T.I. Salutes Young Thug For Showing More Gratitude Than Some Grand Hustle Artists

T.I. has praised Young Thug for showing him more gratitude than some of the artists signed to his own label, Grand Hustle, over the years.

During a segment from his upcoming Drink Champs episode, Tip advocated for his fellow Atlanta brethren, who is currently sitting in prison awaiting his YSL RICO case to begin, sharing nothing but positive things about him.

Thug showing how grateful he was struck a chord with T.I. because that kind gesture was more than he received from some artists on Grand Hustle, including those he had a major role in developing their careers.

“He like, ‘Yo bro, you were the first major artist to rock with me, to believe in me,'” said T.I. “That was a major look for him. At least, according to him. And, you know, he just always express his gratitude and that’s more than I received from a lot of my own artists that’s on my label that I had a hand in they career, for real.”

He continued: “And, he just … he a real good dude, bro. I don’t think — everything that’s goin’ around, I think it’s a test. It’s a test, and it’s gon’ become his testimony. All he gotta do is continue to stand tall and stay solid, and I believe God gon’ work everything out.”

Check out the preview of Tip’s upcoming appearance on Drink Champs below:

T.I.’s comments arrive after he spoke on something similar during an appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast where he spoke on how he passed up signing Thugger and 21 Savage for $1million.

Thug and 21 really wanted to sign with T.I. to the point they just wanted him to give them a bag and they would handle the rest. However, the reason the 42-year-old passed up on signing two of Atlanta’s freshest acts at the time was because he knew he would be taking more from them than helping them if they joined his label.

“At this point in my career, I find it honorable to be able to tell new artists when they come up to me,” he said. “You know, 21 Savage, [Young] Thug. A lot of them come up to me, ‘Aye man, give me a million, Tip. I don’t care what you do, just give me a million and let me handle it from there.’

“Like nah, I ain’t gonna do that, because if I give you a million, I gotta take back something that’s gonna be worth way more, and we ain’t gon’ be able to be friends from there. I always tell ’em, man, ‘Don’t worry about the money up front ’cause it’s gon’ come.'”

The YSL rapper rubbed shoulders with T.I.’s Hustle Gang collective early in his career with their “About the Money” hit collaboration and his appearances on the label’s G.D.O.D. II compilation in 2014. Birdman‘s Cash Money and Future‘s Freebandz also courted Thugger, but he ended up signing with Gucci Mane’s 1017 Brick Squad and later 300 Entertainment.