T.I. Brings Lil Wayne Back To New Orleans For 'Ball' Video

No doubt about it, Lil Wayne is a Louisianimal. But the global rap superstar hasn't been back to his native New Orleans in quite some time. Credit his pal T.I. with getting Weezy back to his old 'hood to shoot a video for Tip's new video for "Ball," which premieres Monday night (October 22) at 11:30 p.m. ET on VH1.

"It was weird, because we shot it in my 'hood, and he shot it in some spots that I hadn't been in so long," Wayne told MTV News on Thursday of his and Tip's upcoming clip.

For the song, which will be on T.I's upcoming Trouble Man LP, due December 18, the King of the South enlisted producer Rico Love, who channeled the spirit of Mannie Fresh's bounce-inspired work during Cash Money's early days. "I'm a good-looking rapper, I ain't tryna stunt/ I'mma fire my blunt like Donald Trump," Weezy F. spits, using his old 1999 rap style.

In order to capture a complimentary visual vibe, T.I. and Weezy trekked to the N.O. and shot a guerrilla-style video like the good old days of Birdman's storied label, when they churned out visuals for Southern classics like "Ha," "Tha Block Is Hot" and "Respect Us."

Nowadays, Wayne resides in Miami, so going back to the place that made him famous was quite the experience. "To just even be back in those spots was crazy and just to have that old atmosphere back, that old Cash Money, shooting videos with the whole 'hood out there, the whole city out there," Weezy said. "Just to know that still exists even now, that was awesome."

What do you think of T.I. and Lil Wayne's latest collaborati! on? Let us know in the comments!