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- [00:01]
Podcast Host
5:00am I'm up with a crisp Celsius energy drink running 12 miles today. Grab a green juice, quick change, and head to work. Meetings, workshops. One more Celsius. No slowing down. Working late, but obviously still meeting the girls for a little dancing. Celsius Live Fit. Go grab a cold, refreshing Celsius at your local retailer or locate now@celsius.com.
- [00:25]
Commercial Voice
okay, caller one wins courtside seats to tonight's game. What? I won floor seats. You. I've been calling for 13 months. Wait. Chris. Yes. I finally did it. What are you gonna wear? Men's Wearhouse. They've got today's looks for any occasion, and I need to look like a celebrity. Don't want to stick out. Exactly. They've got Chill Flex by Kenneth Cole, Joseph Abboud, and a tailor at every store for the perfect fit.
- [00:48]
2 Chainz
Congrats.
- [00:49]
Commercial Voice
You can stop calling now. Not a chance. Hit any look for every occasion at Men's Wearhouse. Love the way you look.
- [00:55]
Deontay Kyle
All right, y', all. With spring coming up, a lot of us are starting to travel again, whether that's weekend trips, long flights, or just being outside more. And one thing that I've learned is staying hydrated makes a huge difference when you're on the go. And that's why I've been keeping that Liquid IV with me. It's a hydration multiplier that you mix with water, and it helps you hydrate faster and more efficiently than water alone. Each stick has three times the electrolytes of leading sports drinks, plus vitamins like B3, B5, B6, B12, and. And vitamin C. And the best part is super easy. You just pour a stick into water, shake it up, and you're good to go. It's perfect for travel days, long flights, workouts, or just those days when you need a hydration boost. So if you want to try it out, you can get 20% off when you go to liquid IV.com and use code GRITS at checkout. That's 20% off anything you order when you shop. Better hydration today using Code Grits at Liquid iv.
- [01:56]
Podcast Host
This episode is brought to you by Redfin. You're listening to a podcast, which means you're probably multitasking, maybe even scrolling home listings on Redfin, saving homes without expecting to get them. But Redfin isn't just built for endless browsing. It's built to help you find and own a home with agents who close twice as many deals. When you find the one, you've got a real shot at getting it. Get started@redfin.com Own the Dream,
- [02:29]
Commercial Voice
Yay.
- [02:31]
Guest Rapper/Artist
Woke up in the morning and to God be the glory? Thankful for another day to tell my story? Put my opinions in the universe and let them orbit? I'm from the dirty south with a dirty mouth Might need orbit? Miss things things on me like a nigga Norbit had to refuse them? Cause my bitch no rest Fusion she gorgeous as I doubt my sons up and kiss daughter forehead Tell them we gonna get this money to my pocket's morbid? Remember living in apartments? Now we playing mortgage.
- [03:00]
2 Chainz
Y' all hear me? All right. True.
- [03:06]
Deontay Kyle
All right.
- [03:07]
Interviewer/Moderator
Well, the mic went on. So as he said, 12 certified platinum singles, two time platinum albums, seven Grammy nominations, one Grammy win, seven studio albums as a solo artist, multiple businesses you own here in Atlanta, philanthropist, a father, a husband. You got all your family in here.
- [03:28]
2 Chainz
Not all of them, but most of them.
- [03:30]
Interviewer/Moderator
Most of them.
- [03:31]
2 Chainz
And two Grammys.
- [03:32]
Interviewer/Moderator
Two, two, two.
- [03:34]
Deontay Kyle
Okay, two Grammys for 2 Chain.
- [03:37]
2 Chainz
Cause, see, I was on the Killer Mike album, and that album got a Grammy. So people who. Who helped make the album.
- [03:47]
Interviewer/Moderator
Okay.
- [03:47]
2 Chainz
Yeah. So I just gotta update. Update.
- [03:50]
Interviewer/Moderator
Hey, you know what I'm saying?
- [03:51]
Deontay Kyle
Update me.
- [03:53]
Interviewer/Moderator
And hopefully. New York Times bestselling author.
- [03:56]
2 Chainz
Yeah, let's put it out there.
- [04:03]
Interviewer/Moderator
Some of my questions is a little.
- [04:05]
Deontay Kyle
It leave a lot of room to
- [04:06]
Interviewer/Moderator
breathe so you can answer. You could be as long winded as you want to be. Great book.
- [04:13]
Deontay Kyle
Everybody read the book.
- [04:15]
Interviewer/Moderator
Yeah. I went cover to cover today. Easy. Great read. It's one of those books that you can see as you read it. But I wanted to start off selfishly. One of my favorite albums is, so help me God, you got some songs there, like 55 times. Southside hoes, they wait for you to die. And those themes kind of parlay into longer versions and some themes throughout this book, you talk about coming from a lineage of hustlers, both in business and in the street. So that allowed you to inherit some business acumen and business savvy, but also inherit some unfortunate circumstances, such as experiencing two drug raids before the age of 13. What is it like to be in a situation where the walls have officially closed in? And what's some of the opposite feelings that you've experienced in business? On a positive note,
- [05:12]
2 Chainz
feeling like the walls closed in.
- [05:15]
Interviewer/Moderator
Well, in respect to the drug race, like they officially closed in.
- [05:18]
2 Chainz
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's. I think you get. People say anxiety a lot now, but I think during that. Maybe I didn't know what that word was, but, you know, you get those heart palpitations you get, you know, it's like a lot of yelling. It's yelling because I guess they trying to shock you. It's like yelling. And it's a lot of force and a lot of chaos. Like, it's just chaotic being in a home that's raided by the police. They come in, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, is this working? Yeah. They come in like, yo, yo, yo, my shit ain't working. Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, get me right? Yo, they come in, they come in hard, you know what I'm saying?
- [06:16]
Guest Rapper/Artist
And
- [06:18]
2 Chainz
it's just, you know, it's something that you'll never forget. It's something that no matter what age you are, you can just, you can remember. You just have like, I have flashes of the times that I've been in those situations. And then as far as business, what you were saying about the business part,
- [06:38]
Interviewer/Moderator
well, to compare the opposite of that feeling, that feeling of freezing, that feeling of your foundation shaking with some highlights of business and just in your career that you experienced, that's on the opposite end of that spectrum.
- [06:51]
2 Chainz
When I think about my business acumen, a lot of it came from the streets in order to hustle, in order to build a loyal clientele, which is now I've converted to a fan base. It's the street aspect. A lot of people would not understand that. But the thing about being raised in Atlanta or being raised in a trap is that you inherit a lot of the ideology of the neighborhood. So if you look at, if you look at gangs in la, they're everywhere now. But being in la, it's like somebody mama is responsible for how the kid turned out. The mama lives in this neighborhood. You come outside and it becomes a brotherhood. And so in the book, I state that if I was from Hawaii, I probably would be fire at surfing, you know what I'm saying? And if I was in Colorado, I know how to, like, ski because, like, everybody be like, let's go snowboard or whatever, you know what I'm saying? But where I'm from, we literally like went in half on a pack until we can get our own, you know what I'm saying? And then that create that brotherhood and that this is my brother to this day, people call my mama day mama, you know what I'm saying? And so that in turn, when I become of age and I'm mature and I go cold turkey on the hustling aspect, it still has a lot of the same qualities, you know what I mean? You get that you get those spider senses about, is this a good deal, bad deal, should you do it? You know, and you know, the book is about intuition. So, you know, that gut feeling or that divine guidance is very important, even in business. So, you know, I was able to take a lot of the things that I learned from the street, apply it to business, and I was successful in both.
- [08:36]
Deontay Kyle
Absolutely.
- [08:37]
Interviewer/Moderator
Intuition is normally donated to, like, the feminine, a woman's intuition. And you spoke to how you see women a lot as superheroes and a lot of the powerful women in your life and coming in the hip hop industry. It's a lot of misogyny. It's a lot of downplaying women, down talking women, degrading women. Why was it important for you so early in the book, in the second chapter, to highlight how much reverence you have for women?
- [09:06]
2 Chainz
Well, being raised by a single mother taught me how to treat women. You know, to this day, you know, the circumstances that we faced, whether good or bad, just taught me how a woman should be treated, you know, and not necessarily through courtship, but just in life, you know what I'm saying? With maximum respect. And I feel like we may all be born with this, something I call the sixth sense, which is your intuition. I feel like it's the sixth sense. They should put it, like, as a sense. But I feel like women just. They know about a way before men. We just mature later than them and damn near everything. And so the reason why it's so early in the book is because a lot of the stories in this book, I would trace backwards to where what made me do this, Whether it was a celebration or whether it was something traumatic. And it would be a voice that either I ignored or did not hear, or it would be something coming from, like, my mom or something like that.
- [10:09]
Interviewer/Moderator
In the end of chapter four, you speak a lot about luck or what some people might call favor. Then immediately in chapter five, you talked about building strong foundations. Speak to some times in life where the luck runs out and you have to rebuild things foundationally, not only within self, but within business and within your circle.
- [10:31]
2 Chainz
Sometimes you have to recalibrate, take a step back. You know, I think. And I don't do this, but I think I heard a story about Prince. I think Prince fired people every five years or something like that. I some of y' all niggas like you, But I do have the chapter, like, remind them by rebranding. And so, you know, when you look up, I'm titty bomb, hair weave killer. I'm Tony, you Know, I have a new logo now that I'm launching for two chain. So it's just about keeping the follower engaged and everything. So I think. I think that's attribute that I bring to the table. I definitely will recalibrate, recreate something, you know what I mean? Just not stay stagnant. And it's not as hard as some people think. A lot of the big brands do it all the time. From your McDonald's to Sprite or Coke or whatever it is, they'll tweak something. You know, they won't change the name, but they will tweak something. And I feel like they get that helps to add to my longevity too.
- [11:45]
Interviewer/Moderator
Yeah, the rebrand game for the pillowcases. The Starship pillowcases, It was a rebrand.
- [11:54]
2 Chainz
Yeah. It's like. But it made me. When I revisit. He's talking about a story, you know, you from Atlanta, I'm sure y' all seen the Starships, and a lot of y' all was in Starship getting something else. I already know what y' all getting, but they had. They had the weed baggies at Starship and the scale and the little. All that at Starship. And then like, my buddy ain't here. I wish he was here. I put him on the spot. But I used to go in and I used to make a left, and to the left was like, paraphernalia for, like, drugs. He would come in and go to the right, and to the right was all the porn. Like, all the. I'm talking about when they went from VCR to dvd, the man just stayed in that space. But I remember they had these new baggies. And if you think about it now, a lot of you that are buying weed, you see these, like, packages that they put so much effort into the package. Then you open it up and you like, damn, you know, and it just lets you know, like, that stuff will play with your mind. So I go to Starship and they got like these different looking pillow sacks. They were like vertical. And I was just like, I just immediately not even knowing what marketing was probably at the time. And I'm like, these shits gonna sell. You know what I mean? This shit, it just looked different from the rest of the sacks. And I eventually, you know, took it. My mom, I'm sacking up. That's how I know. I'm sacking up to work, about to go to school the next day, and my mama coming down say, boy, what you doing with all that stuff? I said, tomorrow, Friday, them folks gonna buy this stuff she like, you sure you gonna take all that? And it really looked like more than what it was because it was Knicks, but you know what I'm saying? And it looked like a lot. Knicks are $5 people telling my aide. But, yeah, I go to school, then I get my ass locked up, you know what I'm saying? Just. Just not. But you know, when you're doing something, when you hustlin, and it's like. It becomes like it starts to run so smoothly. You got, like, somebody you get it from. You got somebody that's gonna get it from you. And you don't really worry about, like, anything once you've been doing it a while. You know what I mean? It's not like I'm just, like, walking up to somebody look like, you know how they do us now, you know what I mean? Come on. I got it. Come on, Twin. I got it. Come on, man. You ain't gonna shop with me, man. Like, God, I would have never. I never would. I never done that. You know what I'm saying? I'm already know who gonna get this before I get it. I just. You know what I mean? So it was very, very smooth for me. But I did. You know, it was times like that when I thought about, like, how my life just did these drastic turns. And then I trace it back. And I remember my mama. Cause she been knowing I've been hustling, you know. She say, you gonna take all that to school? I said, yeah. She said, you sure? And I just. Man, it just echoed, you know what I mean? And so many things happened from there, but I end up. It end up putting me right here. So it led me to write the book about the voice and intuition and how your subconscious can lead you to success if you tapped in. If you listen to the right. The right voice. The voice that got love in it, which is God. And, you know, doing a book. They gonna try to typecast you because you're an artist. They gonna try to. You know how it is, man. They want you to act. They want you to be a rapper in the movie or something like that. They just gonna try to keep you like this. But I have so much more to offer. So it was important that I had a book that tapped into an audience outside of hip hop, you know what I mean? So, like, hip hop, you know, we gonna do an autobiography. We gonna exaggerate some stuff. That's what hip hop do. You know what I'm saying? Got shot 17 times. I write down, you know, this, like, nigga be going so bad. I'm like, I'm not finna compete with that. You know what I'm saying? I just want to have some literature that can live after me and people can actually learn from. And it has, like a message to it. You know what I mean? Intuition is very real for me. Almost feel like it was like a secret sauce or almost like a cheat sheet, because it's like, man, how you keep doing this? And the whole time I'm listening to a voice can't nobody see, can't nobody hear it but me, but I'm just moving and I'm reacting off of it. But I'm getting great outcomes from it.
- [16:26]
Interviewer/Moderator
Upon the first rebrand, you know, triple beam and then the red polo. You ever wore a red polo? Ever since.
- [16:34]
2 Chainz
Why does that happen? Yo, no one has ever asked me that. But, you know, once you something, you get locked up in some shit you like. I ain't never wearing that again. Never again. You get.
- [16:43]
Deontay Kyle
We throwing that whole shit away.
- [16:44]
2 Chainz
That's janky.
- [16:45]
Deontay Kyle
It's not even coming back in my house.
- [16:46]
2 Chainz
Like, even if I see it on another nigga, man, that jank. I don't even want to be you. Hey, boy, I'm telling you, boy, I got locked up a few years ago wearing that same. Them same Jordans, you know what I'm saying? Like, that is true. I never thought about it, but it
- [16:58]
Deontay Kyle
wasn't until like this year that I
- [17:00]
Interviewer/Moderator
bought a pair of true religions. Cuz I got locked up into true religion. I'm never.
- [17:03]
2 Chainz
Yeah, them janky, man. Hey, around with.
- [17:05]
Deontay Kyle
I see a true L. We ain't
- [17:06]
2 Chainz
around with two chain nothing. You got me jumped up. Yeah, but that's some. That's definitely some black.
- [17:12]
Interviewer/Moderator
You know what I'm saying?
- [17:13]
2 Chainz
Definitely.
- [17:14]
Deontay Kyle
Like, yo, be like, don't write your name on the wall. And here you gonna come back in.
- [17:18]
2 Chainz
Yeah, yeah, Janky just all superstition.
- [17:21]
Deontay Kyle
If you stop selling the trails, you want to be back in here?
- [17:23]
2 Chainz
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't never want to do that one. Don't take that.
- [17:29]
Deontay Kyle
They don't want to do that.
- [17:30]
2 Chainz
That's the accountability, man. Hey, look, man, I'm telling you, man, when you. When you in the. In the mix of selling drug, it really, man. It sounds crazy, bro. When I step back and I just look at myself. But, like, when you come from a place where everybody doing it, you don't think nothing is wrong with it. I swear to you, right now, in the basement of my house, I got a table that a jay, man. I Got a table. One of them big ass. I don't even know how mama. I don't know if my mama remember, man. A jay had a dining room table. Big oak, wood, where you stretch it out and you got. It got wood you put in the middle.
- [18:05]
Deontay Kyle
Yeah.
- [18:06]
2 Chainz
This is when I was, like, in my 20s, bro. This table steal some good. The nigga never came back. And the table, it was so heavy. And I remember, like, you know. Cause they. You know, when people do drugs, they'll pawn anything. You know what I mean? And I was like, damn, they're becoming a hoarder. Cause I'm like, what you got? You know what I'm saying? And then my mind, it's like, I don't even have nowhere for this nice stuff. But I know I'm a. That's how I know I knew I'm gonna get a place soon. And then, like, when I get a place, I have the stuff for it. You know what I'm saying? But, man, that table moved around from some apartments to here, you know, Mama got a new house. I got a new house. And I go down to the bottom basement, and I look at the table. Boom. And I said, Damn. And I FaceTime my cousin. Oh. I like, hey, man, this the table I was telling you about. Like, how the barter system was just so much like, you know, like it was a part of life and it wasn't like, you know, now you have fentanyl and stuff like that. So, like, my conscience wouldn't let me be in the game. But back then, the only way you could really, like, OD was being greeted doing too much. Like, you couldn't just hit it. Like. But I'm for real, though.
- [19:25]
Deontay Kyle
Like, now you had to compromise your heart.
- [19:27]
2 Chainz
You smoke so much, your heart will bust. You know what I'm saying? Be like, damn, that nigga was smoking, too. Like, now. But you can take people. And I don't even like when they call it overdosing because somebody go out for their birthday and they, like, you know, split this pill or whatever with me. And then they not trying to die. Like, they not trying to. Like, they not even. They just. And maybe they don't even do this. They just doing it for their birthday. I hate when they say this person od. Like, nobody was, like, trying to do that. So I'm from an era where that was, like, very, like, rare. Nobody would, like, oh, I seen more people literally go to the hospital for eating edibles than smoking, like, crack. Yeah. Like,
- [20:06]
Interviewer/Moderator
the opposite way. Crack making. Live forever.
- [20:09]
2 Chainz
Yeah. Oh, no. Be. Be ripped. Whole fitness.
- [20:15]
Deontay Kyle
Nah, he could really be an Olympian.
- [20:16]
2 Chainz
And he don't fit. He done finesse us out the dope and daring us to do something about it. I learned so many lessons. I learned so many lessons from. Like, this is. To this day, right now. This is why I don't look down on anybody, because I don't know who. Who God can be giving it to. Like, I don't. Look. If you. Like, if. If you don't have teeth or whatever, I ain't on that. I don't. If you don't have a. Whatever it is. If somebody says something else, it don't mean they always got something, like, correct to say. But I learned so much from somebody that they consider, like, you know, a fiend or somebody depended on drugs. I learned a lot from them. And so to this day, like, man, you know, somebody parking a car, whoever. I just don't belittle that person because of that.
- [20:58]
Interviewer/Moderator
Absolutely.
- [20:59]
2 Chainz
Yeah.
- [21:01]
Interviewer/Moderator
I mean, if you want to speak about, like, just life experience shit, they definitely playing the game on automatic. So they got to know more than the average person.
- [21:10]
2 Chainz
Yeah.
- [21:10]
Interviewer/Moderator
Especially like, you know, dealing with homelessness and addiction at the same time. I got a sister dealing with addiction. Every now and then, she gonna call me and hit me with some real game.
- [21:18]
2 Chainz
I mean. And it's touching.
- [21:20]
Interviewer/Moderator
Yeah, for sure.
- [21:21]
2 Chainz
It's very, very touching, man. And it's like, when you're in the middle of it, man, it's hard to really describe, you know, it's not so much you want any empathy from it, but being in the middle of something like that, that storm is something to deal with, and it's hard to get out of it. It's hard to get out of it once you're in the middle, because you become addicted not only from a useless perspective, but from a providing perspective. Like, you become, like, addicted to making sure you got something to serve people. You come addicted to trapping and selling joy. You become addicted to that, you know, I got friends, man. Like, man, I got friends that got, like, maybe a couple pictures when they took that one trip to Miami, like, for vacation. But everybody's like, but I ain't leaving the trap. I need to be here, or somebody need to be here. So that mentality is, like. It's a very strange mental mentality, and it's very, very, very hard to break.
- [22:20]
Interviewer/Moderator
I just think I'm reflecting on, like,
- [22:22]
2 Chainz
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've been. I mean, I've been. I've been. I've been. I've been closer than that. Yeah, I've been closer than. Where you at. I've been real close to. Yeah, man. Rough, man.
- [22:32]
Interviewer/Moderator
Yeah, rough patch, man.
- [22:36]
Deontay Kyle
I was telling.
- [22:37]
Interviewer/Moderator
I had an interview with Kevin on stage and I was telling him, like, when I had my baby had went to go get like my first real job. And like, I was there for like three weeks and I was like, man, y' all do this shit every day. Yeah, y' all just wake up. Then these folk coming in on their lunch break. Like I could be outside doing whatever. But bigger picture, it was, you know, easier to make that decision when I'm doing it. Somebody for somebody beside myself.
- [23:00]
2 Chainz
Yeah, yeah.
- [23:02]
Interviewer/Moderator
You said there's a part where you talk about being at All Star Game and the theme of act like you've been here before. And it's less about an act and more about just having radical confidence and persistence. Just that knowing. What can you tell the audience about persistence and how you applied it? First in your neighborhood, then in the entertainment industry and overall in life,
- [23:28]
2 Chainz
it's something about confidence. It just. It's like a superpower. And if you have your chin up and like chest high and you act like you belong, you can. You can probably get anywhere. You can. You can probably get anywhere. For example, I didn't talk about this in the book. This is no bullshit. I'm in LA for the Super Bowl. I got a driver that anytime he put on a suit, I say, bro, you kept. Cause he like, he looked like a whole different. Like, it's like something about like. That's another thing. Like n. In suits, they'll trick you. You know what I mean? Cause I know somebody like this, man. This is everything, man. This man drove me to the super bowl, bro. Stood on side of me like he was escorting me like he was a real like CIA agent, man. This is on the Lord. This man snuck in the super bowl, bro, just cause he want some. God dang. Hold on, I'll be right. Make sure my client's straight. He do. I'm like, I almost wanna. I wanna tell on him. Cause he. This is when the Falcons played New England. He a little closer than me. He get down there and then he turn around, he look up at me. I'm like, man, hell no, man. I just spent so much money. But like, if you really act like you. Like people be kinda scared to even, you know, try you. Like, if you just really like move with that confidence, you just. I mean, you know, somebody might choke you out. Don't just go to tryna walk in the Hawks game or something like that. But, like, I'm telling you, I've seen it happening. So with this right here, I go to this All Star game and I'm kind of piped up and a lot of the peers recognize me and even the fans. But, like, I had an incident where I took one of my homeboys to All Star and he done called a woman a B word. So it done trinkle down to me like, you know how it is. It's me and my. You know what I mean? But I don't know this for so long. I'm like, why they don't answer the phone? And so I'm up kind of high and I see some people, you know, they point two J. I'm like, damn, how long I'm baby to be up here? You know what I mean? But I really like people who know I love basketball. So, like, I wanted to be there. And then I said, fuck it. I just get up. They got the little man with the little green shirt. He right here, man. I walk down that mud, as soon as I hit the bottom stair, I go to looking around him like somebody calling my name. I go to doing the hole. He let me see your man. Look. Shot right past him, but end up down there. So sometime it's just like. You know what I'm saying? It's almost like, boy, what you. I'm almost looking at him like, what you doing here? Like, clearly, look at everybody know me. So that's just really like how I move in life. Man, you supposed to. You gotta act like it. Gotta act like you're supposed to be there.
- [26:16]
Interviewer/Moderator
Yeah. You gotta be ready to walk into
- [26:19]
Deontay Kyle
the room before you get to the
- [26:20]
2 Chainz
door, act like it, man. All that, like, man, you can see that the energy. Can see when you're not confident and stuff like that. We can see it.
- [26:26]
Interviewer/Moderator
Yeah. In high school, we had went to this, like, little store we used to go to. I wasn't never really big on the thieving shit, but my homeboy was always stealing. I never know he had nothing until
- [26:39]
Deontay Kyle
we leave the store.
- [26:40]
2 Chainz
Yeah.
- [26:41]
Interviewer/Moderator
And then he was like, we finna go smoke. I need to go get some switch. They go to the store real quick.
- [26:47]
Deontay Kyle
We had the other dude with us
- [26:49]
Interviewer/Moderator
and buddy just sweating, like, uncomfortable.
- [26:52]
2 Chainz
Yeah, boy, you got us hot.
- [26:53]
Interviewer/Moderator
Hey, bro, you gotta get the fuck.
- [26:55]
2 Chainz
Yeah, you making us hot.
- [26:56]
Deontay Kyle
I told my partner, I was like,
- [26:57]
Interviewer/Moderator
look, we just gonna leave him in here.
- [26:58]
2 Chainz
Like, we gotta go.
- [26:59]
Interviewer/Moderator
I don't need nobody, so I don't got no reason to look out for him, bro.
- [27:02]
Deontay Kyle
We get 20 paces out the door. We just see him come running. Old white dude just, hey, get back here. We like, we don't even know, buddy.
- [27:10]
2 Chainz
Yeah, yeah. We don't even know him. Yeah, you gotta.
- [27:12]
Interviewer/Moderator
But he was overly hot.
- [27:13]
Deontay Kyle
Cause he was so nervous to do
- [27:14]
Interviewer/Moderator
what he was doing. It's just like, at that point, just stop.
- [27:17]
2 Chainz
Go back to school. I tell people, like. I tell them, like, anytime you riding, and then you, like, when you look the police right in the eyes, man, you know they finna whip you, right? I'm riding with my partner. We coming from Alabama, man. You know, they sitting out with the little gun, man. We. Damn. That do this. Pass them look together, man. No bullshit. You know, we got something in the car, man. This is. No, we not even speeding, man. He looking at. He said, hey, slam them folks. They coming, man. So now, since I don't, you know, have nothing but something to smoke in the car, really, I don't care when the police pull next me. Sometimes I look, I let them. I look at. I do all type of stuff now because my mentality changed, you know what I'm saying? And, like. And they are trained to know when the energy off, you know what I'm saying? They just know when you on, you know what I mean? They hit you with the. Man, I smell something and it's prison or whatever from there. Just from looking at them, bro. So if you ain't no. So that's some free game from this today. If you leave here, just don't look at the police.
- [28:24]
Deontay Kyle
I tell y' all a little trick. When you do see the police, just turn the music up and really get
- [28:28]
Interviewer/Moderator
animated with the raps.
- [28:30]
Deontay Kyle
You gotta act like you ain't even stunting him. Like, bro, I'm really into this song.
- [28:33]
Interviewer/Moderator
I'm not worried about no part.
- [28:34]
2 Chainz
Yeah, no, they whipping you. They'll whip you for that. No, I wish I would. See, I was like this. He's on something. Yeah. Nah, nah. I don't know about y'. All. I don't know. Look, try both and let us know. Try to ignore it and try to go and, you know, rapping, your favorite song.
- [28:54]
Deontay Kyle
Do the rapping when you ain't got
- [28:55]
Interviewer/Moderator
nothing to worry about. Like, when all your business together. Do the rapping.
- [29:00]
Deontay Kyle
You might think you have a solid handle on your budget. Maybe your spreadsheet says you should have extra money left over each month. But if your bank account isn't reflecting that, something's off. And that's honestly where I was. I felt like I was doing everything right, but my money wasn't stretching the way it should. That's when I started using Rocket Money. Once I connected my accounts, Rocket Money showed me everything in one place. Spending, bills, subscriptions I ain't even realized were still active. Seeing it laid out like that was eye opening. It helped me understand where my money was actually going, not where I thought my money was going. And from there it became way easier to make smarter decisions and put more money aside without feeling stressed or restricted. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings. It shows all of your expenses in one place, including subscriptions you forgot about. And if you see one you no longer want, Rocket Money can help you cancel it with just a few taps. I also really like how the dashboard gives you a clear picture of your finances, bill, due dates, paydays and spending habits all in one place. That's easy to understand. You can even create custom budgets based on your past spending. And if saving is one of your goals, Rocket Money can analyze your accounts and help you find the best time each month to put extra money aside. Rocket Money has saved users over 2.5 billion, including over 880 million in canceled subscriptions alone. Their 10 million members save up to $740 a year when they use all of the app's premium features. Answer your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to RocketMoney.com grits today that's RocketMoney.com grits Raise your hand if you've been putting off a dentist appointment or an annual physical. Yep, my hand is up too. When something feels off, I usually self diagnose using the world wide web, convince myself it's probably fine, or try to find some random wellness trend instead of actually booking an appointment. And if that sounds familiar, I'm right there with you. But this year we're doing things differently. We're finding doctors we actually like and booking appointments with zocdoc. Because finding doctor you love? That's like finding a diamond in the rough. Sure, you want someone in network nearby with open time slots and but you also want someone who really listens. They make you feel comfortable and they explain things clearly. Someone who doesn't rush you out the door. Maybe even someone who makes you laugh. Your diamond in the rough doctor exists and finding them is easy. On zocdoc. Zocdoc is a free app and a website that helps you Find and book high quality in network doctors so you can find someone you love. We're talking about booking in network appointments with more than 150,000 providers with all across the 50 states. Whether you're looking for dermatology, dentistry, primary care, eye care or one of the other 200/specified offered on Zocdoc, you can easily search by specialty or symptom to build the care team that's right for you. You want to see your doctor in person?
- [32:03]
Interviewer/Moderator
Great.
- [32:04]
Deontay Kyle
You prefer a video visit? You could do that too. And what I really like is you can view thousands of verified patient reviews to give a real sense of who your doctor is. Maybe they hate small talk just as much as you. Maybe they root for your favorite sport team. Whatever it is, you can feel confident that you will be booking a doctor you love and when you're ready you can see their real time availability and click to book instantly. No phone tag, no waiting around. Appointments made through Zocdoc happen fast, typically within 24 to 72 hours of booking. You can even score some same day appointments. Personally, I love that I can handle all this at 11pm when I finally have a second to breathe. No calling offices during business hours. Just open the app, find what works for me and book it. If I need to find a doctor, that's what I'm using. So stop putting off those doctor's appointments and go to zocdoc.com grits and find and book instantly a doctor you love today. That z o c-o c.com grits zocdoc.com grits and thank you Soft Shop for sponsoring this message. Nothing hits like home cooking and hellofresh makes it easy to do more of it this year with recipes that feel good, taste delicious night after night. Listen, y' all know I love good food, but I do not love figuring out what to cook every single day. And hellofresh really takes the pressure off. It makes dinner feel intentional instead of stressful. And with three kids to feed, I'm not trying to walk into that kitchen with no stress. There's something about cooking at home that just feels grounding. Whether it's a busy weeknight or you got people over. Hello Fresh makes it simple and actually enjoyable. They have more than 100 recipes every week and I'm talking cuisines from around the world so you're not stuck eating the same thing over and over. And right now, especially when it's cold and you just want something comforting, they've got options that really hit and the portions bigger so Everybody eats. One thing I really appreciate is that they have more than 35 high protein recipes every week including new Mediterranean and GLP1 friendly options. And the ingredients, wholesome, sustainably sourced seafood, 100% antibiotic and hormone free chicken. You're eating real food, period. They now have three times the seafood with no upcharge. And you can even level up with grass fed rib eye steaks if you're trying to impress somebody or just treat yourself. And another thing I really love is that they use seasonal produce like pears, apple, asparagus so the meals feel fresh and intentional. Cause when dinner tastes this good, nothing hits like home cooking. I actually use hellofresh and I wouldn't tell y' all about it if I didn't like it. It's one of those things that just makes my life easier. Go to hellofresh.com grits10fm to get 10 free meals plus a free Zwilling knife that's $144.99 value on your third box offer valid while supplies last free meals applied as discount on first box. New subscribers only. Varies by plan.
- [35:18]
Interviewer/Moderator
All right, so look this one we is having some laughs.
- [35:23]
Deontay Kyle
You is a funny ass nigga.
- [35:23]
Interviewer/Moderator
But I knew you funny as hell in the first chapter you said. When I look back at it all, I remember them being some ugly motherfuckers
- [35:32]
2 Chainz
too, man, you know, ugly nigga, man.
- [35:36]
Deontay Kyle
He said one dude in particular, he
- [35:39]
Interviewer/Moderator
was just a real ugly ass nigga. I should have known something was up. If God made a nigga look like
- [35:43]
Deontay Kyle
that, he gotta be up to no good.
- [35:46]
2 Chainz
God did it. Nigga, you ugly. You ain't had no accident. N God did you like that? Why would I? I learned from that too. Ain't no real if it's a ugly ugly ass nigga. I don't know. Even if you claiming billionaire, bro. I don't know, it's just something about.
- [36:07]
Deontay Kyle
They just find a different battle, bro.
- [36:09]
2 Chainz
Something about being ugly. And I knew it. And if he want ugly, probably him being ugly is what warned me that this could not go come looking like when you look like that, you don't be having a lot to lose. Yeah, man. If somebody's like. And I'm not like trying to like John talk about nobody. This person right here, he's just an ugly person, man.
- [36:33]
Interviewer/Moderator
I mean, he just had an ugly spirit.
- [36:35]
2 Chainz
No, he was ugly. Yeah, the spirit. No, I'm saying the spirit. He probably sweating. Probably sweating ugly too. Yeah, but. Yeah man, I. Yeah, yeah, but you know, you know, stuff happens, man. Once again, this book is really opinion based. It's the way that I think. And, you know, I don't want anybody, like, I listened to chains and did this right here, but this is just really like, me.
- [37:14]
Interviewer/Moderator
Might not do. No, if they go into a business meeting, next meeting I go into, I'm
- [37:17]
2 Chainz
be like, no, no, he ain't looking like, well, he got a billion dollars. Like, I don't know, man, he ugly as hell. Like, especially in the streets. Maybe in the street. And then ugly people, they be thinking they, like, tough anyway. You know what I'm saying? Cause they so ugly, they have to, like, be like, it's tough. They. It's tough. Like, tough. So ugly niggas always be like, making like, you don't need to make no faces, boy. You just. And it don't mean you tougher, man. But anyway, yeah, those. Those are experiences. And so I. I just. I'm very descriptive already as an artist. So when. When writing the book, I think some of my songwriting skills or whatever was just, you know, implemented and describing what was going on in certain scenes and stuff like that. And if you do have a chance to listen to the audiobook, I did something that's never been done before out of all the audiobooks, and that was actually create, like, production. I have skits that actually you can hear when I'm reading certain scenes in the book, like, the scene you talking about, you can actually, like, hear me in the car. And then even on the way over there to, like, go look at the rims, I started feeling like, man, ain't no rims over here. But ain't no way to know. There's no way to know. You know, I fucked around and found out. But, like, it's no way to know. There's no way to know. I'm like, man, I don't think no Ram. Because they got us going over here to these problems. Like, I don't think no ramps over here. But then, like, I couldn't. I couldn't turn around because what if it was? So I think this book just tries to teach us, like, how to shut down the noise and, like, pay attention to, like, the voice and what it's telling us and listen to it. And don't, like, question like, what's around the corner. Just, like, listen to it.
- [38:58]
Interviewer/Moderator
Yeah, don't feed into, like, what your own desire is.
- [39:01]
2 Chainz
Yeah, that's what. We do that all the time. And it's okay. Like, you can't be perfect. Like this book.
- [39:05]
Interviewer/Moderator
You gotta take some L's to Get.
- [39:07]
2 Chainz
Yeah, this book is. It's not like it has God in the title, but it's more like me talking about God through life experiences. Like, I can't write no book like this at 20, even 30. I gotta like, hey, I live through some stuff. I gotta, like, I gotta make my mistakes. I gotta like, win enough to get the wisdom part, and then I gotta lose enough to, like, be able to speak about it honestly. So when you put all that together, it's like, okay, you know what I'm saying? I can get these folks some game. Like, I done took my losses.
- [39:33]
Interviewer/Moderator
Now.
- [39:34]
2 Chainz
I ain't nobody that gonna go on the ground with my losses, you know what I'm saying? So a lot of people gonna automatically. They gonna see the image, you know what I'm saying? They gonna see fly, but they not gonna see the intention behind really nothing. They don't even know I'm having that. They gonna see I'm fly, you know, having all that, but they don't know I got a real solid foundation, like, you know what I'm saying? From the bottom up. Like, I really. From the streets all the way here. I have a real. So the book is like an in depth kind of perspective of like, who 2 Chainz really is, you know what I'm saying? Inside out.
- [40:07]
Interviewer/Moderator
Absolutely. Yeah. I was like. I really got a good sense of, like, who you was, your character and thought process through it all. Cuz even when you was talking about the rims, you was like, man, this. This going to shine. Like I got. First of all, you tripping, though. Why you bring three cars to college?
- [40:22]
2 Chainz
Yeah, why? Mama said. Mama said that? What? I said three, even two.
- [40:29]
Interviewer/Moderator
I'd have been like, all right, that's great.
- [40:31]
2 Chainz
I had the Expedition. I had that Cadillac and I had that box Chevy and the auntie. I'm having this in college. And I'm selling like. I'm selling like these little ounces, they short. They like 26 gram ounces, right? But ain't nobody saying nothing like, they cool. Cause I'm, you know, it's from Atlanta. So I'm shorting these folks on the grounds. And as I keep riding back, I get somebody to take me. I bring another car down. So then I done got, you know, I'm gonna drive this call Monday, this cone wins, this call Friday, just, you know, popping them. Alabama say, Alabama niggas say, yeah, we gonna try to get some players. Yeah, yeah.
- [41:09]
Deontay Kyle
Cause I mean, why wouldn't the Rams be where the street is?
- [41:12]
2 Chainz
Nah, man, I can't.
- [41:13]
Deontay Kyle
When you had to hop out and go back.
- [41:15]
Interviewer/Moderator
I like, damn, it ain't no rims. It can't be no rims.
- [41:18]
2 Chainz
But how would you. How would you know? But how would you know? You know, you know. And then you posed to be from Atlanta, Alabama. So, you know, you gonna. You know how that is. You go to a country town. Anybody that's from the city, they go to country town. You like, they had to show you like, boy, yeah, put your ass on the plate. You know what I'm saying? So I think that's what it was for me.
- [41:38]
Interviewer/Moderator
It wasn't your last experience with an attempted armed robbery, but after the second one that happened in San Fran, you said the way that I dusted that off and suppressed that trauma should be studied, man, that's true. Have you examined that suppression and have you got to a place where you can express it instead of just bottling it up?
- [41:59]
2 Chainz
I don't know what so for y' all don't know. I may have seen, man, I got a partner or something here. So I'm going. This is. I'm traveling. I'm two chains. I'm traveling. And I go to this. I go to this dispensary in San Francisco, and they got like a lounge where you could smoke and just try all these flavors. And this is around maybe like 2013. So it's not like now it's like, this was like a rare thing, you know what I mean? So I'm so excited about it. I wanted to offer my friends that experience. I'm like, boy, I need y' all to come up here and they got a place. You can come in here, you know, smoke and all that, you know what I'm saying? And whenever I was going back that way, I flew them there. It was like four or five of my homeboys. And I was coming from Seattle from a show. I get there, and my friends been there hours before me. And I'm just so excited too, because when you got your friends and y' all out of town, it's just. You just be excited to be with them. For some reason, y' all just be like, well, you know, you just been on some lit, so, you know, I'm on the phone, I'm like, d, what y', all. I can't, you know, I really can't wait to be with him. It's crazy as grown ass men, bro. The van done stopped like maybe three. Three little maybe storefronts in front of what a dispensary was. I done just got out, you know, What I'm saying. And I'll never not have, like security in front of me or nothing like this. So I just got out and, man, this is no fucking bullshit. Like, my spider senses just started kicking in, right? I just started feeling something. And I look to the right and I see somebody. Like, it's 4 o' clock in the daytime. We're in the middle of downtown. It's like a Four Seasons hotel. And this guy is like. I see him ducking down, man. He come around the corner, he got. He start upping a weapon. So I do. Like most people that don't got a weapon. I turned and started running, right? It was me. And so I'm in front. I'm the first one to see this. Niggas really don't even know what the hell I'm running from. But I done seen him come around the corner before. He can get around the corner good. I see what he on, man. I started running. So we all scattered, man. We all scatter. And then as I run, man, this is no bullshit, man. Another started chasing me. This played sports before, man, I turned around, he would run like. Like he had a football, but he had a gun. This run like this, boom. So I'm like, shit. Like, it's like, it's, you know, it's funny now, but it's not really funny. It's like he passed a baton. Like he. He had another look. Like he passed the baton to this nigga, bro. And another nigga started running. So I like, I'm finna run in the street. And he's coming from the street, so I'm like, I V cut. I keep running. And just like the movies, you know what I'm saying? Nigga, this is 2013. Pants too big, I stumble. Boom, boom. I fall down. So he run. No, no, this is before this happened. He. I got my cousin in front of me. My cousin, like, trying to like, damn near put his life. He like, trying to like, he secret, sir. Yeah. So he running. He trying to get in front of Buddy. He definitely try to get in front of Buddy. And he starts shooting. And then I swear, I said to myself, I said, is he shooting at me? You know what I'm saying? Like, damn, I don't even. You know what I mean? And with the sagging and meat. So I'm running, holding him, one pan and I'm ducking and I hit the ground. And so after he like, he got a gun. He like kind of like go. Go around for my cousin. And so I'm just looking and then, nigga just stand on top of me and I say, he said, give me your money or whatever. I said, man, I ain't even got no money. You know what I'm saying? Like, I didn't have no money. I had a wallet. Like, you know, we was wearing wallet chains, the wallet chain and shit like that. So he look around, let me get back. I see he's shaking, but I still not. I'm not looking right in the eyes or nothing like this. I'm just like, man, I don't have nothing, bro. I don't know what you ain't. So he looked and he snatched the chain out of my pocket, and he take off running. So then, man, not. Not even eight seconds later, the police come over there to me and tell me to get back on the ground. And I just lose it. And you can see this nigga running down the street, right? So I say, man, I ain't getting on no fucking ground, man. You know what I'm saying? I ain't do. He like, man, get on the ground. What's going on here? Because he done heard gunshots. And then as he look at me, he say, don't move. You know what I'm saying? I need you to sit down somewhere. And I'm already embarrassed because the done just ran up on me with a gun. And I'm like, I don't want to sit down. And he like, bro, he keep licking. He like, hey, sit down, man. You may be hit. And I got shot a while back or whatever. And I said, I don't think I'm hit. And then this man go, like how people pull quarters from behind your ear. This man pulled a bullet fragment from my hair. Just pulled it out. Boom, boom. He pulled it out. He said, but I need you to sit down. But you may be hit. Your adrenaline may be going. You know what I mean? So I see. I remember it was bullets. When they hit something, they smashed up or whatever. It was smushed up. So I sat down, you know, my homeboy, like, he with me. And then the van that I was in, when the gunshot shit happened, they took off. So it was still people in the van that was riding with me. Now, my homeboy get out when he see me up arguing with the police. This nigga hugged me, crying. This nigga crying, telling me, bro, I saw you get shot, bruh. He's like, I saw this. I saw it, bro. There's no way this nigga doing me. He doing me the same thing, bruh. Ain't no way you know what I mean? So I'm like, bro, I'm straight, but I'm really, like, upset, you know what I mean? And they all him. And then they just tell me, sit down. So they can, like, you know, whatever. Body scan. But I never want to go on the ambulance because I don't want people to know, you know what I mean? What just happened? And nothing. I had not a scrape, bro, you know? And I went back to the room, and I went back. And I think more than anything, it was like my pride was I done flew my niggas in from Atlanta, you know what I'm saying? Chasing me down. Two niggas chasing me with guns. And I never found out why or how or nothing like that, but it was something that I, you know, wanted to seek revenge for a very, very, very, very, very long time, many years after it happened, you know? But, yeah, man. And so I ended up doing a show that night because I was there for a show. I ended up going on stage, rocking out, and just really suppressing it, really. Like, man, maybe it didn't happen, you know, Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe it's another. You know what I mean? But it's very much true that this man pulled this thing out of my hair, and I just. We. I'm not. I guess it's safe to say we ain't cutting these dreads, these locks no time.
- [48:51]
Interviewer/Moderator
That's amazing, bro. That's a miracle for sure.
- [48:53]
2 Chainz
Yeah.
- [48:55]
Interviewer/Moderator
One of the major things, the
- [48:59]
Deontay Kyle
repetitive
- [49:00]
Interviewer/Moderator
nature about intuition, it really made me start reflecting on times in my life where either I did or didn't listen to myself. Yeah, but 55, 40 old national was an example of, like, you're one foot in, one foot out. Like, you having your way, but you in your own way.
- [49:19]
Deontay Kyle
Yeah.
- [49:20]
Interviewer/Moderator
How did intuition guide you out of that situation, man?
- [49:26]
2 Chainz
So I'm staying at a. I'm not staying. I'm working at a studio. That's a trap, too. This is Atlanta, you know what I mean? So we hustling, but we got a studio in here. So when I come back from off the road from Wayne, I started, like, after I was able to, like, shadow him and see how, like, oh, this is how you become, like, a. This is how you do it. You know what I mean? Like, I mean, I know how to rap. I know how to do songs, but it's just how you move and how much work you put into it, no matter what, and how you have to do it every day. Like, I wasn't on that schedule. So when I get Back from Wayne. A voice in my head tells me, you know, keep in mind, I met Wayne from hustling like I used to. You know what I'm saying? I was serving him sometimes, you know what I mean? So then when I get back from. So I go on tour with him to see how he moves. And now I don't want to hustle no more, you know what I'm saying? Something's telling me. Something is telling me to go cold turkey, you know what I'm saying? Put the bags down. Like, you can't be one foot in, one foot out. Like, if this is what you're gonna do, you're gonna have to put all your eggs in this basket. And so when I did that, you know, I still. My friends still doing the same thing. You know what I'm saying? They still doing the same thing. So, one, I don't want to seem like I'm weak or a sucker if I move from the studio, but at the same time, it's a lot going on, and I'm slowly and surely becoming two chains. I'm eating a chitlin market. I done bought a. I done went through three conversion fans, and I done bought a tour bus. This before my. I got a tour bus in the back of the trap. They got, like, beds. I got a real. I don't spend 3, 400,000 for this. And it's in the back when niggas selling bricks lean. Like, just the guns and just like. So I'm like, damn. So I hit, you know, one of my homegirls, and I told her, like, man, I think I might want me a little place of my own, you know what I'm saying? Didn't know how to tell my friends. Like, didn't even know how to tell them. So I go, I get the place and all this. I still ain't told nobody. Then I said, man, you know, I'm. Cause I'm splitting half with my home. But that's another thing. N don't want to help with the bills, but they want to sit here and trap all day. It's the most confusing thing in the world. I'm like, you know. And then, you know, like, you know, I'm going to tell y' all some real trap shit. The lights off, right? So these niggas still. Mama. No, they niggas stealing light. You know, I done did all this before. So it's like stealing lights then. But you still. But what happens is. And I ain't noticed this one. I really got scared. You steal lights Right? We got a J. Black, he go get in the meter, he make the light work. Boom. So then the people come get all the meters, right? Boom. Then Jay Black go climb the fucking pole. And then he got the lights working from up there. Keep in mind, all these niggas selling dope, it's the craziest shit in the world, right? And all I'm thinking is, man, somebody gonna get hold of me and just. This is a diss record waiting to happen. Because if I can't pay my light bill, and I'm talking all this. I got a Porsche out here. I'm talking all this shit. And. And then I got. Had a partner that worked for Georgia Power. So it's like this black van that came through, and my nigga started telling me, like, Georgia Power got like a damn near, like a fed type of. Like, if you up the ladder, you keep stealing shit like that, man. I said, oh, no, I can't be here when Georgia. Cause, look, don't nobody know we back here selling dope, but Georgia Power know we stealing lights. And I'm just like, nobody, Nobody. Nobody is like, I'm the only nigga thinking logical. I'm like, bro, this shit gone. I'm like, you know, So I tell him. I said, I tell you what. And then I'm hearing when I go on the road, the engineer. The engineer be around. He say, hey, man, he said, they waiting on you to pay it. I said, they waiting on who to pay it? You know. Cause I'm out here getting a little rap money. They, you know. So I tell one of my homeboys, like, man, you can get my. You can. I'm. I'm. You know, you can have my half of this whole thing. You know what I'm saying? Oh, y' all figure out how to go in half on it. I'm gonna go get my. You know, I got a new spot. You know, niggas wasn't even tripping. It was just my conscience. Like, me not, you know, getting away from my friends and me seem like I ain't with the hustler with the trapping, you know what I'm saying? Man, this like a week after I done moved, boy. LeBron in town, boy. I never forget it, boy. I'm at the game, but my phone go crazy, man. Nigga done shot up the studio, and a nigga died, man. It was the most crazy. I'm at the game, like, what? Yeah, this just happened. One of my homeboys in here now was over there. He just dropping off some clothes and Got caught. But it just like, man, sometimes that you. You get that feeling that. That. That. That something told me when you. When you get that something told me feeling, sometimes you got to know that it's coming from a higher power.
- [54:05]
Interviewer/Moderator
Absolutely. Sometimes when you take. Y' all make some noise for that, for sure. I think also when you take your energy out of a situation and expose it for what it really is, it may just be, you know, you obviously have been severely blessed time and time again in life and business, with family, all these different things. So as soon as you made the decision to kind of part ways and took your energy out of. Because a lot. That's crazy as hell. Y' all celebrate saying y' all can't pay the light bill, man.
- [54:41]
2 Chainz
It's like, man, I'm coming back from the road. I come back. This is. I come back. I'm on. I've been on the road, Wayne. So I'm coming back. You know what I'm saying? And it's a beautiful day outside in Atlanta. You know how it is. So everybody's sitting outside on the car, so. And then. But they got the studio door, like, propped open, you know? Take me, like, an hour to realize, you know what I'm saying? So we sitting outside. So when it's time to go in, it's dark as hell in here. They using the sunlight. So I was like, cool. You know what I mean? Cool. We do this. Do this. Next thing I know, the lights back on. You know what I'm saying? Whole time they paying a J to. I'm not even, man. If I told y' all how high this light bill, y' all would not believe me, bro. Man, the light bill, this is something you would not fucking believe, bro. Them folks said, boy, our light bill was 8,000, right? Them folk worked out a payment plan for the 4,000, right? All right, we do the 4,000. But, look, we couldn't even get that going, and everybody got something, so you know what I'm saying? And so I trapped on the south side, and I trapped in, like, in Pittsburgh, in Atlanta. And this may sound crazy, but different sides of town hustle differently. Like, it's just so. It's some. It's hard for me to really explain it. Like, when I was on the south side, people would try to be as bummy as possible. No one would, like, try to put on clothes. You would try to look like, I ain't. I don't do. I'm a bum. But when I went to the trap in Atlanta, these nigga Would have on Cartiers, the new joints. I'm like, damn, these nigga fresh as fuck outside. Like, it's like, damn, you know? Cause I'm trying to look like. And I'm just so. I'm trying to like balance, like how these nigga do it over here. And I go this side. So we don't do a lot, you know, it's just like trying to. Trying to navigate. But that's like, that's a whole nother story. But you know for sure, man,
- [56:30]
Interviewer/Moderator
the funniest thing, like one of my homeboys, when I used to be on the east side, he'll do that. Like, he'll be outside, he ain't got no car, but he be fresh as a. And I'm like, bro, you hot as. Like, why you got all these flyer clothes? You got no car, you gotta catch the bus. He said, if I ain't got it on or if I do got it on, I'm still going to jail.
- [56:49]
2 Chainz
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like respect. Yeah. It's like I get it. Attract something because like when I. When. When I would be with. With Dollar and play or. So I'll be with Dollar and we'll be walking in like a little. We'll be walking in like a trap house. And I have my little. My flea market chain from. From. From Five Points. I was going to Firepoint then catching the marduh down a little naked little. And I'm walking through there and I think it's like, damn, you gotta take them down, chain. You hot. You gotta have her hot as hell, man. Take them chains off. And so, you know, I'm trying, Like, on one side of town, I'm trying. I'm looking homeless. Then on the other side, I'm like, I'm trying to look like we going to the bounce tonight. That's what it is. Like, you be so. You know, niggas wearing this all day, then they go out with the same thing. You know what I mean? So just, you know, all of that, that whole gumbo kind of shaped me. Who shaped me as who I am right now for sure.
- [57:42]
Deontay Kyle
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- [62:32]
Interviewer/Moderator
Speaking of character shaping, I got two quotes. Shoot them in the stomach and let God decide. And God is love. These are quotes that express the dichotomy of your late father's character. The war on drugs.
- [62:49]
2 Chainz
I ain't thought about that. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?
- [62:51]
Interviewer/Moderator
Do what I do. Oh yeah. You know these my bars, my.
- [62:57]
2 Chainz
Nah. That was hard though.
- [62:58]
Interviewer/Moderator
Appreciate it.
- [63:00]
2 Chainz
Yeah, like. Yeah, go ahead.
- [63:01]
Interviewer/Moderator
The War on Drugs highlights the men who go to jail, but not the children that are raised on the other side of that glass. And those phone calls. How important was his voice in shaping you as a man when he couldn't be there physically?
- [63:15]
2 Chainz
I still can. Like I can talk like him sometimes. I can stand. I can stand like him to make me just get on my mama nerves a little bit. It's like you pick up so many things from being around someone. So I picked up everything. The hustling aspect, some of the anger issues, I think some of the. My father was in prison and he did the army. He just had one of those lies. But while writing this book, I found a stack of letters from 2003,
- [63:49]
Interviewer/Moderator
and
- [63:49]
2 Chainz
they all were open, and I reread them. And I understand things differently from 2003. It was around. His birthday is on Christmas, so it was around Thanksgiving, and he was talking about the football game. And on the back of these letters is God is love on every one of them. Like, on the envelope. Not on the letter, but on the envelope. So they just. Some of them torn. But, like, while I'm working on this book, I realized that God is love. Like, it ain't that hard. Like it's love. Like, that's what God is. Like, it's not like this white man and all this. It's just like love. I think love is like what got God. And so I'm starting like, oh, man. Home was leaving these little seeds, and I'm just starting to understand them, you know, over 20 years later. And so I always had God in my life. And then with the situation about. Shoot him in his stomach and let God decide. It was about that ugly ass nigga. He was. That's what he. Yeah, he. That's what. And you just have to. It's the first chapter, y'. All. So. Yeah, but yeah, in a nutshell. In a nutshell, after them country boy. After them country niggas tried to. Tried to take my life, they didn't do nothing. They hit my friend with a pistol, but they, like, searched me. And I had put my. When I was going to get the rims that he talked about, I had put the money in my sock and in my crouch. Something told me to do that for real. And this is before I left the house. And so when they were searching me, I was really on some Atlanta shit. Like, bro, I just come to look at the rims, bro. I wasn't finna bother. I wanted to see if I like the rims, bro. Who's finna bring money? Like, so that's my whole thing. Why they. I'm like, bro, I need. I need to see the rims first. I'm not bringing them whole time. Shit. I feel the shit scratching on, you know what I mean? So I'm so upset as an Atlanta person getting tried by an Alabama person that I almost want to bring. I almost want to bring my whole. I just want to just like, I'm just so upset.
- [65:49]
Interviewer/Moderator
Yeah.
- [65:50]
2 Chainz
And I'll call mama. And man, you know, I'm from Atlanta. I'm saying, country done up. And my dad. My dad called and he said, hey, man. He said, man, I heard what happened. I'M like, yeah, man, you know, man, I wish you was here, man. You know what I'm saying? He like, man, you just go to Walmart. He said, walmart got them shotguns. You can get a shotgun from Walmart now. He said, they sell shotguns in Walmart. They got the rifles. And he said, when you see them again, he said, just shoot them in the stomach. He said, let God decide. He said, ain't nothing right there. And Mama said, give me this damn phone. And I say, I'm thinking, I go, ain't nothing right there, you know, but safe to say I didn't listen to him. I didn't listen to that. I listened to a lot of stuff he said, but I didn't go back and do that.
- [66:54]
Interviewer/Moderator
You know what I'm saying?
- [66:56]
2 Chainz
But that's how that came about.
- [66:59]
Interviewer/Moderator
Rest in peace to Pops, man. Yeah, Rest in peace to Pops. First and foremost, man, you know, I want to appreciate, say thank you for allowing me to come up here and moderate this conversation.
- [67:08]
2 Chainz
Oh, thank you, man. Thank you.
- [67:13]
Interviewer/Moderator
Let's make some noise for mama in the front row and the rest of the family.
- [67:18]
2 Chainz
Yeah, got my mom in here. I got aunties in here. I got my daughter heaven in here. I got mama's old friend in here. I was in his houses on one of the drug bus. Look at mama gonna hold his hand, baby. You remember? Yeah, I was in there. Yeah, not that one. There was the one when I remember. Yeah, this is it. Yeah, that was the one. In Pittsburgh, I just froze up like, I saw these cars. They got me in the windows like I'm selling these little nick sacks and supposed to be lookout. I didn't just. Just froze up. I just like. I'm like 12, so it's like all these black Ford Tauruses, it was so synchronized. They doors open up at the same time. It was almost beautiful. But it wasn't, man. They came down, they all stopped, and then I'm looking, and before I knew it, man, they hit that foundation so hard, boy. You remember? They hit that motherfucker so hard, that motherfucker shaking, you know. And I've been tall a very long time, man. They was having they way with me. So they had like a later in their life, you know, Back then you would get like a J or like. I'm sorry, like somebody that does drugs to be like a cleaning lady, like a maid or whatever. I remember that lady like, he's only 12. Get off of him. Them folks doing me like they hear you. Them folks throwing me back and Forth. And I'm just like, man. And I remember that. Like, I remember, you know, I remember that. And I remember. I remember, you know, I lost my innocence very young. It grew me. Like I could not be someone. And not to say to me, just saying, yo, like, giving the heads up would have changed anything. But like, I never. I never froze again. I never froze up again. Like, even when I seen that situation happen, I ain't like that one time freezing. Like, man, I'm not talking about, like, I just, you know, so, you know, I like to apologize. You know, as a 12 year old lookout man, I should have gave y' all the heads up, man. And it just wasn't. Just, just wasn't. Just wasn't. Just wasn't there, man. So, you know, if it ever happened again, like 12.
- [69:31]
Interviewer/Moderator
Yeah, man. They want to wrap it up. We're gonna get some questions from the crowd. We got some pre chosen questions. But real quick, before y' all do, make some notes. My baby, Emory Johnson.
- [69:45]
Deontay Kyle
Stand up and wave, baby.
- [69:46]
2 Chainz
She threw her hair back.
- [69:49]
Deontay Kyle
You see what she did?
- [69:51]
Interviewer/Moderator
She said, yeah.
- [69:52]
2 Chainz
Hey there. How you.
- [69:55]
Interviewer/Moderator
All right. The first question is from Brandy Daniels. She got greedy, too. She said, I got two questions. She said in. I think in chapter three, you said, I flossed. As in, like, new shoes. And you discuss your first C in college due to not going to class because you wanted to see what being average felt like.
- [70:20]
2 Chainz
Oh, she.
- [70:22]
Deontay Kyle
What?
- [70:22]
2 Chainz
You said, she rapping. Look.
- [70:25]
Interviewer/Moderator
Oh, okay, okay, okay. Yeah, yeah. They typed this wrong, baby. I ain't do this. Do you ever feel like you have moments now where you want to do average things just to see what it feels like? And if so, are you able to give us some examples of those average things?
- [70:41]
2 Chainz
Yes. Who's that? Brandy or something? Yes. Let me tell you what I did not too long ago. This is insane. This is what I did. I did not have a driver. So my road manager booked me a black truck, like a Uber. And so it's like the guy met me at my gate, you know, And I'm like, I might not need drivers. Like, it was cool. He ain't know who I was. I couldn't smoke in his car, you know what I'm saying? But I went to the airport maybe not even a year ago. It was my first time, you know what I'm saying? Being in an Uber. I know that sounds like crazy. I don't have it on my. I know that sounds crazy, y'. All, but yeah, like. And that was one of my things. Like, you know, he Came and got my back. It just. I just felt like a. Just, you know, a normal. I am a normal person, but I don't, like, be catching Ubers. There's nothing wrong with catching Ubers, guys. I just don't be. I don't want nobody look at me like, nigga, who you think you is? But, like, I don't. I don't. I don't have. I don't have. I don't. I don't have. Yeah, Yeah, I did. Today. I let the truck. Yeah, today I did. But I don't have. I don't have Uber. You know, my wife does. My wife got like, the. When you order the groceries to the house, Instacart, all that stuff. Yeah. And then another thing I did that I hadn't done in a while is for Mother's Day, mom, you went, Remember, I cooked for y'.
- [71:58]
Interviewer/Moderator
All.
- [71:58]
2 Chainz
I cooked lobster stuff. I went to the grocery store. Me and Halo and this nigga hotter than me, man. We went to the grocery store, and it's like, man, I was like, I ain't taking him no more because I be trying to wear my hoodie. So I went to the grocery store, and I got, like. I don't know. I fixed. I went. And I'm pretty good at cooking, you know? Yeah. So I made some food for my mom and wife for Mother's Day. I went to the grocery store, and that was very. Like, I hadn't done that in over a decade. Go to a grocery store. I hadn't done that in over a decade. So that was like. And you. I end up buying stuff I don't need. I don't need to go places like that.
- [72:35]
Interviewer/Moderator
That how they get you, bro. It's designed that way. Nakia Smith says that.
- [72:43]
2 Chainz
Who is Nakia? Okay. All right.
- [72:47]
Interviewer/Moderator
How do you realistically manage your home life, being a husband and father with your career?
- [72:53]
2 Chainz
You gotta want to do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You got one. You gotta want to do it. I don't know. I'd be looking like I'm a superhero, but it's not as easy as some people think. But I know I want to do it. Like, I know heaven got, like, a senior night coming up. Like, I can't do nothing but be there. You know what I'm saying? It's like it's already there. So it's like, once you do that, you know what I'm saying? Like, we got a group, family group, and we. The kids got something I like. I try to make sure I'm there for it. And also, like, sometimes the monetary aspect, they not gonna remember that type of stuff. So it's. I need to be a part of experiences.
- [73:34]
Interviewer/Moderator
Absolutely. Uh oh, they just tight this up. That's it. They calling it quits. Y' all
- [73:50]
2 Chainz
boo
- [73:54]
Deontay Kyle
everybody. Boo this lady. Everybody. On count of three, say true. One, two, three.
- [74:01]
2 Chainz
True.
- [74:03]
Deontay Kyle
Well, appreciate you.
- [74:04]
Interviewer/Moderator
Two chains. I'm gonna let y' all get to
- [74:06]
Deontay Kyle
the rest of the festivities. I'm Deontay Kyle, host the Grizzly Next podcast. It's been a pleasure.
- [74:16]
2 Chainz
I just want to rap.
- [74:17]
Interviewer/Moderator
I just want to rap. Yeah.
- [74:32]
Commercial Voice
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- [74:34]
2 Chainz
don't stand a chance.
- [74:36]
Commercial Voice
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