Jeezy is getting candid about growing up in the streets, negotiating record deals without a lawyer, and his relationship with wife Jeannie Mai.
The hip hop star, real name Jay Wayne Jenkins, sat down for a revealing interview with TV One’s autobiographical series Uncensored.
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In the interview, Jeezy discussed what drew him to Mai.
“I just think we had the same path. God puts people in your life, no matter what the circumstances are, and you just have to be ready for it,” he said in the below clip. “Even though we’re from two different cultures, we’ve been through the same walk of life. He parents are immigrants and she had a humble life just like I did.”
The Grammy-nominated rapper grew up in a military family and moved around a lot before he was sent to Atlanta to live with his grandmother.
Jeezy became a hustler at an early age, but said he always knew he was destined for more. Once he decided to pursue a career in music, he built a loyal fan base by passing out his CDs and performing at small venues. It didn’t take long before he got the attention of some of the biggest names in the music business.
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As he was being courted by Def Jam Recordings and Bad Boy Records, Jeezy said he signed contracts without input from a lawyer.
“Simultaneously, I negotiated two deals by myself. I didn’t even have a lawyer,” Jeezy explained. “Kevin Liles signed me to Def Jam, and he was on his way out and I didn’t know it, and Jay-Z became the new president. At the same time, I was doing the Bad Boys deal.”
The rapper told Uncensored the experiences in his past helped pave the way for a future with The Real co-host Jeannie Mai.
“Everything I did in life led me to her, and I feel it’s vice versa. One thing I can say is when you know, you just know,” he explained. “Mentally, you just know when you click with somebody.”
Jeezy’s interview marked the season finale of Uncensored. Previous episodes this season featured Lynn Whitfield, Anthony Hamilton, Swizz Beatz, Raven-Symoné, Kym Whitley, Loretta Devine, Bebe Winans and Tommy Davidson, who revealed he was abandoned by his mother as a child.
The series is produced for TV One by Eric Tomosunas, Keith Neal, James Seppelfrick, Robert A. Boyd lll, Paul Hall (Executive Producers), Jay Allen (Co-Executive Producer), Nikki Byles (Producer of Swirl Films), Tony L. Strickland, Jawn Murray (Producer) and Kellon Akeem (Talent Producer).
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