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T.I. may be a megastar rapper, accomplished actor, clothing designer and any other accolade you want to gloss his ego with, but he’s also a father, a role model and Black man living in America like millions of other citizens.

So while common middle class issues may not affect him directly, don’t ever allow yourself to believe that he’s so far removed from his people that he doesn’t have an instant opinion on current events.

The Atlanta mainstay has been closely monitoring the situation in Ferguson, MO in the aftermath of the Michael Brown shooting and he delivered an open letter to the country that is just as poignant as one of his reality raps.

The full statement:

Look at us….America has created a monster. The result of ignoring & mishandling an already fragile spirited, recently enslaved, presently oppressed race/generation of people. Look at us. We’re the monster that now refuses to be dismissed, overlooked and ignored. We were brought to this place, unaware of our own cultures, religion & traditions therefore, we created our own. Now look at us.

For years we’ve been crying out for the nation to address the substandard education systems & disparaging treatment of our citizens in communities across America. Our people have had an increasing lack of opportunities for generations. There have been homes broken, lives shattered and futures lost on your watch….unanswered. Look at us. How long can u expect a nation/race/generation of people to be blatantly disrespected? Spoken to and treated with arrogant tones of insignificance. Our fathers, uncles, brothers and role models were killed and imprisoned more often than educated. Now look at us. Our friends and relatives murdered and cast aside without thought, as though your human life is more valuable than ours. How long can that go on without consequence? Now Look at us.

How long can u continue to pass the buck & make excuses of why u can’t do today what should have been done yeste-year? Although I DO NOT support the negative responses & actions of my people in light of this tragedy….I WILL NOT condone your lack of effort to show any urgency to improve the treatment of our people, nor the living conditions in our communities. Your refusal to address these life altering issues makes events such as these seem inevitable. Although I too am at fault to a degree and I admit that I may not have all da answers… I do have a fun fact for you. Insanity is…Going about things the same way, expecting a different result. U wanna different result? U must take different action. What else do u expect? Look at us!!!

Clifford “T.I.” Harris

Rapper, Actor, CEO, Father

The Kang joins the likes of Nelly, Wale, J. Cole and many more Hip-Hop personalities who have all shed light on the controversial murder off an unarmed Black teenager at the hands of a white police officer.

Photo: Instagram/T.I.