T.I. wants to make it clear that while Lil Wayne pushes him to be better, he doesn't believe he's an influence on his artistry.
In a recent interview with DJ Whoo Kid, T.I. spoke about being a fan of Weezy and witnessing his growth from a very young age.
"I’m a Hot Boys fan," Tip said. "I sold brack to the Hot Boys. To see what he’s become and what he’s evolved into, it’s kind of like we always knew it. But to see it come to fruition is super dope. I think he’s definitely legendary."
When asked if Lil Wayne inspired him, T.I. shot that notion down immediately. "Excuse me?" he asked. "Hell no. He ain’t influence me. I ain’t said no shit like that."
After Whoo Kid chuckled, T.I. continued. "We do push each other," he said. "When I hear him do something dope, I say, okay, let me go so something doper. I think that’s what it takes to revolve and set the game on another level."
"I think Lil Wayne’s got his own lane and I think I got mine," the Hustle Gang leader concluded.
T.I.’s bold answer aligns with the same gusto with which he spoke about being able to battle anyone in a Verzuz match. "Can’t nobody fuck with me," he said during a Breakfast Club interview earlier this month. "I’ll go in the booth with anybody, I’ll walk out with the better verse. I go against anybody. I don’t give a damn who you got. Bring em on."
"Can’t fuck with me," T.I. continued. "Live performances. Hit for hit. There might be somebody people like better. Ok. That’s your opinion. But bottom line, can’t nobody fuck with me . Anybody who thinks that what I’m saying is some bullshit, line me up."
In November, T.I.’s son, King Harris, told the Trippin With Ty podcast that Lil Wayne could be the only rapper that his dad could go head-to-head with.