Fabolous and T.I. recently connected on the ExpediTIously podcast, where the two OGs shared a conversation on hip-hop, life, and the point where the two coalesce. With both rappers currently locked in long term relationships, it didn’t take long for them to connect over the unexpected challenges of having a steady girlfriend in hip-hop.
In the opening moments, Fab marvels at how much the game has changed. “Back when I was coming up at the same time as you, family life wasn’t at the forefront of your career,” he reflects. “You were even supposed to be projected as a single man for the public.” T.I. admits that Atlantic Records initially wanted to keep his relationship with Tiny a secret. “Of course!” marvels Fab. “I didn’t know DMX was married, or Ja Rule was married! You never knew them shits till this era. Them n***as was married for ten years or had a girl from their high school. That wasn’t the thing then. Those key figures, if we’d have seen them having families, we’d have known that’s cool.”
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T.I continues to reflect on his own early days as a married man. “I remember n***as looking at me like I had three heads when I used to show up with my old lady,” he says. “Back in 2003, 2004. I’d show up everywhere with my old lady, they was like ‘man why do you have your girl here?’ I was like man why you ain’t got yours?”
On a more rap-focused note, T.I. asks the punchline-king contender about the hardest verse of his career. “It really now is something true to me,” reflects Fab, seemingly unable to single something out. “I remember when I first started rapping I was trying to be with the words and say something ill. More like how a poet is. Now it’s like, I’m making music that connects directly to me and my life. I’m able to put that in words and make it rhyme at the end and make it a good song.” Check out the full episode right here, and show some love to Tip for living up to his Grand Hustle moniker.
