2 Chainz on Biggest Wins & Losses, Million-Dollar Independent Grind & SpaceX Investment

21:02Troy Millings:Sometimes I didn't have to get rooms for everyone. And then it had a kitchen on there. It had a stove, like a hot plate on there. I brought a chef with me so I was able to save some of my money from eating out and able to feed the crew. And also, it had a studio on there. I was able to work. So it was really like a mobile home. That was one of the things I did when I first got some money. I bought a bus.

21:26Rashad Bilal:You mentioned when you brought yourself out of the contract as far as points. We hear about points all the time. Can you explain what points are for the layman?

21:34Troy Millings:I cannot explain. I can't explain, but I cannot explain it without saying a couple times. It's... Like a percentage? It's a percentage. Yeah, that's a great way to put it. It's a percentage. But it's not like 1 % of 100. So it's not like that, but it's a percentage of a project. Because if it was only 1 % of 100, we would just be like, that's nothing. But I did have to give up a point project for I think the first three albums or something. But whatever it was, for my freedom, I really didn't. It was worth it. Yeah, it was worth it, man. And like, I'm telling you, when you listen to that voice, everything ain't gonna work itself.

22:12Troy Millings:Everything gonna be alright. It came back tenfold, man. Everything came back tenfold.

22:172 Chainz:You were, obviously, you bet on yourself. You win. But then people were coming back to you, right? Now labels are talking to you at the time. I think this is like 360 deals become a thing. you again listen to the voice talk about that and saying like yo i see what people are doing

22:33Troy Millings:i'm not doing that yeah how it works out in your advantage well um 360s came became very popular um i don't know man we'll say maybe a little bit over 10 years ago it was introduced i think leor introduced i'm not sure i think we are yeah but basically what it what a 360 is is that artists who make money outside of their music like when i say make money they have deals outside their music that the label is looped into it and i think it's maybe 20 or something like that or something like that they're looped into that deal so basically what the label is saying and i totally get it i understand the label you know i'm saying blows you up you get the popping pepsi call you i want you to do this pepsi commercial and then the label like bro i piped you up you don't give I totally get that.

23:21Troy Millings:But when I went to go get my deal, I had so much leverage that I was merely trying to find a label that could help me internationally. Like I needed like, like by the time I got my record deal, y 'all, this is on everything I love. By the time I got my record deal, I had already done a show in Idaho and South Dakota. I had already been to places like that. Independently. Yeah. On my own. I already like been to Idaho. I'm to my, I'm like looking for potatoes to eat. You know what I'm saying? I'm cultured bro I go to Maine I go to Maine What I'm looking for Lobster I'm looking for lobster I'm looking for lobster When I go to Philly Cheese Oh man look So that's what I'm doing I'm doing this on my own I'm going to places Man as soon as I'm landing Where the cheese You know what I'm saying I'm going to these places So when I go do the meeting I'm like man I want to be an international I want to be known You know All over the world 2 Chainz Dos Cadenias And So So a couple of labels weren't trying to even let me get to that point of explaining.

24:25Troy Millings:They just was like, this is what it is. You know, but we're here now. So that was my first run with like Def Jam. My first solo deal with Def Jam was probably like, it felt like something LeBron would do or Rich Paul would do. You know, it felt that way. I had like, I had a four album deal, which is like everybody be having like six, five albums. I had like a four album deal. No 360. Then after that, I would just sign for one album. I don't know. Let me think about it. You know what I'm saying? Just on some rich parts. One-year extension. Yeah, just one more album, and I'll let you know. I'm independent now, but I remember I was going to be independent five, six years ago, then the pandemic hit.

25:12Troy Millings:And then I started getting in line. I was like, this is scary. Yes, yes, yes. Yes, I'm signing, man. For sure I'm signing. What's wrong with y 'all? You crazy? Yeah, you know what I'm saying? The leverage started kind of switching when that pandemic hit. Shoot. But yeah, man.

25:28Rashad Bilal:You said something. You said the record label is like creatine. They add bulk, but they don't create muscle. That's interesting. I be saying some stuff. I be saying some stuff.

25:39Troy Millings:I be saying some stuff. Check GPT, get that stuff for me, man. You know what I'm saying? I be saying some fly shit, man. and then I'll be putting in stuff to let you know like I'm kind of hip and I kind of be knowing like the fitness type yeah like you tapped in I know what tries and buys are you know that's a good bar though so like explain that I think you need your own internal team before you plug up to the big machine that's basically what I'm saying in so many words I think you get a lot of the details and the stuff that you love as an artist from your internal team the other the bigger label as we all know as people like to call the bank and all that they're there to obviously they hope you win but if you don't they got something they got more things up the pipeline so it's like look at it like this right look at it like this a lawyer they have a hundred cases then you get in trouble and you're the one person and then you think the lawyer only doing something for you you know I'm saying and so that's the same thing that somebody might think the label only doing the label got so you have to take in this you got to call your you got to get involved in your own you got to get involved with your with the same thing with music like they got all these artists going on let me and so not to say that I'm calling the label but I got a team that I can funnel my frustration disgruntles Happiness whatever too And they can plug up to the machine And then I think that's how everything Just kind of connects and runs smoothly

27:17Rashad Bilal:Well that's what I wanted to get at too Because correct me if I'm wrong That's how I look at it as far as I think a lot of people make the mistake Of thinking that the label's going to do everything for them You still got to get yourself high You still got to do the street work And even for us Whatever we do with different corporations That just helps amplify it But it's up to us to make the Instagram posts To run around, to make the relationships like if we just relying on somebody else to do it for us even though that they have multi million billion dollar you know arms at their disposal you can't just sit back and say okay i'm signed to a label now like but that's what a partnership is right that's what it should be

27:53Troy Millings:that yeah i think that's what it should be i think everybody should do their part and then everything works you know like it should that's what a partnership should be i think we get confused

28:032 Chainz:because we grew up in the era where like we hear somebody got signed and that's the celebration

28:08Troy Millings:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, but it was because, listen, it was so hard to do that once upon a time. True. It's not as hard now, but it was so hard to be, first of all, it was so hard to get signed. Then it was so hard to even know a person that knew a person that was signed. It used to be, the degrees is closer now. I used to be like, when I'm coming up, I'm coming up in Atlanta, and we got artists like, at this time, maybe Kilo and Sammy Sam. I don't even know nobody that know nobody. You know what I'm saying? It's like that. And it's the same thing with, especially in the South, with my friend Dollar, who I was in Player Circle with.

28:53Troy Millings:He put me on Wu-Tang and even Jay. and he would be like man you know i'm saying but it's like when when people fans see see people like me now and i'd be like yo i'm it's just me you know i'm saying i i remember being a fan of people watching them on tv never seeing them in person until i became me but just watching them on tv wondering how this happened you know you hear these wu-tang stories now but i don't know i'm just looking at i'm just looking at these i'm just looking at people i don't you know what it is as when you out here you don't understand it's a budget you don't understand it's a stylist it's a you know somebody has scouted for this location this car is you know we just you know we like the lifestyle you know what i mean and so early on somebody got a record deal we automatically assumed one that they were rich and two um it was just like not the easiest thing to get and even when i got a record deal i don't know when it happens to you i guess it's different i feel like i put the work in but now i feel like a lot of people get records the record deal based off different things not just music it was like it was like getting drafted

30:07Rashad Bilal:getting a record okay right like right okay the percentage probably like i ain't look at it i ain't look at it like that i ain't look at it like that i ain't look at it like that yeah because i

30:18Troy Millings:just believed in myself but I guess when you look at like that like like that percentage is so low yeah out of if you if you think about like college the people that this are you think about people that go to college become a student-athlete didn't get you know and play for it is very a very very small

30:362 Chainz:number so if you even put it in that perspective when double XL would have the draft class you'd be the top you know I'm saying it'd be the top 10 or top 12 people make it out of the class then you go back and look at some of those classes like yo damn they were pretty spot on yeah yeah lottery pick yeah people that wasn't

30:52Troy Millings:on it yeah okay if you look at the double excel that's damn near like the mcdonald's all-american yeah exactly because that's like a i think they say the mcdonald's all-american i think 80 percent of those kids go to the league yeah that's the best you almost like when you right there on that court you're almost knowing like i'm gonna be there in a couple years so they're actually making a

31:092 Chainz:documentary about it for real yeah it's the mcdonald's all-american and it's following the the history of it and how it evolved to being the number one place to find the next NBA talent. You brought up team because I think that's important you got your team here with you today, fam's here with you and then you brought up Jay. There's a couple of things here that are important because there's a story here that you talk about having an opportunity to potentially sign with Jay but realizing that you might have to leave some of the team behind you to do it and choosing not to do it. So it talks about integrity and talks about loyalty.

31:42Was

31:432 Chainz:this the voice in the head that spoke to you at this moment and people ask me

31:46Troy Millings:that all times a good question oh this was before I got my record deal was it before 2012 I don't think I was that tapped in back there I think this is something that I probably acquired

32:07Troy Millings:2016 2017 and beyond I think I probably had a voice I just don't think I maybe listen to it as much as I listen to it now. That situation, along with just growing up, a lot of situations, sometimes I wonder what would have, you know, I had situations like that. I think about go back to sixth or seventh grade. I wondered if I would have did this or wonder did that, but that was one of those situations. But at the same time, I think my moral compass is is in a position to where I wouldn't leave nobody behind that I'm really rocking with you know what I'm saying in any situation so this was a situation where I'm rocking with someone who's fully supported me believing in me and I feel like this person put me where I could be recognized by some of the higher arcs so I just wanted him wanted my guy to be a part of whatever it was about to go to, what I thought was about to happen.

33:10Troy Millings:And it didn't, and everything still worked out. We still, everybody still, Al McAvoy is still cool.

33:15Rashad Bilal:So that was Rockefeller?

33:16Troy Millings:It wasn't Rockefeller. It was a situation where I got a call from J.D. one day. Man, forgive me, y 'all. I know y 'all are tired of it. I don't even want to keep going into this. But I had to get a call one day from J.D. J.D. saying, hold on, he put me on the phone with J. and it was all of them and they was just saying like but at this particular time was when I was telling you about having leverage I was still independent I'm doing these shows I'm moving around and um they just simply invited me to a meeting and I wanted to bring someone with me and they were saying you don't have to bring this person now this person is tech but tech was a dj his name was DJ Techniques and I tell the story a lot too I think a lot of DJs are bigger than just being a DJ they do more than just DJ right they they have a mindset they have a personality they they create they do different things so if you think about DJ drummer we know I mean this guy signed Uzi if you think about Khaled you know what I'm saying and so when I at this particular time, I didn't realize how much the word DJ could maybe pigeonhole or hold you back, son.

34:37Troy Millings:I'm just saying, man, man, my dog, DJ Technique, they like, I think JD like, bro, you don't need your DJ. You know what I'm saying? When I look at retrospect, I'm looking at me like, man, I probably sounded crazy because I'm like, man, I got a brain. DJ says, they're like, man, what the hell are you talking about? You're not about to do no show? You know what I'm saying? So we probably would just, it's probably just, man, the communication just was off. You know what I'm saying? I'm partially excited because I'm getting these kind of calls every day. They excited to work with me. And here I am talking about somebody that believed in me, but he got this.

35:11Troy Millings:So I remember after that conversation, I told him, man, you got to lose that DJ night.

35:16Rashad Bilal:You ain't DJ tech no more.

35:17Troy Millings:You just tech, man. You got to get that out of there.

35:21Rashad Bilal:At what point, because you got a lot of businesses, the restaurant, Escobar Lounge, you do real estate you know at what point did you say I gotta diversify I can't just be artists or was that always part of the game plan from day one was to just use rap as a way to get your foot in the door but not to just only

35:41Troy Millings:focus on music yeah I think the mentality for me was always to have multiple strings of income off the off the rip off the rip I you know anything could happen and then with the restaurant space once i understood

36:03Troy Millings:what consistent passive income could be then it just changed my life on how i kind of started

36:10Rashad Bilal:putting pieces on the board because you had a lot i forget the line but it was on the larry june album you and larry june he was like the business something like along the lines of like having businesses save me like and I mean like if I had my businesses like so like that's important because a lot of times when you fly high you only focus on one thing you don't think it's never gonna slow down nothing's never gonna change

36:30Troy Millings:in there yeah my bad I've had that thinking I've I'm sitting out with bankers and but man look man I don't yeah I don't about to be doing this I ain't gonna have to do this but you know and then it's the same thing man Businesses, they go through a roller coaster, too, with the ups and downs, man. That's a fact. Being an entrepreneur is not the easiest thing in the world, too. That's a fact. You have to, man, you know, sometimes you get paid last, if at all. That's a fact. You know? And so I have businesses that struggle. But I'm just a firm believer about just things that I'm involved in and passionate about.

37:08Troy Millings:And I believe in a cycle of it just— nothing just being great all the damn time. Once you get that out of your head, you can navigate life differently in a better way for me. So I understand, like, I look around the club, be cracking, I be like, yeah, it ain't gonna be like this forever. You know what I'm saying? I get it. You gotta be slightly paranoid at all times. Every, you say slightly? Man, you crazy. You better be paranoid. You have to be paranoid. That's a fact. You gotta be paranoid.

37:432 Chainz:I want to apologize in advance. I don't know how we went this far without giving you a huge thank you for shouting us out in the record. I did. I heard Rashawn and Troy talk about the tax levy. You know what I'm saying? So, I mean, it talks about being in the know. It talks about the importance of financial education in the moment that we're in. Talk about how you're viewing it from your landscape. Obviously, we've been to the restaurants, but you've seen a lot of your counterparts now getting into the space. That's right, man. And you've been here. So what is that like for you?

38:14Troy Millings:Yeah, I already knew this. I already knew. I'm not lame, so I don't do lame stuff. So I already know that somebody can really look at what I'm doing and get some game from me and get something from me. And I also know that I ain't know somebody to be like, oh, man, the only reason they did that because of me or the reason they got that because they just this is my personality and I like that. But as I look around, it's starting in my city alone and how I mean, it was already a black city. But man, so many people that do what I do on so many great things and pieces of property. And as we all know and have heard a thousand times, you can't buy no more land.

38:51Troy Millings:I mean, we're not you can buy more, but they're not going to make any more land. And so, you know, I ain't lame. I ain't done no lame stuff. Like I make investing look cool. I make a lot of stuff that people might not be comfortable with. I make it look cool because it's just really me. You know what I'm saying? I'm so covered in my skin. I know like, I don't know, man. I just know like I listen a lot. I listen more than I talk over the years, and I've been in the rooms. And so I've seen the ones that do a lot of talking. I see them, too. They come across my timeline. But I know that somebody can really get some gain just from watching me, just from really like a day and like 24 hours with me.

39:42Troy Millings:I know somebody can learn something.

39:44Rashad Bilal:How big is Atlanta in your development? Because it's like for us coming to Atlanta, it is the mecca of black business, black entrepreneurship. And I think that that even plays a part as far as like the musicians. I think it's more of an entrepreneurial spirit from the beginning because the city of Atlanta kind of cultivates and supports black entrepreneurship. That's my opinion. What's your thoughts on that?

40:09Troy Millings:We we piggyback off each other. I think it's a it's a it's a great city to network. Everybody's one phone call away. One DM away. you can cut the ribbon on a business at 6 o 'clock man we can send out a few calls and the mayor will be there like the mayor will pull up his crew we can call him we can call our mayor you know like my mayor listened to the same album he heard me give y 'all a shout out too you see what I'm saying so our city is different in the fact that man it's so many contributing factors to the success in Atlanta man and a lot of it being black people in high places

41:04Rashad Bilal:and to follow up on that Atlanta you were kind of at the forefront of the music changing you saw the music change New York had it and then you saw around the time yeah era that's when it changed and Atlanta took the torch you saw that coming or you just kind of like was just in it and it just happened like organically i saw it coming because

41:29Troy Millings:it was becoming more and more consistent with atlanta having records that got out of atlanta that pat that got out of magic city you know sometimes we had records that just stayed locally but it became a time that anything we did people were gravitating to it and I I come to New York and I hear something like I can't believe they playing it because we it was a time when music was very regional but then I remember you know coming to New York and hearing Atlanta music I remember hearing it a lot when it first you know started happening a lot and that's when you know it's like your time because everybody's kind of receptive to what you're doing yeah I think it was

42:132 Chainz:Yes, Atlanta, but at that early 2000s, it's a Southern movement. It's Wayne. Obviously, it's you. It's Tip. It's Jeezy. Gucci. It was just a whole thing, right? But the Wayne thing is interesting to me. Obviously, this is a good friend of yours. There's been a lot of Wayne talk over the past couple weeks. He's on record as one of my favorite MCs of all time. I probably got in my top five. We used to argue about Wayne the tip all the time Being around him taught you a lot, right? You speak about learning what work ethic is Talk about how that shaped your career from that point on and to where you got now

42:54Troy Millings:I'm someone that learns in any room that I'm in I was on tour with with bro and Just really kind of watch how he move and how convenience was that that kind of at the forefront of the success, the convenience of I just told y 'all man the bus, everything I just described y 'all the bus with the studio, the ship, I got all that for him everything that I just described y 'all I just got it from watching him everything, that I just got it from watching him I just did this is what you do I guess and I did it it's like somebody's not hiding the secrets to success he's not someone that's hiding And if you pick up on it, I mean, he's not like take you to the water and make you drink it either.

43:42Troy Millings:But if you are smart enough to be around one of the goats in real time, bro, you can't take nothing from that, bro.

43:512 Chainz:I feel like there's not many people that he has the best music relationship with. I feel like you have a music relationship with him and a friendship with him that's very unique and has been cultivated. Obviously, y 'all put out the joint album. So how are you taking in all the talk around him these days? I love him, man.

44:10Troy Millings:Can't nobody say nothing. Do anything to change how I feel about him. I love him deep down inside. I love the man. Dwayne Carter. That's my guy.

44:24Rashad Bilal:Family. That's something that, you know, you obviously got the podcast with your son. Yeah. You brought your kids here today. your wife how has that played a part in your success because I just saw something with Amon Shumfer saying like a lot of the NBA players go broke because they start having kids, multiple baby moms that's like a thing, broken families that's a dynamic that has taken down a lot of men we see it now even all over how has your family played a part in your success played a

45:00Troy Millings:big part of my success man You got to, my co-star is, she plays a great leading role in the household. My kids, beautiful and smart. And I'm someone that's very involved and want to be. That's the main thing. I want to be at the recital or at the game or at whatever. I'll be wanting to be there. It's interesting seeing something that has your DNA grow up. And I've been able to watch it up close. And I'm sure watching it from afar, it's pretty amazing, too. I'm sure if you don't see your kids for a couple months and you see them, I'm sure that could be pretty amazing, too. I'm not going to knock that.

45:56Troy Millings:But when I don't see mine for a couple weeks and come back I'm just like, okay, you know what I'm saying? Like, whatever it is, it just gives me a great feeling, man. I don't know. I just feel like that was my way. I think that was in my cars to have a family, stay grounded, you know. I think I'm not – I matured very early, man. I was outside very early. I had sex very early. I sold drugs very early. I stole cars very early. I just did a lot of things very early. So by the time I got to an age where people started doing some of those things, I was already maturing as an adult.

46:41Rashad Bilal:And we're getting to see artists mature too because it's like we see you and your family. We see T.I., his family. We see Jay. Like when we first started to listen to music, it wasn't too much of that. It was everybody was young. Everybody was just doing whatever they was doing. So now it is changing because it's like the music is maturing because the artists are maturing.

47:03Troy Millings:Yeah, the music, man. I can't wait to put out my next project, man. Some fly shit, man. This project, my next project is with Static Selector, but it's produced by Static Selector. I've been talking about it, but I got 1 ,500 and rants doing production on top of his. And I just revamped the whole project. It's called Players Only Live Once. but it's my best way I'd describe it is white soup red wine no stain living on the edge is that it? is that crazy? no margin for it I'm talking about no margin for it white everywhere only serving red I'm just trying to put you down that's what this feels like that I'm putting out So I'm excited about it.

47:55Troy Millings:But right now I'm doing a book tour and this is my first book and it's my first time being an author. It won't be my last, but it was a lengthy process. I learned a lot about the book space and I learned a lot about myself while creating it. but this music that I have put together and it's ready it's getting mixed I'm done with it it's like it's some playoff stuff but it's like it acts it acts as age is what I'm trying to tell you that's what I'm going back to that it acts as age you know you know what I'm saying it's it's pinky and let me get a t-t-t-t-t-t I might add that to it that's one of them trying to make an announcement man yeah earn your lead we moving to africa wherever the hell y 'all be at so it's like one of them things bacharac glasses um bacharac glasses for real for real boy hey boy i'm finna go to the studio tonight but we doing bacharac glasses tonight boy come on man it is you uh

49:012 Chainz:you talked about the book process we are fresh of going through that process it's interesting because you did the audio book we also did the audio book what was that like for you being in the studio obviously you are a recording artist right a slash hyphen that you're going to be a new york times bestseller um after the book comes out but what what was that like during that doing the engineering of you actually having to dictate and pronunciate like how was that for you i'm fine i'm fine and i listened and i listened i listened to audiobooks okay so i've listened to like the

49:36Troy Millings:stale ones and I've listened to some that had a little affliction and so when I'm reading the stories I'm already knowing I'm down to changing the voice on some of that shit I'm down to he said she I'm doing all that with it you know I'm saying and like I said I I'm one of them kids I used to raise my hand when I'm trying to read out loud yeah I don't read the word I don't read the word before I done got to it. So I'm reading and then looking up at y 'all while, you know what I'm saying? I'm doing that up there. I'm doing that one up there very early. Look for the big words first. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

50:11Troy Millings:I'm going, yeah, yeah. So I'm doing that. So, you know, I wanted to do that. And then first of all, listening to myself, listening to the audio book back, it's like, damn, it's funny. Because I don't realize I talk like that. I don't realize I have an accent. I don't realize any of that stuff. But listening to the book is like, damn, but you got some words you need to work on. you might not be Stephen A. But I'm genuine man. I'm me, I'm transparent. I'm very vulnerable in this. And this is a very like introspective piece of work, man, from me. I think people would be very surprised.

50:44Rashad Bilal:And talk about, and reading a book is difficult because we actually read it. I didn't like the way that I sounded. So I actually had a professional come and do it over for my part for real because i listen to audiobooks too so i didn't like the way i sounded and i felt like it wasn't the best so i know firsthand how difficult well it was easy to you but for me it was difficult yeah yeah yeah you know i'm reading i'm reading i don't know i was probably i probably

51:12Troy Millings:read four chapters a night until it was done right but they got to set up they got to set up in my personal space my personal studio space so I was comfortable I'm having probably got on slides or something and and I got the mic set up and it was just like reading out loud and I don't know I don't know I mean you know obviously after you get to reading so long your energy could fall off so they they have someone letting you know about maintaining the energy but I don't know I think it was it was very important for me to to do read mine personally it was

51:462 Chainz:It's one of those things. It was like you're in the studio all day. I think being in education helped me do it because I'm used to reading to kids. Okay. And so I remember it's the first time I ever sat down in front of a classroom. The kids were untying my shoes. They were punching my leg. And I'm just like how do I now focus on these words? I got to show it to them. And then all of that prepared you for the moment of now getting in that studio. The toughest part is when somebody's in your ear like you missed the on that last sentence.

52:14Troy Millings:wait wait go back you didn't say uh wait wait go back go back yeah and uh man it could get like I said it got a little lengthy but when I was knocking three or four chapters out of night and still recording some music

52:31Rashad Bilal:and you work with our friend Charlamagne yeah Black Privilege talk about that how'd that relationship come about man

52:38Troy Millings:I'm gonna be truthful man I was working on this book and all I know is Charlamagne capped his way in there sometimes but all I can tell Charlamagne is mental health this sounds like it I think he's just smart man he know I'm a winner you know what I'm saying when I put something into the universe most of the time it's successful it was nothing me and him sat down and even talked about I looked up I seen his name on something I was like okay but you also helped him out with crystals you want to talk about that Yeah, he has a few crystals, I think. Well, I know down in South Carolina where he's from.

53:17Troy Millings:And I know the owner of all the crystals at Baltimore. He's a friend of mine. And, you know, I be having my hands in a little something. And Charlemagne was interested in that that I had my hand in. So I introduced him to this cool guy named Jonathan. And they built their own rapport. And he opened up, I think he opened up more than one. Yeah, I think he got people. He's doing his thing, so. At times I want to ask for a royalty rate. That be that black. That be that black, don't it? Man, you open. Some, shoot me, son. That be that black. You can't just let some of that. That's the black effect right there.

54:02Troy Millings:Black effect. That's the black effect, man. You going to shoot me, son? The new black tax. Yeah, man. But it worked out for him.

54:112 Chainz:Obviously, you've been successful. Shadi mentioned watching your kids and be a part of their lives. I mean, you got one of the top young basketball players in the country, man. For a guy whose love was basketball, what is that like? Like watching him be like. Be way better than me. I didn't want to say be way better. Is he? What do they have, number 10? Is he number 10 in Georgia?

54:34Troy Millings:No, he ranked nationally. Nationally, okay. He top 25 nationally. We just left to get here today. We just did a tournament in Cincinnati. Yeah. They'll probably put out a new ranking because this youth sports stuff is. It's crazy. It's crazy. It's crazy. It's crazy. My son literally graduates in 2034 and they have like a 2034 class. 2030, you know, and it's real. It's, I mean, I can't even tell you how many fights I almost saw at this AAU tournament this weekend. I mean, the sheriff came, real, real, like, passion from coaches, parents, kids. And in the fourth grade, I did not have this much passion about anything.

55:20Troy Millings:But these kids, and, oh, man, it's just, man, I love being around it right now. I mean, if you haven't been around youth sports, whether it's football or basketball, if you just don't have motivation anymore, just go around those kids, man. I mean, the way they jump up and down, the way they talk like adults, the way they, their mannerisms, you mix that with wherever they from, whatever household. You throw that with background music and some Nike, some Kobe's, some John Moranson. You got some entertainment going on, man. I love watching it. I love having a kid that is just so poised and so humble.

56:00Troy Millings:we're having a podcast with my son with him being because he asked me in this tournament, like the game started getting lit and he didn't warm up, he said, hey are these people coming to watch me play? He asked me that and I said, I mean some other people didn't want to come see play but you know, they want to see, you know, and they want to see you do good and they want to see you they want to see you fail too, you know what I'm saying they want to see them fail too, but I don't know man I think my son, his his superpower is confidence i've been installing that confidence and this little black boy for so long that it's hard to really rattle that you know i'm saying he got a couple things to work on just like i do but he's only 10 and i'm just very i'm very um i'm very proud of that i'm very proud of that kid that's a dope accomplishment i'm proud of that kid but it's also changed too like as far as youth sports kids have personal trainers now the nil deals now in high school kids is getting

56:59Rashad Bilal:millions of dollars before they even go to the league. Because you're a sports fan, too. So what's your thoughts on, like, how it was before and how it is now?

57:09Troy Millings:This is long overdue. You know, you can't go on that long without, you know, kids, man. Literally, bro. We used to be hungry in college. Like, we used to be hungry. D1 full-ride scholarship. Full-ride. Whoppers were 99 cents, boy.

57:27Rashad Bilal:You know what I'm saying? But you was hungry, but you was also hungry. You think these kids is hungry? Because even I go to NBA games, half of them, they're just running up and down the court. You think that they're really hungry now?

57:41Troy Millings:You get hungry if you know something on the line. You know what I'm saying? Some of these kids know something's on the line. and I think you start identifying those kids by the hunger you see and the way they move and the way they play. Some of these kids, like, if they ever don't even go to the league, they can get some money now, get the right LinkedIn information, do the right investment, who knows what, and they can change their life through NIL money. and I think and I know for a fact my son he'll probably get it in high school but I'm just saying like this time is way overdue

58:23Rashad Bilal:I mean you got

58:25Troy Millings:man you got people that man we got people that we that went to college man we we love man that boy I just seen Jalen Rose man that man say he's the first person ever named Jalen in this hole in the world I'm trying to explain that to Halo like what do you mean I'm like you know how we got like Jalen Johnson on our team and I'm like yeah you know like Jalen Brunson? I'm like, bro, home the first one ever. You know what I'm saying? The All-Star game,

58:492 Chainz:they had six Jalens on the court at the same time. For real? They didn't know it was Jalen Brown, Jalen Durant, Jalen Brunson, and the dude from Jalen Johnson. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

59:01Troy Millings:Hey, a man ain't get a nickel. A man ain't get a five, a man ain't get free dinner. So, I think that some kind of way, you know, and it could get out of hand and make certain teams lopsided. It just depends on, you know, you have these boosters who have, they can pay for a championship now, but if you can't do it, you know, let's do, if you got enough money to buy you a great team, you know, make sure these kids eatin' though, man. That's what it's about. Kids, man, them coaches come to your parents' house, they be lookin' around. Them folks know you ain't got no money when they come recruit you, boy.

59:41Troy Millings:You know what I'm sayin'? Some coaches are compassionate about that, like, damn, he come from this type of environment. And some are not, man. They numb to it. You think that's the wave?

59:502 Chainz:We watched Indiana do it this year. I mean, this is a team historically has had the worst record in the history of college football. Yeah. You got a big booster. Like Mark Cuban coming in. We're going to bring the coach in, national champion. I saw Mr. B said he's trying to do that for Eastern Carolina.

1:00:06Troy Millings:I'd love to see him do it. Right? I'd love to see him do it. What about Atlanta? No, but like, think about Mr. B. Where are you talking about going? East Carolina. East Carolina, right? Think about all the little Carolina, the possibilities these kids got. Because he's buying it. Now, he can't buy the referees. Maybe he can, but he can't buy it. The talent. He can bring in the talent. As far as Atlanta, I mean, we have a lot of people that have capital in Atlanta. I don't know if you want to bring them to Tech or Georgia. I was thinking Georgia.

1:00:412 Chainz:Georgia's already power. Yeah, Georgia. Tech, which used to be a basketball school. who kind of hasn't had the same fortune recently.

1:00:47Troy Millings:Yeah, we from that Kenny Anderson Tech era. Yeah, that's Scott. Scott. Marbury? Travis Bass. Travis Bass, yeah. Marbury. Marbury. Marbury era. Oh, my God. I remember he got in and caught this alley-oop in the game, and I was like, yo, this – he was like laying in the air. This man was like – It's been a minute. Well, early 2000, they went to the Final Four. They was like that. All the names we named – Jared Jack. That's when they was like that. Jared Jack. It was probably the last time they was like that. They played for the chip.

1:01:17Rashad Bilal:Jared Jack. Yeah. Well, speaking of the book, before we wrap business, what's the worst financial move that you made and what's the best financial move that you made? Like what's the biggest mistake and what's the biggest, like, win?

1:01:35Troy Millings:Let's talk about the bad stuff. I invested into a dispensary. I invested into this place called Pineapple Express, and they basically just ran off of my money. the reason that because there's some millions involved and the reason that not only hurts because it's the amount of money, it hurts because I tapped on some of my friends not like business partners, some of my friends on giving them an investment opportunity to be a part of something that was legal and should have been been having some payouts and I was just trying to like I went to some of my friends, that's the best way I can articulate that I went to some of my friends and I was like, you know, give me 50 or 100 and I'm going to put, you know, and just, and then, so for these people at this dispensary to, you know, basically fold on the things that they promised.

1:02:30Troy Millings:And it's been multiple years, so I'm just trying to get that lawsuit handled. That's a whole lawsuit to just get all, get everything back from that and more. And then

1:02:43Troy Millings:I invested in a SPAC that I thought was going to be successful. And that junk smacked me. Smacked me. Talking about took me smacked me. Dispensary SPAC. I know it's one more.

1:03:04Troy Millings:Dispensary SPAC. Man, come on, man. I've made some bad investments. Oh, man, come on, one more. Yeah.

1:03:18Troy Millings:Oh, and I invested in a land easement because it was like, what certain billionaires do, you know when they hit you with that one? What the billionaires do to... Follow the money. They hit you with that one. I put some money on some land easement that was supposed to give me some kind of tax benefits, and I lost some money there. The land easement was not as much as the SPACs or the dispensary, but I can't sit in front of you and act like everything I've done has.

1:03:52Rashad Bilal:I mean, it's part of it.

1:03:542 Chainz:It's part of it. I can't let you out on that note, though. Well, what's the best? What's the best thing you've done financially? Yeah, give us the best, and then we got to talk music. But go ahead, tell us the best.

1:04:02Troy Millings:the best investment

1:04:07Troy Millings:was first buying the dirt this is one of the best it's one of the best my best investment is those kids education that high is private school but I bought the dirt to where ESCO is now I bought the dirt then put a business on the dirt and then turned that into

1:04:34Troy Millings:a cash paying business. And then, so that was lucrative. My wife, I bought her a daycare that she still owns. She doesn't work there. Obviously, somebody else has. But that's very lucrative, too, because AI can't make kids. So, you know what I mean? That's going to be all right.

1:04:57Rashad Bilal:Those daycares are expensive. man, that's tuition.

1:05:01Troy Millings:That's tuition. Daycare is something else, man. That money's different. But that's through property. Let me think about something that I did. I invested in SpaceX. Really? Yeah, very early on.

1:05:18Rashad Bilal:Early?

1:05:19Troy Millings:Early on, man. If I told y 'all what I got in on SpaceX, I know y 'all know that. I'm actually, I'm invested in Anthropoc too. I saw what they just said about that. I don't know how. Valuation, yeah? Or the government situation? Yeah.

1:05:322 Chainz:What do you think?

1:05:32Troy Millings:What do you think that's going to do for my investment? I'm in front of the right guys.

1:05:362 Chainz:I think that topic will be okay. There's going to be a part of the segment that's looking at it like, great, I'm glad you didn't do it. Now, what happened right after they said no, their competitor said yes. Yeah. So we got to watch that. But, you know, you have Microsoft as an investor. You got Amazon that holds ownership in it. They'll be fine. I think they'll be fine. How'd you get in SpaceX? You can't wait for that IPO, huh?

1:06:00Rashad Bilal:that's a big that's a big one well and i was already at a trillion one point well it could

1:06:062 Chainz:be up to 1.5 with the xai situation being merged i just had like a 40 minute it was

1:06:13Troy Millings:i was in the right place at the right time i know some pe guys that would um when they came across their desk they would give me the opportunity to you know and you know with investments I gambled so it kind of feel like gambling with certain investments so a lot of times I wrote shakes too big and certain stuff and not shakes big enough and other things but you know the whole thing is like you're just trying to come up with some multiples man you know and I got in with SpaceX very early let me go back to that I got in there very early and man I just tell y 'all off the air it just felt like I got in like early Bitcoin let me just say that I got in very early wow but I'm in on that so that's a good one but it hadn't IPO yet but I'll tell y 'all when we get off because I got something to ask y 'all alright and then let me see if I got one more out there that could I think that's a good one though I think that's a great

1:07:17Rashad Bilal:SpaceX Anthropic

1:07:20Troy Millings:Zenwater I don't know if you've seen Zenwater it's a water out that I said water I said that but Zenwater is a guy by the name of Lance Collins did Zenwater he did Body Armor with that Kobe deal remember that Kobe 18 million I think Kobe put in or something he did that and if you look at Zenwater you see a lot of investors like me and Harden and Travis Kelce and a few other guys like that but he is someone that's been in the beverage space for many years and have sold different beverages to different companies once they scale. And so I've been with him very early on too. And I feel confident about that.

1:08:00Troy Millings:Some other stuff that I invested in, I just don't know. I'm praying, hope something happens. But I think those three right there, I feel like, like I said, I'm a little skeptical on Anthropoc, but AIs, AIs, it's gonna...

1:08:132 Chainz:You only gotta get one out of 10. That's the average, they say. You get one out of 10. One out of 10, huh? And you got the one. The one. It's like baseball. Yeah, and you're not going to bat 300 though. If you're back to the ground, great. I think James Harden told us about December Water. Yeah. Right? Yep. For real.

1:08:27Rashad Bilal:Yeah, he told us about it.

1:08:282 Chainz:Yeah, because we were talking about the Kobe deal with him, and he was one of the people that got mentioned. I think Mikey Trout was involved as well, but, yeah, they did pretty well on that.

1:08:36Troy Millings:Yeah, and you see that being like, you see that being a trend with black athletes that got money now. They learning where to parlay it, and they hearing about these Kobe deals, And, you know, some of this stuff wasn't out loud. I think that's the main thing. Some of it wasn't transparent and wasn't out loud. You had no clue. It was like some of us, people that looked like us, got in those rooms and was not passing on the information, was not becoming or becoming. And that's how I got caught in the dispensary stuff because I'm trying to be a bridge to my brothers. I'm like, yo, let me put you down.

1:09:15Troy Millings:Let me help you out. Give me this. you know and it just I'm really salty about that because I was trying to really help some of my friends in that instance right there

1:09:252 Chainz:in my head the true just went off when you said they didn't want to build that bridge because that's what happens right which is why we become kind of a place that becomes the bridge like hey here's the information here's what we're hearing in those rooms here's how you can execute on it but I want to talk about true because Grammy night, I'm watching the performance live. They didn't have 2 Chainz performing, but she's okay next year. It's okay, yeah. Bieber's up there, got the guitar, his box is on, putting the beat together. He get to that hook, he press the ad-lib button. Yeah. Yeah. I say, Chainz?

1:10:092 Chainz:Well, I was celebrating it. What was that moment like for you, man?

1:10:13Troy Millings:I was just starting to get text messages because I wasn't watching it when it was going on. But Justin Bieber is a friend of mine. We've been friends for a while. And he invited me to a studio session that I could not make because I was in another state. I wish I would have came. Hindsight. And he ended up sending me the UConn record to do AdLibs on. So when people hear my yeah on Justin Bieber song, he didn't steal that. Like, that's a new yeah. That's a that's straight out of the plastic. It's brand new. It's brand new. Straight off the rack. No clearance. No. I cleared it, but it wasn't on the clearance rack.

1:10:58Troy Millings:Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, man, it's cool to be a part of these little moments, man. I can't write that type of like I can write the yeah I don't even have to write that But I'm saying the story behind it How this man up there Singing in his drawers Like Rent was doing You dig what I'm saying And boy he hit him with the yeah And you know people hear me like Bro he using your ass I'm like you know Because I don't know People were just not hearing it For the first time But it was a great experience And it's just like Man like God He just throw me out there sometime Man you know what I'm saying I'm doing something right, bro.

1:11:34Troy Millings:That's all I can say, man.

1:11:362 Chainz:I was thinking about this on the way here today. When we were talking about our performance aging, right? Like maturing. I feel like you've walked into this space where you fit in in every arena. Like you talked about the day in the life. Like if we saw you at the Cardi B concert, it's like, oh, change should be there. You got an all-star game on the court. Oh, yeah, he should be there. If he's... Invest Fest. Invest Fest, he should be there. If he's at Magic City, Oh, he's supposed to. Like, you fit in all these environments and you're doing it so well.

1:12:07Troy Millings:Let's go over those. I should be at the Cardi B show. I wrote something on her project. Yep. I should be a courtside at the Hawks game because I have a partnership with them through the Skyhawks. I should be at InvestFest because who else? I'm investing. What else you say I be doing? Magic City. I own my own strip club as well. Let's do that. Candyland. Candyland. Can't forget about Candyland. So me and Magic, we like, we work in the same field. Yeah. You dig what I'm saying? Magic came to my club for my birthday, which was like, seeing Magic, Mr. Magic in my club was like a highlight for me. You know what I'm saying?

1:12:43Troy Millings:His sons come through all the time. But a lot of stuff that you name, bro, it's not a reach for me. It's organic is what I'm trying. That's why I'm really trying. It's really organic, bro. I know you're just ringing it off the top of your head, but everything you name is so organic. I mean, I'm not looking out of place. I'm not contouring myself to fit in. None of that stuff you're talking about. It's just really me. You wear many hats. No point to that. Well, I'm trying to keep this one on. I just thought, look, look. I just thought, you know what I'm saying? In New York, you know what I'm saying?

1:13:12Troy Millings:We used to say, man, you say, man, your hat drunk when you just throw it on any kind of way, man. You ain't drunk. The hat just, so I just got the hat on just like, look, just check me out. Just drunk. It's very Ghostface Killer of you. Man, I love Ghostface. I love Wu-Tang. Y 'all know that?

1:13:27Rashad Bilal:Yeah, but no, I was saying like, last year at Best Fest, I'll never forget, Shaka bars. You told him to come over to the club, so you had dinner with Shaka bars in your strip club. That sums it all up, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That sums up two changes. This is why he tripping.

1:13:47Troy Millings:No, this is why he tripping. He says, your brethren, you know, so, so, so, so, so, so, so. I know, you know, I know he vegan. I got the vegan pizza restaurant in Atlanta. So I said, hey, man, go try my vegan pizza spot, man. Okay. He go. I already called and ordered him a pizza. But he go in there and just order his own. So now he got too much pizza. And I'm like, so he said, I got this pizza for you. I'm like, no, this is for you. So now you got this pizza. Then he meets me at my strip club. And, you know, he's like, no, I don't drink. I said, get the man some water. The man trip out because it's alkaline water.

1:14:26Troy Millings:He ain't studying. No dancers, no nothing. No DJ, no ambience, no pole. This man say, yo, Virgin, you got alkaline water in the strip club. I've never seen this. Yo, this man has alkaline water. That man did a drop with me. The whole video. That man do a drop with me at the club. Hey, man, this man come to this club. This man got alkaline water. I kind of know the benefits, but, I mean, the way he was acting. Number one reason you should show up. Yeah. It's the alkaline candy land. Make sure you come through We got alkaline water

1:14:58Rashad Bilal:A day in a life Well congratulations my brother Get the book It's out now It's out now Barnes and Nobles Amazon

1:15:06Troy Millings:You can go to 2chainsbook.com as well And enter for the sweepstakes I have For people to actually sit Courtside with me at a Hawks game I think I'm going to be running This sweepstakes up to Maybe about March 11th But you go to 2chainsbook.com I'm taking care of the rooms If I have to fly you in And all that stuff One lucky person gets to sit next to me. Yeah. All this drip, all this demeanor. Catch it all. All this aura. You know what I'm saying? And as I have a disclaimer that I put on every platform that I've been on. If you are a female and you have a different situation at home, a situation that is going through whatever turmoil or, you know, You have trust issues at home.

1:15:57Troy Millings:Just know that to tell your significant other that you're just supporting me, you're supporting the book. Nothing more, nothing less. If you are a man, if you come to this game with me, I love the fact that you are a fan. But if we could talk during timeouts and have time, that would be cool because I'd really be watching the game. if you want to talk during the game I'm not going to be mad at that but I just want to let you know how sometimes I'll just be locked in and it may seem like I'm ignoring you but for the most part it's for any lucky fan that wants to go through the owners I have different experiences I go to the owner I park where I park at across from it says owners right there just so we're clear and then I walk through a door and then it's another lounge not the lounge where you got to I had a little thing.

1:16:52Troy Millings:I was about to say you got to definitely dominate before you go out. You see, a lot of them folks doing this in the car, breaking on, you know, all that. So it's just I'm offering someone an experience. Owner's Lounge, 2 Chainz. I'm not sure if you should ride with me or not. I got to figure that out. But just being next to me is a great experience for a game. Halftime, we can run off why I did this song, who I did this song, why I think this person, whatever. but for the most part you know once again go to 2chainsbook.com make sure you check out my new book The Voice in My Head is God on all platforms the audio book is dope too and once again thank my boys right here and earn your leisure for allowing me to get on here and promote and market my projects

1:17:352 Chainz:go to Barnes and Nobles go to Amazon go to as many outlets as you can we need diversity this is how we make sure that it's showing that it's crossing different demographics and we're going to have you at number one.

1:17:47Rashad Bilal:And the last thing is, who would be the ideal person to read this book?

1:17:53Troy Millings:That's a good one. I think, okay, what voice I hear reading that book? You mean to read it, like who should read the book? Like who should read the book? Oh, man. I think the person that, good one. If you have ever said something told me, I think you should read the book. Let me see the book. If you have ever said something, something told me to watch this episode, something told me to go Balenci boot, something told me to wear silk pajamas in public, something told you not to do it again, whatever that is, this book is for you. we're going to try to find out what that something is. We're going to tap into it.

1:18:48Rashad Bilal:There you have it. Make sure y 'all check it out, man. Thank you, my brother. Appreciate it. Thank you, man. Yes, sir. Yeah. Wasabi is purpose-built to free your business from skyrocketing storage costs and fees from the big guys. Wasabi is the go-to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams around the world. Check out Wasabi's AI-enabled intelligent media storage, Wasabi Air, and the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cyber criminals. Wasabi, driving innovation in data storage for up to 80 % less than market competition. Try for free at wasabi.com.

1:19:21Rashad Bilal:Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage, proud partner of iHeart Podcast Network. At CVS, it matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night, and we want everyone to feel welcomed and rewarded. It matters that CVS is here to fill your prescription. and here to fill your craving for a tasty and, yeah, healthy snack. At CVS, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters. So visit us at cvs.com or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you. Store hours vary by location.

1:20:01Rashad Bilal:How is TD making banking more human? Easy. With less bank talk and more real talk. Less your call is important to us and more. How can we help? Less confusion and more clarity. It's things like tapping your phone to use your TD card and getting your paycheck two business days early. It's getting more of what you want and less of what you don't. That's how TDs making banking more human.

1:20:282 Chainz:Are we human?

1:20:30Rashad Bilal:Who doesn't love bread? Satisfying sandwiches, fully loaded bagels, buttered rolls, all delicious. Did you know you can eat bready baked goods and get better macros without all the net carbs? Craveworthy and smart, Hero Bread has just 0-5 grams net carbs, 0 grams sugar, and up to 19 grams of protein and 22 grams of fiber per serving. Hero Bread bakes with heart-healthy olive oil and delivers the soft, fluffy, flavorful experience you love. Breakfast wraps, schmear-loaded bagels, melty grilled cheeses. Hero Bread bakes loaves, tortillas, bagels, buns, and rolls that don't taste or feel like cardboard.

1:21:08Rashad Bilal:Plus, limited edition small batch bakes like the 2-gram net carb Hero Croissant or 1-gram net carb Hero Cheddar Biscuit. Handmade in a Sonoma-based French bakery. There's a reason it's called Hero Bread. Shop now on Hero.co. Use code IHEART for 10 % off. That's Hero.co. For serving not-and-low-calorie foods, the nutrition information for sodium and sugar content. Explodes noodles, croissants, croissant rolls, pines of chocolate, scones, and biscuits. I'm U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The sound of a seatbelt. It's one of the most important sounds in our car. It means everyone is ready and everyone is safe.

1:21:43Rashad Bilal:The more our kids see us put on our seatbelts, the more natural it is for them to put theirs on too. Make it a priority. Buckle up every time. Hear the sound? Make it a habit. Paid for by NHTSA. This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.