It was an extra special episode of the “Big Facts” podcast this week as co-hosts Big Bank, DJ Scream, and Baby Jade joined Grammy-nominated rapper Jeezy at the Trap Music Museum in Atlanta, GA. The “Put On” emcee covered a slew of topics during his visit, including his much-talked-about collaboration with DJ Drama, his influence, and relationships with Kinky B and Freddie Gibbs.
Earlier this week, the Atlanta native teased a star-studded feature list for his upcoming Gangsta Grillz Snofall project that is set to debut on Friday, Oct. 21. Snofall will mark the rapper’s first full LP since his 2020 release, The Recession 2.
Artists including Rihanna, DJ Khaled, 42 Dugg, EST Gee, and Post Malone are all set to make an appearance on the album that will see Jeezy return to his early rap days with a raw sound not made for radio. With just one day left until its release, fans have already expressed their eagerness to hear it on social media.
When asked what he felt contributed to the hype, especially for an artist who’s been adamant about not creating commercialized music, the “Soul Survivor” cited history. “For me, it’s like, me and Drama always had an amazing chemistry because there was no judgment — it wasn’t like we was trying to get in and make a record for a label,” the 45-year-old told DJ Scream. “It just goes back to the bare… getting beats from your partners. The music you really like that probably doesn’t chart because it’s street.”
He continued. “It was more so like getting back with Drama and just getting back in that mode of making what I want to make versus trying to [profit].”
Jeezy made it clear he hasn’t forgotten his roots despite the advancement in his career. “I think a lot of people don’t understand just where I came from to now,” he explained. “Of course, life has changed a lot, but you know, you still got certain things in you that fulfill you. Like, I like to still look and feel like who I am. Sometimes, you have to clean up a little bit, but you know, it feels good to throw on some chains and step out and pull your cars out.”
The “I Luv It” icon didn’t always think his career in hip hop would garner him millions and achievements such as four Grammy nominations. However, the star admitted that, if anything, it would keep him out of trouble. “One thing I noticed early on is he kept me out a lot of the bulls**t. When s**t would happen in the streets or whatever, I was kind of out of it because I was in the studio as my sanctuary,” he shared. “I already knew right then that, that was a plus.”
Jeezy makes music for everyone from the everyday go-getter to the corner block street hustler, but when he needs some motivation, the rapper revealed he’s often leaned into Tupac’s discography. “He had morals, values, integrity from what I’ve seen. He stood for something. All the people that I was around, they didn’t really stand for anything,” he explained. “They just was working their jobs, had their vices, but there wasn’t no principle. So everything I already learned about hustling, about holding my own, how to handle certain situations was what I was listening to from Tupac or UGK or Master P, Cash Money.”
That’s where I was getting my info from, but then I’ll come back to the homies like I’m just a genius,” he joked.
The group stayed on the topic of friends for a bit before DJ Scream asked Jeezy about the status of his relationship with his former manager Demetrius “Kinky B” Ellerbee. The pair founded Corporate Thugz Entertainment (CTE) in 1998. However, During Kinky’s appearance last year on “Big Facts,” he claimed their falling out stemmed from a shift in how the pair handled business, subsequently affecting their bond. Jeezy spoke on the feud and noted that while the two haven’t spoken, he is “at peace” with the situation. The ATL legend also revealed he caught the episode featuring his former friend and felt the issue should’ve been addressed in privacy.
“Don’t try to assassinate my character with everything that I’ve done with and for you. My whole thing was — and I tell him this — we done been through some real s**t,” he said. “We’ll have some things happen, but that’s my little bro. So I got love for him, but I’m like, ‘Bro if you don’t agree with something I do, you got to come holla at me.’”
Jeezy shared that he wasn’t bothered by Kinky B’s comments — it was more so the fact that he dragged the “All There” emcee to court.
“I had to get on the stand against somebody I slept on air mattresses with when I had a vision,” he said. Jeezy claimed Kinky B showed no prior interest in music before he presented his friend with ideas. He continued, “Like the homies used to tell me, ‘Understanding is the best thing to have in the world.’ Meaning that we’re doing certain things together, but I’m doing more on my end because I’m out here and I’m moving around, spreading bread here and there. So when it popped off, we didn’t have an understanding.”
Jeezy also didn’t understand why Kinky B would claim he “lost all his street credibility” following his Verzuz battle against former faux Gucci Mane. “N**ga, you crazy,” the hip hop icon declared. “What are we talking about? I invented the word,” he said cheekily. The emcee appeared ready for a discussion with his former friend, noting, “I don’t gotta agree, but I can respect your position, and you can respect mine, and we can move forward.” He added, “Probably make some more money together.”
“I don’t really got no malice in my heart. I wish everybody the best. My only gripe was sitting across from somebody that I know I made a millionaire a few times over in a courtroom. That s**t was like somebody taking the stand against me; that’s all I felt like because that’s my brother,” he continued. When asked if he was hurt by Kinky B’s actions, Jeezy admitted, “Of course because I had to watch all the people that I put in a position look at me and say, ‘You know you wrong for this.’”
He added, “Again, it’s the understanding and the thing that I say all the time… what people might not understand is — and I’ll tell any of these young cats coming up — just make sure the business is right in the beginning because everybody has expectations and when it doesn’t go the way they expected, it’s going to be all bad.”
The same concept appeared to apply to his misunderstanding with rapper Freddie Gibbs. The “Big Boss Rabbit” emcee was previously signed to Jeezy on CTE World Records in 2011 before leaving the label one year later. The “Alfredo” lyricist took musical jabs at Jeezy while the veteran remained mainly silent until the 2020 track “Therapy for My Soul.”
Jeezy recalled their since hashed-out feud, stating that Gibbs “signed to me for me to get him a deal. I had a lot of bad energy around me. I wasn’t doing the right things by the execs, so they wasn’t trying to look out for me.” He added, “I was on some Tupac s**t, a rebel. So it was like I didn’t have those kinds of relationships. So, I couldn’t get him the deal and when it fell through, I kept it a buck with him.”
Jeezy believes the aspiring rapper may have taken it as him not wanting to help, but he maintained, “That’s not what it was,” but more so “communication [and] expectations.” Earlier this month, the two ran into each other at an airport, where they cleared the air.
Like always, if you liked what you heard, be sure to stay tuned every week for new episodes of “Big Facts.” Also, don’t forget to watch the latest show here.