Chief Keef was fielding offers from several labels during a recent bidding war, but inevitably ended up signing with Interscope Records. T.I. was one of the interested parties who threw his hat in the ring and failed to ink a deal with the young rapper.

During an interview with MTV News, Tip stated that he tried to coax Keef into signing with Grand Hustle, but that he’s happy that he ended up in the right place. “The opportunity existed, but I never put my own personal wishes before the best interest of the next person,” he said. “I’m just happy that he’s able to do whatever’s best for him and his family and to move forward as a person and to progress in life. As long as he’s doing that, I’m happy.”

He also praised the “I Don’t Like” rapper for voicing a generation, stating that he stands up for a faction of the country that has difficulty being heard. “Chief Keef, I feel like he represents a part of America,” he said. “He represents a part of the youth in America that ain’t really got a voice right now. We looking at ’em, and we’re seeing the results of their actions, but we ain’t really listening to ’em, and I think you gotta have a representative of each generation in order to understand what they dealing with.”

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