Granger Smith calls this unlikely. And Lathan Warlick says he used to feel the same way.
So when the two singers did agree to come together for this new official collaboration, they both shared their sentiments about the backstory and the outcome on Instagram.
Smith, a country-as-they-come country singer, tells the story of how he first discovered Christian rapper Warlick and how the new version of “That’s Why I Love Dirt Roads” came to be. Granger’s wife Amber showed him Warlick’s Instagram and he was hooked. And then in a move that’s become kind of a new normal, Smith sent Warlick a message via Instagram. “This dude, through his own path, has pulled the layers back on life and sees things in a new way with truth, integrity and God first,” Smith wrote. “I only hope that one day I can see as clearly as he does.”
And then Warlick echoed that story with his own on Monday (June 8). “If you would have told me last year that I would be connecting with a country singer to create something so amazing I would’ve told you to get out of here lol!! When Granger Smith reached out to me on Instagram the immediate connection and love was there automatically,” Warlick wrote. “After a couple of text messages and getting to know each other more, out of the blue he sent me this song and asked me did I wanna be apart of it. God wouldn’t even let me fix my mouth to say no. Not even knowing that a month later we would be witnessing the riots and the movements that are going on right now as we speak!
“God’s plan for the song was already in play to help bring unity and love.”
Warlick’s rap over the song includes lyrics like, You never know what to expect or what’s coming next when riding them dirt roads, the gravel and dust might throw you off if I’m ready or not, only God knows/It’s hard trynna hold it together when I lost a couple of people along the ride/Wish I could roll back the hands on a clock just to tell ’em “I love you” just one more time.
Smith co-wrote the original tune with Chris DeStefano, Bradley Rempel and Jon Nite.
And Warlick may not do these collaborations with country artists often (or ever), but his Instagram is full of his takes on songs from artists like Adele, Lauren Daigle, Maroon 5, Post Malone, Selena Gomez and more.
