If you want to know why hip-hop and country music blend so well together, look toward Florida Georgia Line.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The duo of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley crossed over into pop music with the 2012 song "Cruise," which was later remixed with rapper Nelly. The two then dominated radio with sun-splashed party favorites that expanded country music's reach.
But then, in 2022, Hubbard and Kelley announced that Florida Georgia Line would be going on an indefinite hiatus. While there have been stories and rumors about why the duo parted ways, Hubbard recently shared the real reason the partnership ended.
Tyler Hubbard Says Things Took a Turn During the Pandemic
On the podcast Human School, Tyler Hubbard talked to host Miles Adcox about the rumors surrounding Florida Georgia Line's breakup.
Hubbard said he thought things were fine between him and Kelley. However, during the pandemic, things weren't so great for him personally. Stress levels were high as Hubbard's wife had just given birth to their third child, and he was recovering from an ankle injury.
Then Hubbard received a text from Kelley with a new song attached.
"I said, 'I feel like it'd be a great Chesney pitch. You ought to send it to Chesney and see if he'd bite on it,'" said Hubbard. "And he said, 'Well, I did actually send it to Chesney. And he passed on it, which I'm taking as a sign.' And I said, 'Well, what sign for what?' And he said, 'Well, that I should do it.' And at that point, I'm like, 'What do you mean?'"
Hubbard recalled Kelley had discussed going solo before, but only in passing. He added that he felt the timing for him to go it alone seemed wrong, and told Kelley they should wait "five or ten more years."
Hubbard Told Kelley He Had to Make A Decision
Hubbard then spoke with Kelley further and realized that his partner wanted to "pursue a career change." He told Kelley he was willing to support him, but there was a boundary he wouldn't cross.
"I'm not willing to do Florida Georgia Line and then have a direct competitor that's my partner doing the same exact thing," Hubbard explained. "I also told him, 'I don't think I deserve 50% of you if I'm willing to give a hundred.'"
Kelley decided to leave. Hubbard says he wishes he had handled things differently, such as when he unfollowed Kelley on Instagram.
"When it happens publicly, and you get millions of people to weigh in on it, I think it compounds the pressure and the stress," said Hubbard. "It gets people further in their corners. It's kind of what we're seeing out in culture right now. And whereas two guys who came together and created some magic and decided to go a different direction and try to create some new magic, there had to be a bigger, darker story there.
"There's not a good guy, bad guy, which everyone wants to do that on the internet... [Kelley] stuck to his convictions and led with his gut and decided to make a decision based on his passion. I set a boundary."
You can watch more of Hubbard's conversation below.
