2 Chainz gave a candid look into his early adolescent years selling drugs for his mother and her boyfriend.
During his visit to Shannon Sharpe's Club Shay Shay podcast, the Atlanta native opened up about his early exposure to street life and the circumstances that led him to sell drugs at just 12 years old. According to the Grammy-nominated rapper, his mother had him hustling at an early age, and he was able to make a profit out of it.
"I actually started selling drugs at 12, but they were just nicks," 2 Chainz revealed. "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 echoed sentiments 2 Chainz expressed in a 2022 interview with Matt Barnes, where he spoke about being raised in a household centered around drug culture. He also admitted to surviving four separate drug busts before adulthood, the earliest one happening when he was only six years old.
"All I've ever known since I touched foot on this earth is drugs or drug dealing," the rapper said 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 added, "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.