21 Savage Recalls Asking T.I. For A $1 Million Deal

BYAlexander Cole162.3K Views
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21 Savage & T.I.
T.I. was quick to reject 21 Savage's offer.

21 Savage has proven himself to be one of the most business-savvy artists in hip-hop as he made the conscious decision to remain independent during the most important times of his career. Over the past few years, the Atlanta artist has dropped a whole slew of hits and has also come through with some pretty fantastic albums. Needless to say, Savage has turned himself into quite the money-making machine, especially since he owns a good chunk of his music.

During the most recent episode of the "ExpediTIously Podcast" with T.I., 21 spoke to the Atlanta patriarch about his come up and how at first, he asked T.I. for a $1 million deal. As T.I. was quick to explain, he ended up rejecting 21's offer as he felt the artist was much better off independent.

"I had the same conversation with Thug," T.I. revealed. "If I give you a $1 million, I'm going to take 10 times as much because that's just the way the game goes. If you want to maintain ownership of your art and equity in your art, you need to go through those tough times in the beginning. Can't accept upfront money and cushion your blow. You have to go ahead and get it out the mud the same way you do anything else."

21 Savage noted that if it were not for T.I.'s wisdom, he would have signed a big deal early on. In 2017, Savage signed to Epic although it's clear he still has full equity in his catalog. Without T.I.'s influence, it's clear 21's financial situation wouldn't be what it is now.

21 Savage Recalls Asking T.I. For A $1 Million Deal
Robin Marchant/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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