T.I. has led a life that most rappers only talk and rhyme about, and just are not really built for. Since the self proclaimed King Of the South has put his most recent legal troubles behind him, he has seemed to keep a relatively low profile in terms of altercations in the streets. But don’t let the television portrayal fool you – that side of T.I. we all know as “Tip” is still alive and well, in doses.
Word on the street is T.I. allegedly pulled a knife on a man who played his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris a little too close at a Washington DC club during an after party for the “America’s Most Wanted” tour over the weekend. A reality show, T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle, has softened his image in the public thanks to its focus on fatherhood, the “ASAP” rapper is not to be played for a chump.
While the dust has yet to settle on what the facts are surrounding this alleged club incident, let these following examples serve as reminders of why T.I. isn’t the one to test.
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Photo: Reuters
Remember Lil’ Flip? Apparently in 2004 he had some choice words about T.I.’s self coronation of the “King Of The South” title during a show in Atlanta and naturally it got back to the Rubber Band Man. This sparked a back and forth diss beef that eventually got physical when T.I. showed up in Flipper’s home town of Cloverland, Texas looking for war. Their two crews got into it but thankfully J. Prince of Rap A Lot Records brought both parties together to squash it before it got more serious.
Photo: MTV
So you’re in jail but you get a pardon for a couple of days to conduct some approved business namely a concert. You spend one of those jail free days to film an unapproved video of yourself in a different jail. Yes – T.I. did this in 2004. Golly he’s gully.
At the height of the T.I. and Shawty Lo beef, both rappers were billed to appear at the 2008 Dirty Awards. To no surprise both were crew deep at the event. Naturally some taunting ensued during their respective performances and someone from Lo’s camp promptly caught a fade (see 2:30 mark) by T.I.’s one time Grand Hustle muscle Alfamega. In an ironic twist of events, T.I. dropped all affiliation with Alfamega due to his DEA informant past and Shawty Lo is now T.I’s next door neighbor – go figure.
Video: Gyant
During the Ludacris and T.I. rivalry, the King happened to see Luda’s manager Chaka Zulu at a Kevin Liles hosted “Make It Happen” pre-Grammy luncheon. Words were exchanged and T.I. made it happen in his own Atlanta way by allegedly sucker punching Chaka. Later on at the Grammy’s T.I. apologized and made nice with the entire Disturbing Tha Peace organization.
Photo: MTV
In 2007 T.I. was arrested on federal gun charges hours away from closing the BET Hip-Hop Awards. While it is common for rappers to carry protection, T.I. was looking to buy three unregistered machine guns, silencers and more. After the arrest police searched his Atlanta home only to find even more guns. A big no-no for a convicted felon. T.I. was sentenced to a year and a day.
Photo: MTV
While serving time his year and a day for attempting to purchase machine guns, rumors started circulating that T.I. might have worked with the police to receive that surprisingly light sentence. Even in prison cellmates were trying to put a snitch jacket on him which T.I. did not take to kindly to. He ended up fighting a fellow prisoner to protect his name.
Audio: Howard Stern
After being released for his gun conviction, his royal highness, his wife and a friend were busted in Los Angeles for possession of marijuana and ecstasy pills. At the time T.I. was on probation which sent him right back to prison. If he gave that little consideration to the consequences of his actions, it might make you rethink cutting that diss record going at him.
Before T.I. became a full fledge rapper, he was really running the street as a youngster. At the age of 18 he was convicted of manufacturing and distributing crack cocaine in 1997. Apparently he wasn’t kidding on Trap Musik.
Photo: Down South
While shopping at the University Mall in Tampa Florida, Tha King and his entourage were asked to leave the premises for rowdy behavior. The mall cops called in for back up when the Grand Hustle team did not leave. Once the police arrived things got a bit messy and T.I. assaulted a female sheriff. Tip was convicted battery of a law enforcement officer and violating probation.
Around this time last year a teenage boy had some slick talk directed at his daughter on Instagram and the King publicly laid down the law in an ebonic fueled threat that made it abundantly clear that T.I. doesn’t play when it comes to his family.
