This is why T.I. didn’t sign Young Thug and 21 Savage for $1 million when they were just starting out.

He talked about missing out on the chance to give them a seven-figure deal with his Grand Hustle label. In his podcast chat with Shannon Sharpe for Club Shay Shay, T.I. talked about why he wasn’t interested in going through with the deal.

He said, “At this point in my career, I think it’s right to be able to tell new artists when they come up to me.” “You know, 21 Savage, Young Thug. Many of them come up to me and say, “Hey, man, give me a million, Tip.” Just give me a million dollars and let me take care of it.

Because of how much he would have to pay them in return, T.I. turned down the chance to sign them.

“Like, I’m not going to do that,” T.I. said next. “Because if I give you a million dollars, I have to give something back that will be worth a lot more, and then we can’t be friends.” I always tell them, “Man, don’t worry about the money right now; it will come.”

T.I. doesn’t feel bad about signing the two, and he also knows he made the right choice by waiting carefully for the money to come in.

“I remember telling Slime and 21 that.” Even Savage hits me and says, “Aye, it came” every time he sees me now. And that makes me happy because I know that each generation has the chance to make a bigger difference than the last.