After creating a buzz online and in the streets, Trae Tha Truth announced Wednesday (February 29) that he has aligned himself with T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records.

"We been potnas for a long time," Trae told XXLMag.com about the move. "Everything is about timing. I had a whole bunch of different people looking at me, with my situation. Me and bro chopped it up, and one thing that was said which kind of pushed me to go with it, he told me, 'Man, you been doing this shit for a long time. I want to see you successful. I want to see you make it. Even if you don't come over here with me, I'm still gonna go to war and go to bat for you.' Being the real type of cat I am, I feel like that right there says a lot. He not trying to change nothing I got going on. Me and him [are] more of teammates. He put his input, I put my input; at the end of the day if we agree or don't agree, we still gonna keep pushing."

The logistics and details of the deal are still up in the air, but Trae says that paperwork isn't the reason that he and T.I. joined forced.

"We haven't really spoke in depth [about the specifics of the deal]," he continued. "We actually did more of a label thing. So it's Grand Hustle/A.B.N. It's about getting in there and making powerful music. That's going to speak for itself. We really gonna start loading up the ammunition, so whenever we decide to fire off, it'll be all in one motion."

The Houston native knows that Tip has to focus on his own album, Trouble Man, as well as B.o.B and Iggy Azalea, but he says he isn't worried.

"I'm not in a rush," the raspy-voiced rhymer said, acknowledging the other projects that will be getting The Kang's attention. "I'm pretty sure if I'm ready to move, I'd have full support. But right now, I'm finna build the records, because I feel like a representation of Houston to the fullest, and a representation of Texas to the fullest, so I gotta make my city and my state proud. I'm actually gonna take my time. Don't get it twisted, I got a couple of albums in the vault with [songs with] everybody. But I want to start from scratch."

Still, fans can expect to continue to hear from Trae consistently. Not only were he and T.I. in the studio all last week, but he also is getting ready to release the video for his star-studded posse cut "I'm On 2.0," and his A.B.N. Renegadez will be dropping their album Welcome 2 the Streets on March 27. Plus, yesterday, he released the IAmTrae app, available on the Android and iPhone, which includes Trae's UStream, music, all his video, bios, news and more.

"After my brother Clip died [in November], may he rest in peace, I kind of shut down," Trae admitted. "I wasn't doing nothing. And then I came out with the King of the Streets Freestyles [mixtape], and the shit went everywhere. I feel like he can be somewhere proud. I'm not gonna say he can be all the way proud, 'cause I still got a long way to go before I can actually say I got a victory. When I get that victory, I know I'll be making him proud." —Adam Fleischer (@adamxxl)

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