Before Verzuz went on a hiatus and names of potential contenders were still being thrown around, T.I. stepped up and challenged 50 Cent to the battle ring. His request was met with push back from many of the “Power” star’s fans, but he appeared to be unbothered.

During an interview with “The Breakfast Club,” he explained that he didn’t allow the negative comments to hold too much weight because he was aware that they were coming from people unfamiliar with his discography.

“The opinion is only as strong as the person it’s coming from. If I give you an opinion on something that I have absolutely no awareness of, then my opinion ain’t really valid. It ain’t even worth a lot, so you can’t give people with the least amount of information the most consideration,” T.I. explained.

“I think there’s a lot of people that weren’t even from the culture of trap music, wasn’t even from the culture of my generation speaking on it as though they had so much intel. There were people who said, ‘Who’s ever asked to put on T.I.?’ Yo mama. And that n*gga that thought enough of her to nut in her. That’s who said, ‘Let’s play some T.I.’ They only feel that way because in their young lives, what have I done beside from film or be on their television and social activism? What have I given them to actually bring them up to speed of who I am and what I do?” he continued, admitting that the commentary put “fire under” him and “nudged” him to make another musical contribution.

The Paper Trail rapper also used his experience with the Verzuz trolls to teach the youth a valuable lesson.

“Don’t let nobody talk you out of your victory,” he explained. “If you lose, let it be because you showed up and got beat. Don’t beat yourself [and] don’t let nobody else beat you with they opinion.”