.
Yeah, you. You man. So greedy.
Look at this smell. Like. These seem like. Like hot sauce. Like, hot. These seem like lemon pepper. These seem like barbecue. I don't know what else.
Look like the mesquite type of stuff. Yeah, yeah.
But I'm. Oh, we got fries over here.
We love them.
Show them fries. Show y' all the fries. Y' all see this?
And since Shay's doing such a great job of promoting my product, let's not forget my brother got his own yak. He just won an award. He told me about gold. Got a gold medal or something. So, you know, I don't even. Let me tell you something. Don't even worry about what I don't do. I'm finna go here with it. Okay. I'm gonna go here with it. I'm go ahead with it. Let me try it.
What you do hold up. You don't drink. You swirl it around.
You swirl around.
Then what we call is nosing it.
Nosing it?
Yes.
Now, I've done that with red wine before. Well, does this let it breathe more?
Yeah.
This stuff in barrels?
Yes. In order for it to be a cognac, it has to originate in the region for at least two years. So it has to grow up in the cognac. Region. It is a grape. This is a Uni Blanc mixture with a petite champagne. Each region in Cognac have a particular type of grape and according to how you want your contract cognac to taste you that kind of grape. And so this is a Uni Blanc grape. A very probably, I think maybe 70% of the grapes that's in that region is uni blanc grape with a petit champagne. This is a VSOP, very special old pale VSOP has to be aged between 4 and 6 years.
Wow.
And then as you go on up and you know, so forth and so on. So we think we've done a great job. Laportier is my grandmother's porter in French. Chez my name. And so Shay by la portier.
So how long have you had this cognac?
We came out, we tried to come out in 2000. Then the pandemic happened. And it's funny is that this bottle wasn't the original bottle. We had a bottle using a company out of Italy and they go bankrupt during the, during the pandemic. So we had to scratch that. Now we weren't able to come out in 2020. So now we had to push it back to 2021. So now they're sending me products all through the mail. I'm sampling, I'm tasting, I'm like, okay, I like this. And my partners and I like, what are we going for? Or we want something to taste good, people are going to buy it. It's like, yeah, that's the end goal. But we want to produce an award winning cognac. And now we won 14 awards. We've won the SIP award, which is the highest award you can win because it's a blind taste test. And again, we won another taste test today. The only cognac that won.
So without even starting the process, your partner in this knew that the end goal was awards.
Yes.
I guess he said everything else will fall.
Everything else.
Everything else, yeah. If you can get award. Yeah.
Yes. And it's a VSOP that drinks like an xo. XO is extra old. XXO is extra, extra old. And then you start getting into the specialty cognacs and stuff. That barrel. 25, you know, 50 years. As a matter of fact. We went over there this past June, June 24, and a guy had cognac that was in a barrel that was pre Civil war. He let us taste it. Yeah, how they keep. I mean. Cause everything is. It has to go through the process. It has to be because our cognac is very unique. We don't add color. We don't add sugar.
This is how it looks.
This is how it comes out of the barrel. This is how it comes out of the barrel. We're a small batch. We can control it. You see, your mom cooking for 10 people is gonna taste different than she's cooking for a thousand people. So when you try to cook something. So now we can control the taste. That's why you get the consistency, and that's when you become great at something, when you're consistent at it.
Yeah. So here we go.
Congratulations on everything. You've.
Thank you.
You've been very consistent.
Thank you, brother.
Appreciate it.
Jesus. Thank you. O.
That's a good cognac there. I promise you, nobody going to beat us on the market. We don't talk about anybody else. We just tell you what we do, and what we do, we do very well.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I.
You know, we got to get it in candy. We got to get it in your establishment.
Yeah, we easy, see? That's easy. When you own something, it's like, it's easy. I can really make that happen right now. If you had a case of them.
Oh, we can get to that.
So this is cognac.
This is cognac.
Yeah.
See, it has to originate because, see, you like wines can start anywhere. You can have wines from California. You can have them in Oregon. They can be all over the place. But they call it a cognac. It has to originate the first two years in that region. In cognac, it has to go through the copper pot. It has to be stored in the wooden barrels. Yes, the VSOP. In order for you to call it.
A VSOP, they gotta be four to six years.
46 years of age. And just sitting up in the barrel, sitting there, marinating.
Does that make it stronger?
Well, it's the process in which it goes through. Cause, you know, you have the grapes, you have a certain amount, and it's a blend, because as you like, we got another one coming out that's a premium. That's a step above this. And as it. As you start to blend, it gets more and more expensive because you're blending older and older cognacs to try to get the spade, the blend that you particularly want. So you might be blending something that was, you know, say, 10 years old with something that's 15 years old or something that's 20 years old. And you're trying to do X amount. But, like, because we're a small batch, we do really, really well. We've done really well People have been very receptive when they taste it. They know there's a lot of love, there's a lot of care, there's a lot of support that's going in.
You can hear that when you describe it. Honestly, I'm not obviously a big Kanye drink, but it was smooth. It was smooth. And, you know, the trend is. Is whatever it is right now, it's more shot based. So I wasn't sure if I was supposed to sip it or take a shot of it. Just a little sip of it.
Yeah.
Now if I was to add a.
A drop of water, it'll open up the body. You're supposed to actually drop a drop of water, not an ice cube. Because the ice cube, you can't control the melt, because if the ice cube melt is more than what you intended to get in there. So with a drop, you get to control how much water actually goes in and it opens up the body.
What about a juice would do? Would you. Oh, yeah.
Well, would you. Here's the thing.
Would you drink juice with your cognac?
No, I. Now, and over there, they drink ginger ale. They mix it with ginger. Alex, that was the big thing over there that I didn't know.
Cognac and ginger.
Yes. But it makes a great sidecar. We have drinks like determination, discipline, Determine dedication or things that are factored that are. That are really important to me and how I kind of got to where I got. We have drinks. We have a mixologist in house. Mixologist. And his job is to come up with drink with specialty drinks. Not just the Kanye. Now you can drink it by itself.
Yeah.
Because a lot of times people, they do mixed drink, they try to hide it because you ain't your thing. Ain't that good.
Okay.
We really good. We stand behind it.
Yeah.
We refer.
We would prefer you like a chef. Don't add no seasoning to my dish. That's right.
When I send that steak out there, I don't send ketchup or whiskey.
Yeah, they don't like that because I.
Already know what it is.
Yeah, they don't like that. Num real.
We know. We know what this is. So we. We stand behind that. So let me ask you. That's what I want to know. You go home, you like. Oh, man, my 46th birthday, man. I think I'm having me. I think I'm having me an adult entertainment. How you explain that to mama?
Oh, my mama was here.
I ain't talking about your mama. I'm talking about your girl, your lady.
Yeah, we like Minded. That's why we together. Okay. Okay.
She about that. She on that paper.
We come in here together. Really? Absolutely. We come here together. It's just sometimes I party too hard and it'd be hard for her to recover for a couple days. But we come out, we hang together. This ain't no secret. Like, I wouldn't even try to play like that.
Right?
Yeah. So we come out, we hang out together, have a few drinks, whatever, you know, whatever we do, we share the same, like, similarities. And I think that's what work in most relationships.
Is that what drew you to her? So how did you know she was the one?
Che, man, it's just beautiful, man. Beautiful inside and out. And I remember she used to go to church and take notes and stuff.
Really?
I thought that was so interesting, so cool. And then maybe look at him here and there. So just a God fearing woman who's just a super angelic like personality. And, you know, we laugh every day. We got some beautiful kids out this deal and just. Just kept moving. I. I knew, you know, I.
What did you guys meet?
We've been knowing each other 20. We've been knowing each other.
Who made the first move?
I did.
This concludes the first half of my conversation. Part two is also posted and you can access it to whichever podcast platform you just listened to part one on. Just simply go back to Club Shay Shay profile and I'll see you there.
Shannon Sharpe
Listen, as Silenia tells us why she chose to vaccinate her daughter.
2 Chainz
Right after my daughter was born, my husband and I are having to decide whether or not to get her vaccinated. I definitely felt like the pros far outweighed the cons. The diseases that I am protecting my child against, they're still here.
Shannon Sharpe
Talk to your child's doctor and learn more@yvaccines.com brought to you by Merck.
2 Chainz
Okay. Have you heard about this? Last year, Degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant. Their fans rebelled and wanted the old sim back. And Degree listened to that doesn't happen often.
They admitted that they effed up and are bringing the original Cool Rush scent back. And it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason it's the number one men's antiperspirant and is back in Walmart, Target and other stores for under $4.
So try it and see what the fuss is about. Head to your local stores to try the OG Cool Rush for yourself.
Shannon Sharpe
When it's tip off time at my house, there are a few things that are must haves on my checklist. My fellow friends and fans. Check my favorite jersey. It is good luck. Check an iconic drink that's a fan favorite. Check. Hypnotic can turn any cocktail into an iconic creation. With its game changing color and tropical flavor, Hypnotic should be in everyone's starting five. I consider Hypnotic the point guard of my game day roster because not only is it versatile, like having it on the rocks or as a base for cocktails, it also finishes smooth. So grab a bottle of Hypnotic and make your next basketball watch party Iconic. Enjoy the vibrant taste with friends and turn every game into a memorable celebration. Hypnotic where every sip is a slam dunk. Hypnotic Liqueur Bardstown, Kentucky 17% alcohol by volume. Hypnotic reminds you to think wisely. Drink wisely. You're listening to an iHeart podcast.
Podcast Title: Club Shay Shay
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: 2 Chainz
Release Date: May 21, 2025
In this engaging episode of Club Shay Shay, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe sits down with the multifaceted artist and entrepreneur, 2 Chainz. The conversation delves deep into 2 Chainz's journey in the music industry, his entrepreneurial ventures, personal experiences, and insights into his creative process. Below is a structured summary capturing the essence of their discussion.
2 Chainz reflects on his initial forays into the music industry, highlighting his early connections with prominent figures like Lil Wayne and Ludacris.
Meeting Ludacris:
"I met Luda first. Luda used to work on the radio down here. We had a mutual friend, and that's how our paths crossed."
[03:42]
Building a Relationship with Lil Wayne:
"Following Lil Wayne to New Orleans to collect on a small debt led to a deep and influential friendship. Being around him shaped my work ethic and artistic instincts."
[04:08]
2 Chainz emphasizes the invaluable lessons he learned from Ludacris and Lil Wayne, particularly in business acumen and relentless work ethic.
From Lil Wayne:
"Wayne had a Maybach with a driver, a chef—he embodyed convenience and success. I learned to focus intensely on one thing and strive to be the best at it."
[05:05]
From Ludacris:
"Ludacris is very business savvy. He taught me how to monetize through music, ensuring that every product or mention had financial backing."
[05:27]
Discussing the challenges of signing with major labels, 2 Chainz shares his decision to pursue an independent path to maintain control over his career.
Declining Offers from Lil Wayne and Kanye West:
"When Lil Wayne and Jermaine Dupri were trying to sign me, I chose to handle my career independently. It was about loyalty to my partners and trusting my own vision."
[06:39]
Reflection on Potential Outcomes:
"I always wonder what would have happened if I'd gone with their offers, but listening to my inner voice led me to where I am now."
[09:57]
2 Chainz discusses his collaborations with industry giants like Lil Wayne, Drake, and Kanye West, highlighting the dynamics and outcomes of these partnerships.
Working with Lil Wayne:
"Wayne was always supportive. He featured on 'Duffel Bag Boys' without charging me, demonstrating genuine friendship and collaboration."
[11:01]
Collaboration with Kanye West:
"Kanye reached out multiple times, leading to a deep rapport. Our first conversation lasted over two hours, and we collaborated on the hit song 'Mercy,' which showcased our synchronized creative energies."
[20:27]
Verse on 'Mercy':
"I believe I had the hardest verse on 'Mercy.' It was a testament to my creative abilities and the synergy we had during the recording process."
[23:57]
Reflecting on his successes, 2 Chainz shares anecdotes about receiving his Grammy and attaining multiple platinum plaques.
Receiving the Grammy:
"Winning the Grammy was an incredible moment. It wasn't just about the award but about proving myself and the collaborative efforts with artists like Chance the Rapper."
[28:46]
Platinum Plaques:
"Each platinum plaque signifies a milestone—whether it's with Drake's 'Hotline Bling' or my solo projects. These achievements affirm that my hard work resonates with millions."
[29:19]
Transitioning from music to business, 2 Chainz delves into his venture into cognac production, highlighting the challenges and triumphs.
Launching La Portier Cognac:
"Purchasing a strip club and venturing into cognac production was a strategic move. Despite setbacks like the pandemic, our small-batch approach ensured quality and consistency."
[46:27]
Award-Winning Cognac:
"We've won 14 awards, including the SIP Award—the highest accolade in blind taste tests. Our dedication to quality and tradition is evident in every bottle."
[50:49]
2 Chainz provides an intimate look into his personal life, discussing his relationship with his wife, their shared values, and family life.
Meeting His Wife:
"Che is beautiful inside and out. Her angelic personality and shared faith grounded our relationship. We've built a wonderful family together."
[56:27]
Balancing Personal and Professional Life:
"Even though I love partying, my wife and I ensure we spend quality time together, supporting each other's endeavors."
[55:46]
Addressing the topic of creativity in music, 2 Chainz emphasizes the importance of authenticity and personal expression.
On Ghostwriting:
"I don't believe in ghostwriting. Every verse, every hook is my own creation. My pride lies in my ability to articulate my thoughts without external help."
[40:34]
Sampling and Originality:
"I love sampling because it allows me to modernize and upgrade existing pieces. Whether it's creating from scratch or incorporating samples, originality remains paramount."
[42:28]
Looking ahead, 2 Chainz shares his thoughts on leveraging his experience to continue making waves in both music and business.
Continuous Growth:
"Though I achieved success in my 30s, I believe there's still room to grow and explore new opportunities. I'm confident in my ability to create more impactful experiences."
[45:11]
Desire to Collaborate with Andre 3000:
"Collaborating with Andre 3000 has always been on my list. His legendary status in Atlanta and the broader music scene make him the one person I still aspire to work with."
[28:15]
On Work Ethic and Success:
"You just need to focus now, you can just focus on one particular thing being the best at what I want to do."
— 2 Chainz [05:02]
On Business Savvy Learned from Ludacris:
"He just wasn't rapping about something that he wasn't getting paid. So he was somebody that taught me how to monetize through music."
— 2 Chainz [05:27]
On Choosing Independence:
"I want to be responsible for my own career. I'm gonna do this on my own."
— 2 Chainz [06:48]
On Authenticity in Music:
"Everything has very much been me. I can look at the mirror and be sure that everything you heard in the universe has been from me internally."
— 2 Chainz [42:16]
On Entrepreneurial Success:
"If you can get an award, everything else will fall into place."
— 2 Chainz [50:49]
This episode of Club Shay Shay offers a profound insight into 2 Chainz's evolution as an artist and entrepreneur. From his early beginnings and influential mentors to his independent pursuits and business successes, 2 Chainz's story is one of resilience, authenticity, and continuous growth. His reflections on personal relationships and creative philosophies add depth to his narrative, making this conversation both inspiring and enlightening for listeners.
For those interested in the second part of this interview, 2 Chainz continues his candid discussions, exploring more about his projects, personal anecdotes, and future aspirations.