What would you do if someone owed you $900 and refused to pay?
For rapper 2 Chainz, the answer was simple: hop in the car and head to New Orleans to get his money from Birdman. This decision sparked an unexpected twist in his career. This wild tale from the early 2000s, recently shared by 2 Chainz in an interview, pulls back the curtain on the gritty hustle of the music industry and shows how a small debt turned into a life-changing opportunity.
Back in the day, 2 Chainz wasn’t the household name he is now. He was a hustler trying to break into the rap game while selling weed to make ends meet. During one of these side gigs, he supplied Birdman, the big boss of Cash Money Records, with some weed. The problem? Birdman didn’t pay up.
“It was only like $900 or whatever, but at the time I ain’t have it like that,”
2 Chainz recalled. So, he took action.
“I had went to New Orleans to collect on the way,”
He said, determined to get what was his. This wasn’t just about the cash but about respect and survival in a world where every dollar counted.
When 2 Chainz arrived in New Orleans, he got his $900, but he also got something far more valuable: a connection with Lil Wayne. At the time, Lil Wayne, a star under Birdman’s Cash Money label, had no idea 2 Chainz was an aspiring rapper.
“Wayne didn’t even know I rap for a while,”
2 Chainz shared, chuckling.
“He thought maybe I just sold weed.”
But as they hung out, smoking and talking, 2 Chainz opened up about his real passion: music.
“I started telling him I rapidly rap, that’s what I really tried to do,”
He explained.
That chance encounter kicked off a friendship that changed everything for 2 Chainz. He got a front-row seat to Lil Wayne’s world, watching how the rapper lived and worked. Wayne had a Maybach with a driver and a personal chef, luxuries that let him focus on his craft.
“I was able to get around him and pick up on certain instincts and certain things that I felt like helped make him successful,”
2 Chainz said. For him, it was a lightbulb moment. He saw how convenience and a killer work ethic could fuel success, lessons he carried into his own career. Check out more about Lil Wayne’s influence on hip-hop to see how deep his impact runs.
So, what’s the deal with 2 Chainz and Birdman? Back then, their link was purely business, not the smoothest kind. Birdman owed 2 Chainz money, and that’s where it started. The New Orleans trip settled the score but tied 2 Chainz into the Cash Money circle, even if indirectly. There’s no word on whether they’ve stayed tight over the years, but that moment was a stepping stone for 2 Chainz to tap into a bigger network.
Fast forward to today, and 2 Chainz is killing it. He’s not just a rapper anymore—he’s a businessman with ventures like restaurants and a nail studio. His hustle paid off, turning him into a star with a net worth that dwarfs that $900 debt. Birdman, meanwhile, is still a heavyweight in the industry, keeping Cash Money rolling as a key player behind the scenes.
The two might not be swapping stories over coffee these days, but their paths crossing in New Orleans left a mark on 2 Chainz’s story.
