2 Chainz has been looking to collaborate with Jay-Z for years now. In a recent interview with Steve Stoute for Chainz’s new YouTube series #CrateTalk, the rapper shared a story about the Brooklyn legend. The Atlanta rapper told Stoute that Jay once offered to fly him out to meet, but he declined due to loyalty to someone who helped Chainz early on in his career.

2 Chainz went on to explain that he was working with a DJ from Atlanta called DJ Teknikz who believed in the rapper early on. After gaining traction together, Chainz says he had regular conversations with Kanye West that helped put him on Jay-Z’s radar.

“So after Kanye called everyday, I got a call from Hov,” he explained to Stoute. “And Hov was like, ‘I want you to come to New York, I heard you making a lot of noise.’ And the only reason that I did not go was because I said, ‘Can I bring my buddy Tek with me?’ He was like, ‘Why you wanna bring your DJ for?’ But I’m trying to tell them that bruh helped me get to the point where I’m on your radar, you know what I’m saying? I couldn’t go by myself. I just chose loyalty.”

2 Chainz still managed to make it big without Jay’s help and believed in himself to accomplish this.

Watch the full episode of #CrateTalk below: