Before 2 Chainz became the superstar recording artist he is today, the Atlanta native was a member of Playaz Circle, a duo signed to Ludacris' once prosperous record label Disturbing Tha Peace. In order to become a solo artist, however, 2 Chainz first had to get out from under his existing record deal.

In a recent interview with Joe Budden and DJ Akademiks on episode 136 of their daily YouTube show Everyday Struggle, 2 Chainz revealed what he had to do in order to leave his original label home and how much it cost him to escape the deal.

"I just woke up and said, 'I don't want to do it,'" 2 Chainz said. "They told me, 'You just can't leave like that.' He said some shit about Puffy and Mase. And I said, 'This ain't no Puffy and Mase.' And then I had to find me a lawyer, and then I ended up getting out [of the deal]. I had to pay him $100k per album, and I think, some other little, like a point, which to me, I've made $100k so many times, it was a pretty good deal to get out of it."

It's true you cannot put a price tag on creative freedom, especially in the record industry, and 2 Chainz betting on himself is proof that, if you believe in yourself and your talents, your investment will pay off in the long run.

Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, the fourth solo studio album of 2 Chainz' post-DTP career, is scheduled for release next Friday, June 16, via Def Jam.