Lil Yachty says his time in WWE is costing him money.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet on Tuesday, the rapper said his involvement with the company is driven by his love of pro wrestling, not the paycheck.
“It’s not for the money. I don’t want anybody thinking I’m getting some crazy check. I’m losing money doing this, but I love it. I love everything about this shit.”
“This is everything to me.”
Yachty didn’t say how much WWE pays him or how he calculates the loss. In the same interview, he said he paid for his own flights during the first few months of his run. WWE only started covering travel after that.
Yachty’s involvement started when he was invited to walk Trick Williams to the ring at WrestleMania 42. To avoid a cold cameo, he asked WWE to work him into SmackDown episodes beforehand and build a story with Williams on screen.
WWE liked what they saw. Yachty said Bruce Prichard offered him a contract during WrestleMania rehearsals. The terms haven’t been disclosed.
Since then, Yachty has been at Williams’ side through multiple feuds and has trained at the WWE Performance Center. He made his in-ring debut at Sunday Night’s Main Event on September 6 in Atlanta, surviving five minutes against Baron Corbin to earn Williams a rematch for the United States Championship.
Williams won back the title later that night. The feud carried over to the September 11 SmackDown, where Corbin attacked both Yachty and Williams.