2 Chainz reveals more than 2 decades of friendship with Lil Wayne before they worked together: ‘I didn’t know he was a rapper’

Their friendship, which dates back nearly two decades to an encounter in an Atlanta studio, took an unexpecteԀ turn. Contrary to expectations, music played a minor role in their initial interaction. During their appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Lil Wayne amusingly recounted the story. He explained, “He came through the studio, and actually, we were friends; I meаn, once we linked up, we were friends from there, and [we] just [shared] the same type of attitude, cool.” However, Wayne confessed, “But I didn’t know he rapped at the time.”

Lil Wayne’s knowledge of 2 Chainz was limited, viewing him as a “cool dude from Atlanta” with a background in basketball and a college degree. The mystеry deepened when Fallon probed further, and 2 Chainz chimed in, revealing the catalyst for their connection: Wayne’s quest for cannabis.

As the story unfolded, Wayne shared that during their journey to a studio, 2 Chainz, still known as Tity Boi at the time, disclosed his affiliation with Ludacris’ Disturbing tha Peace label and his aspirations in the rap industry. Wayne admitted that, until that moment, 2 Chainz had kept his musical pursuits under wraps. However, everything changed when the aspiring rapper played his work. “The moment he said he rapped and the moment I heard it, like he said, we were on the way to the studio, we got to the studio, and I did this hook for this song, ‘Duffle Bag Boy’ (released in 2006), and the rest is history,” Wayne recounted.

This unexpecteԀ twist in their friendship marked the beginning of a lasting collaboration between the two artists. Their journey, culminating in the release of the highly anticipated project “Welcome 2 Collegrove,” pays homage to the neighborhoods that shaped them—College Park, Atlanta, and Hollygrove, New Orleans. The project, released on November 2, comes seven years after their previous successful collaboration on “ColleGrove” in 2016. Their musical camaraderie was showcased on the late-night show with a performance of the first single, “Presha.”