Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz moved quickly to clear the air after clips from his appearance on Kirk Franklin’s Den of Kings podcast blew up online. On November 3, 2026, he posted on X that he had already spoken with food reviewer Keith Lee and that everything between them was good.
“I got a chance to speak to Keith after the podcast and it was all love,”
2 Chainz wrote.
“I know my words offended some people and I apologize for that. What I said and what I meant were two different things. I could’ve done a better job getting my point across. Toni”
The exchange that sparked the backlash happened during the November 1 episode of Den of Kings, recorded live at Clark Atlanta University. Guests included 2 Chainz, Keith Lee, and comedians Mojo Brookzz and Desi Banks. At one point 2 Chainz brought up what he believed was a negative review Lee had given of his Atlanta spot, Esco Restaurant & Tapas, which he co-owns with Mychel “Snoop” Dillard.
This is the crucial point that formed the core of many online complaints about the situation: Keith Lee did not do any reviewing of Esco. In fact, the crucial video that 2 Chainz seemed to remember came from another person named Mr. Chimetime from 2024. The review criticized such items as tasteless chicken, bad fried chicken, and underseasoned macaroni, although Chimetime encouraged viewers to give it a shot anyway.
The conversation quickly shifted from one specific review into a bigger debate about celebrity treatment versus the everyday customer experience. 2 Chainz defended the idea that entertainers earn certain perks through years of hard work.
“I’m an entertainer and obviously we get perks that other people don’t get,”
He said.
“I don’t stand in line at the airport. I don’t do none of that because I done work my ass off to do this.”
Lee countered by saying that his job was to provide a realistic picture of what the average customer would experience inside a restaurant. He talked about sending his family to various restaurants in Atlanta anonymously and encountering problems in terms of seating and good service. As soon as Lee arrived and made himself known, the atmosphere immediately changed.
“I don’t ever want to put nobody in a situation that they get a different experience only because they not Keith Lee,”
Lee noted. His viewers were paying real money to travel based on his advice, so they deserved consistency.
Clips of this conversation garnered harsh criticism toward 2 Chainz as his claim of celebrity privilege was perceived as tone-deaf. Moreover, viewers did not appreciate the incorrect accusation of Lee being a bad reviewer. However, others sided with 2 Chainz and his view that success includes some benefits. Online discourse centered on these two points without developing into an allegation of a personal rivalry between the celebrities. 2 Chainz mentioned in his second post that the conversation remained amicable during the private discussion.
Initially, an ordinary conversation about restaurants ended up touching upon such topics as influencers‘ reviews, equal treatment of customers, and effects of fame in a public establishment. Both men maintained an overall respectful tone throughout the podcast, while the conversation following their exchange led 2 Chainz to apologize for the choice of words.
