Rapper Boosie Badazz reunited with his childhood best friend Derrick Jackson Jr. in Detroit after 31 years apart, capping a search that began with an Instagram Reel and ended with the two racing down water slides together.

Boosie, born Torrence Hatch in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was in Detroit to perform at the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre as part of his national tour, "Boosie Badazz & Friends: Blues on the River V." The tour stop turned into something more personal when he tracked down Derrick, whom he had not seen since they were children Billboard.

The two attended Wildwood Elementary together in Baton Rouge before Derrick moved to Michigan roughly three decades ago. The separation stretched to 31 years, according to posts on Instagram documenting the reunion.

The search went public in the weeks before the reunion. Boosie posted an Instagram Reel showing himself drafting an email to his long-lost friend, asking followers for feedback on what to say. Derrick spotted the video and left a comment with laughing emojis, telling Boosie to get in touch and identifying himself as "Derrick Jackson Jr on Facebook" Billboard.

The Instagram account DetroitRapDaily published a follow-up with Derrick, who shared the reply message he would have sent to Boosie's email. From there, the reunion came together fast.

Boosie documented the reunion in a series of Instagram posts. One video shows him pulling up to Derrick's house. Another captures the two racing each other down slides at Slick City Action Park, an indoor action park. Derrick, who also goes by the nickname "D-Jack," appeared alongside Boosie throughout the footage Billboard.

What makes the story land is its simplicity. No album rollout, no marketing campaign — just a rapper who used his platform to find a friend he lost touch with in elementary school, and a friend who happened to be scrolling Instagram at the right moment. The water-park footage says the rest.

Boosie's "Blues on the River V" tour continues across the United States.