Rappers 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne are revealing their connection from long before they became Grammy-winning artists.
Wayne said 2 Chainz was his plug for weed before they started rapping together. During a hilarious episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the rappers gave insight into their ten-year friendship while promoting their upcoming project, Welcome 2 Collegrove. When Fallon asked how the two started rapping together, Chainz explained their history.
“Uh…Wayne wanted cannabis,” the raping businessman said. And Wayne added that he would see his friend whenever he traveled to Atlanta.
“And so every time I would go to Atlanta, and I wanted to speak about that one [weed] thing, I would always call this guy to talk about that.”
Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., reminisced on meeting Chainz, born Tauheed K. Epps, at an ATL-based studio called Deuces and just connected after thinking he was a “cool guy.” He knew Chainz went to college and played basketball but had no idea he was a rapper.
“I mean, once we linked up, we were friends from there,” Wayne said. “Just same type of attitude, cool, but I didn’t know he rapped then.”
He later found out during a weed “transaction” when Chainz played him the track “Duffle Bag Boy” under the name Tity Boi, which went on to become his debut single in 2007. The “Lollipop” rapper was featured on the track.
The two formed a bromance and have often collaborated in music and their personal lives. They released their collaborative album, Collegrove – a play on the names of the neighborhoods they grew up in — College Park, Atlanta, and Hollygrove, New Orleans, according to Revolt – in 2016. Wayne was also the best man at 2 Chainz’s wedding.
They finished their interview with the late-night host with a performance of their single, “Persha,” and announced Welcome 2 Collegrove will be released on Nov. 17.