'Full circle moment': Pusha T and Pharrell channel childhood friendship into business venture
Hip-hop star Pusha T and his childhood friend Pharrell Williams, the acclaimed musician, producer and entrepreneur, both grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Their decades-long friendship predates fame and has endured through years of creative collaboration in music, business ventures and personal milestones.
The pair are teaming up to channel their lifelong friendship and partnership into "Grindin'," a coffee brand that's a nod to an early-morning ritual that fueled their studio sessions in Miami while recording "It's Almost Dry," Pusha T's fourth studio album, in 2022.
"It started in the studio. Our studio sessions start really early in the morning, at like 5 a.m.," Pusha T, whose legal name is Terrence Thornton, told ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis.
He recalled meeting Williams as a teenager and riding through the streets of Virginia Beach on their bikes.
"Since [we were] kids, we've always gotten up super early," he added.
Pusha T said that during the COVID-19 pandemic he stayed with Williams in Miami, where they worked together early in the mornings and coffee was their "fuel."
"We'd get up, we'd hit the black coffee or just hardest espresso pod we could find ... but that was like our fuel," he said. "With that being the case, we were like, man, you know what? This is our morning get up and go. It was very task driven in our usage. And we just put our heads together."
Asked how they decided on the selection of beans and blends, Pusha T said it was based on their "personal taste." He also said that he and Williams travelled to countries like Italy, where they sampled different coffee beans to help inform their decisions.
"We tried everything. We learned the different notes and so on and so forth. It was great," he said.
Pusha T won his first Grammy award in 2025 when "Chains and Whips," a collaboration with his older brother Malice, and the track, which was released under the duo's joint stage name Clipse, was produced by Williams.
"It was just a full circle moment for us. You know, we hadn't put out a project in 16 years," Pusha T said. "Just being back in the studio with Pharrell, myself and [Malice] just collectively, it was a great time. I think it sparked the nostalgia of our youth as well."
And now Pusha T and Williams, who is a creative force in hip-hop, R&B and pop music, have teamed up again to work on the rapper's upcoming solo album. Pusha T suggested that fans can expect "greatness" from the new album.
"Right now, we're just making music, putting a lot of stuff in the vault and just keeping it going," he said.
And when the music stops, Pusha T said that he is "a real dad" and his kids with wife Virginia -- 6-year-old Nigel and 5-month-old Noah -- are "the most inspiring thing" about him.
"It's so good, man," he said. "Nigel's playing tennis, Noah's just scooting across the bed. I mean it's what I live for."
ABC News' Sara Avery contributed to this report.
