Tee Grizzley on Going Bar-For-Bar With J. Cole, Working With Future, and His Upcoming Album ‘Post Traumatic’

Tee Grizzley is playing with house money.

It’s been nearly a decade since the Detroit rapper exploded onto the scene with his multi-platinum record “First Day Out ,” which quickly became an anthem for the formerly incarcerated. Tee has dropped a project—either an album or mixtape—every year since 2017. These projects have been met with varying success (his 2018 debut album, Activated, reached No. 10 on the Billboard charts, while his last album, Coney Island, peaked at No. 65). Despite having found success outside of rap in gaming, Grizzley always comes back to the mic because he still has more things to get off his chest.

“I wasn’t ever doing it for the money, you know what I’m saying? I wasn’t never in it for a check,” Grizzley told Complex. “I [do] this because I need somewhere to let this stuff out. I need a place to vent, I need a place to just connect to the people who can relate to me.”

Tee Grizzley’s upcoming album is called Post Traumatic, because it dives into the lessons the rapper has learned as a result of getting through difficult situations. The album is set to come out Friday, October 4th, and one of its lead singles, “Blow For Blow,’ finds Tee Grizzley going bar-for-bar with J. Cole. The song is backed by a Pierre Bourne beat that Cole chose and features the North Carolina rapper claiming to be “the GOAT just from features” while interpolating The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Mo Money Mo Problems” on the hook.

Cole has strung together an impressive run of features in September (“Ruby Rosary” with ASAP Rocky, “A Plate of Collard Greens” with Daylyt, and now “Blow For Blow”). But Grizzley holds his own. The Bourne production is not as buoyant as the beats that he usually raps on, but he’s still able to find a pocket that fits his flow and doesn’t just try to replicate Cole’s. Tee also says he never thought to change his verse after hearing Cole’s.

“I ain’t one of them artists that’s going to change my verse,” Grizzley said. “I feel how I feel about it, and this is what I really wanted to say. So when Cole sent his shit back and it’s overly crazy, I’m not changing my verses. I don’t look at it like I’m trying to outdo somebody. I’m trying to get thought off and my feelings off in this track. And no matter what nobody else do, this is how I think and how I feel.”

We caught up with the Detroit rapper to learn how “Blow For Blow” came together, what it’s like working with Future in the studio, and more details about Post Traumatic.

What made you decide to go with the name Post Traumatic?
That’s who I am. And I want to stand by the people who got that same type of trauma. I want to let them know that they ain’t the only ones. I want to let them know that you can still be successful even though you going through it, you feel me? And what that mean to me is like if you instant shit your whole life, right? It is normal to you. You can’t really be traumatized by it. But if you go through some shit your whole life and then are taken out of that situation and then got to be put back in that situation, that could traumatize you. 

You have a bar on “Swear to God” where you say that “All this shit I seen, got too much trauma, I need therapy.” Have you ever seriously considered trying therapy to help?
I’ve tried therapy one time for my trauma, but I’ve done therapy for other stuff. I’ve done marriage counseling, couples therapy and shit like that. But I ain’t never really did therapy for my trauma.

You connected with Future on “Swear to God.” What was something that surprised you about his recording process?
What surprised me is he don’t run out [of bars]. A lot of people be like, “All right, it’s time to go.” He could go. Nothing else really surprised me, I knew it was going to be a great experience. I look at Future as one of the greats.

You also tapped into a lot of soul samples on this album, like on “Blueprint” and “All I Wanna Do.” What made you want to go that direction with the production?
Because I knew what I wanted to talk about. My goal around this album…I want to give back. Especially in the Midwest where I come from, a lot of people is in need here and a lot of people don’t give back here. So I just wanted to run around and give back, and with those thoughts in mind, that’s what helped me come with those songs. I wanted you to feel it deep. I want a person to listen to that and feel like they need to go give something to somebody.

You said you’ve made six figures off gaming. What keeps you coming back to rap when you don’t really need it to sustain you financially?
I wasn’t ever doing it for the money, you know what I’m saying? I wasn’t never in it for a check. I [do] this because I need somewhere to let this stuff out. I need a place to vent. I need a place to just connect to the people who can relate to me.

How did you and J. Cole connect for “Blow for Blow?”
It’s crazy. When you talk about somebody processing how they work, J. Cole is somebody who the process means everything [to him]. Process mean everything, the energy mean everything. The vibe, if it ain’t right, it’s like “We can’t do it.” So it kind of took us a while because we had to find the right thing that was perfect for us to do. And once we found it, bro, I just knew it was the one, and I know that Cole is super talented, so I couldn’t half-step when it came to how I performed on the song. So I gave it my all.

When was the first time you met Cole?
We had met over FaceTime, and he was on tour with Drake at the time. I told him I’m going to pull up on him on the tour and come kick it with you. So I had pulled up on him in[Buffalo, New York] and that was our first time meeting in person, but we had been chopping it up on the phone.

When you recorded this, were you two together or did he send his verse?
He had sent it to me.

I’ve heard some artists have changed their verses after Cole sends his first. Did you change your verse at all after hearing his?
I ain’t one of them artists that’s going to change my verse. I feel how I feel about it, and this is what I really wanted to say. So when Cole sent his shit back and it’s overly crazy, I’m not changing my verses. I don’t look at it like I’m trying to outdo somebody. I’m trying to get thought off and my feelings off in this track. And no matter what nobody else do, this is how I think and how I feel. So there’s no point in me to change mines. I ain’t looking at this shit like a sport. I’m looking at this shit more like this is my life.

Why did you want to tap Pierre Bourne for this beat?
That was Cole’s direction. Bro damn near executive produced the song. It ain’t surprise me, bro. I had one goal in mind. I got to lock it here. That way when I send it to him, he’d be like, “Alright bet.” I just wanted to close approval on my verse, man. This is huge for me, bro. Cole is one of the artists where I definitely look as one of the greats.

It’s so easy working with Cole. It’s so crazy. You would take somebody like Cole and he could be so easy to work with, so humble and gracious, and you’ll run into these niggas that ain’t nowhere near his level and you got to chase these motherfuckers around. I don’t understand it.

How many albums do you have left?
I don’t even have a number on it. It’s an infinite amount. I definitely feel like I got a little second wind for sure.

What does success look like for you at this stage of your life and career
Success to me look like I want to do it, I don’t have to do it. I am comfortable, I’m cool. I have everything I need. You know what I’m saying? It is more blessings just coming in. I’m setting myself up to just be as secure as possible. So anything that I’m doing is because I want to do it. The energy I’m giving when I do stuff, you going to tell, “OK, he wanted to be there.” Some people have to be there.