2 Chainz offered a raw glimpse into his early teenage years dealing drugs for his mother and her partner.
During his appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, the Atlanta rapper discussed his introduction to street life and the situation that pushed him into selling drugs at only 12 years old. The Grammy-nominated artist explained that his mother had him dealing at a young age, and he managed to earn some money from it.
“I actually started selling drugs at 12, but they were just nicks,” 2 Chainz shared. “But they were for my mom and her boyfriend, and it was almost like they gave me a little something to keep—like it was $40, $50.”
This moment reflected similar feelings 2 Chainz shared in a 2022 interview with Matt Barnes, where he talked about growing up in a home revolving around drug culture. He also confessed to surviving four different drug arrests before becoming an adult, with the first one occurring when he was just six years old.
“All I’ve ever known since I touched foot on this earth is drugs or drug dealing,” the rapper stated at the time. “My father never got up and went to work. Ever. Never clocked in, clocked out. He never was late coming home because he was in traffic or did overtime.”
He continued, “Me and my mom have a very transparent relationship, so she knew from the time that I got into the game, and she accepted me for what it was.”
