According to Don Cannon, T.I.’s freestyle that later became Jeezy and JAY-“Go Z’s Crazy” was actually the inspiration for the song.
Cannon discussed how Tip contributed to the idea for Jeezy and Hov’s 2005 collaboration when appearing on Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion. The co-founder of Generation Now claims that although T.I recorded a freestyle over the rhythm and included it on his mixtape Down with the King, nothing else was done with it, which led to the Snowman stealing it.
“When I made the beat, ‘Go Crazy’ was his beat. I don’t know if everybody knew that,” Cannon said. “He freestyled on [DJ] Drama’s tape on it, but he really ain’t do nothing with it. And that led to Jeezy hitting me up later like, ‘What’s up with that beat?’ He cashed me out for it, you know.”
At Jeezy and DJ Drama’s Trap or Die release party, T.I.’s freestyle version was played at least “eight, nine” times, according to Cannon. Jeezy was mesmerized by the song and wasted no time in finding out more about the beat.
When T.I freestyled over the beat, the Philly native realized he had a special beat, but Jeezy elevated the situation when he revealed to Cannon that he had recruited JAY-Z to rhyme over it.
