T.I. just shared what DJ Drama's reaction was when the "Whatever You Like" rapper called himself the "King of the South." While it's a bold claim to make, his career longevity, influence, and reach make it a pretty solid affirmation. Furthermore, the Atlanta icon opened up to Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay about their first encounter.
"DJ Drama made a big return in 2022," Sharpe stated. "He's obviously one of the greatest DJs. How did you meet DJ Drama and how did this thing go so well between you two?"
"Mmm," T.I. exclaimed. "I believe Jason introduced me to Drama, I don't recall exactly how they met. I know Dram' spent a lot of time at the AU. He went to Clark... anyway, so he spent a lot of time at AU. Him and DJ Cannon and Sense and them, they were putting a crew together and they started just DJing and doing mixtapes. He called me in to freestyle on a mixtape."
"Had that ever happened before?" Sharpe asked the trap innovator.
"Yeah, here and there," he replied. "Mostly in New York, though. That was one of the first times it happened in Atlanta. So I came in, I freestyled, and I said 'King of the South' in the freestyle. He kind of raised his head, like 'Woah, what? What's that? What you say?' I said, 'You heard what I said.'" Both T.I. and the NBA personality laughed at the exchange.
"We just had a conversation about that, and he gave me like, 'Okay,'" he continued, widening his eyes and moving his head to make an expression. "You know, one of them. I think that became the first Gangsta Grillz, if I'm not mistaken."
Meanwhile, the 42-year-old recently compared his style to a fusion of Jay-Z, Tupac, Diddy, and Snoop Dogg. While influences in the rap game run deep, T.I. clearly has his own style to work with.
Still, what did you think of T.I.'s recent comments about DJ Drama's reaction to his self-proclaimed "King of the South" status? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest curious stories from the hip-hop game's best.