Before 2 Chainz became a Grammy-winning hip hop icon, he was Tauheed Epps, a high-achieving student facing expulsion under a zero tolerance drug policy. One teacher's letter changed everything. In this raw and powerful conversation, the multi-platinum artist sits down with David Begnaud to share the person who believed in him when his future hung in the balance.

2 Chainz opens up about the moment in his senior year when he got into trouble, lost his basketball scholarship offers, and faced permanent expulsion from school. That's when Miss Love, his college prep geometry teacher, stepped in and wrote a letter to the school board with one simple plea: Don't throw this child's life away. Give him a second chance.

2 Chainz talks about growing up in a family where hustling was generational, how he broke that cycle for his own children, and why he believes the voice in his head is God. He shares street lessons that still guide him today, the mistakes that became his superpower, and why he's grateful for every closed door that led him here. There's also an unforgettable moment when David surprises him with a live call to Miss Love, and she reveals something even 2 Chainz didn't know about the impact he had on her.

If you've ever felt like your past defined your future, or wondered whether one person's belief could really change everything, this episode will remind you that resilience isn't about avoiding the storm. It's about staying out of the graveyard and out of jail long enough to see another day. And sometimes, that's all you need.

Chapters ☀️

Chapters

• 00:00:00 2 Chainz: A Story of Belief
• 00:01:14 The Letter That Changed Everything: Miss Love's Second Chance
• 00:03:14 Senior Year Trouble: When Everything Almost Fell Apart
• 00:07:04 The Night Before: When His Mother's Intuition Tried to Warn Him
• 00:09:43 Six Letters of Support and One That Stood Out
• 00:13:27 The Surprise Call: Reconnecting with Miss Love in Real Time
• 00:18:30 The Voice in My Head is God: Learning to Trust Intuition
• 00:21:52 Women as Superheroes: The Intuition 2Chainz Had to Learn
• 00:33:54 From Titty Boy to 2Chainz: The Origin of an Iconic Name
• 00:36:17 Environment vs Choice: What Really Determines Success
• 00:40:13 Street Lessons That Still Guide Him: Trust, Paranoia, and Survival
• 00:41:02 What You Have to Unlearn: From Cash to Credit
• 00:47:49 Breaking Generational Chains: From Bootleg to Legacy
• 00:55:10 Stay Out the Graveyard, Stay Out of Jail: Advice for the Youth
• 00:56:59 The Person Who Believed in Me: Miss Love

ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
The Person Who Believed In Me is hosted by David Begnaud, founder and CEO of Do Good Crew and often called "America's storyteller." In each episode, David sits down with world-class guests to ask one simple question: Who believed in you before the world did? Big names. Honest stories. Relatable takeaways. Different paths — same question.

David is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly segment Beg Knows America, which airs every Monday morning.

Get more stories that remind you the world is still good. Sign up for our free newsletter: www.thedogoodcrew.com

Thank you to Canva for believing in the power of storytelling and helping us bring this podcast to life: https://canva.com

Host: David Begnaud

Guest: 2 Chainz

Executive Producer: Olivier Delfosse

Associate Producer: Jonah Johnson

Booker: Sully Bloch

Director of Social: Mariah Maull

Director of Photography: Foster Parks

Audio Engineers: Joseph Gabay, Will Whitley

Post-Production: Longwave Digital

Theme Music: Slipstream

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The Person Who Believed In Me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/believedpodcast