T.I. has been around the game for decades now, having established himself as one of hip-hop's most influential veterans of the two-thousands. But like anybody who tends to achieve such tireless longevity, one cannot expect to do it alone. For Tip, building key alliances was simply part of the plan. Today, the L.I.B.R.A. legend took a moment to celebrate his longstanding friendship with Meek Mill, with whom he most recently collaborated on 2018's The Dime Trap.
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Sharing a vintage throwback picture on his Instagram page, Troubleman made it clear that he's been riding with Meek Mill for years now, a partnership that dates all the way back to their formative years. "Yeah maaaan we go back THIS far!!!" captions Tip, alongside the nostalgic pic. "My lil bro @meekmill was wit me on #Bankhead in #BowenHomes when shit was UP‼️ Zone1 been welcomed him in this A-Town shit!!! I'm wit him right or wrong... 4LIFE."
For those who don't know, Tip actually signed Meek Mill to Grand Hustle in 2008, though the deal was ultimately derailed by some of the legal issues plaguing the Atlanta rapper. Years later, T.I. spoke with Billboard about the situation, explaining that "After my two hiatuses I was put in a position where I couldn't really make moves on Meek as quick as he may have wanted to." Despite the missed opportunity, Meek would go on to find success elsewhere, and never once did Tip's loyalty waver.
In fact, It's impressive to see such a lengthy partnership remaining solid to this day, and one has to wonder if Tip and Meek Mill will once again reunite on wax when the Championships emcee lets fly his upcoming studio album. Check out the picture below, and imagine what might have been had Meek Mill joined Grand Hustle back in 2008.