T.I. ‘King’ - The Ruler Returns
Artist:
T.I.
You didn’t listen to him when he told you he was an Urban Legend. But now the King is back and he’s got the sales and the No. 1 spot to prove it.
Words by Hattie Collins
It’s three days before an incident in Cincinnati that we talk to T.I. As ever, he’s cool, calm, collected and thoughtful. In just 72 hours though, his life will be turned upside-down when his personal assistant and long-time friend Philant Johnson will be shot dead, for reasons as yet unknown. Three other people will also be injured in a roadside shoot-out after an after-hours party that Tip had just left after performing a few tracks. Unsurprisingly, it’s hit him badly. “I ain’t never done anything this hard,” he said, during a eulogy at his friend’s funeral.
But right now, he’s blissfully unaware of how life is about to take a horrible change for the worse. Right now, in fact, life is great for the man born Clifford Harris. Mind you, he tells RWD success does come at a cost. “They say when you reach superstar status, people want to talk about what you doing, even when they don’t know what you’re doing,” he says, referring to various rumours doing the rounds. Of course, when your fourth (and finest) album, King shoots to No. 1 in the Billboards, your film ATL takes $11.5million in its opening weekend and you’ve got everyone from Jay-Z to Will Smith shouting your name, you can expect a little chitter-chatter, right Tip? “Yeah,” he agrees good-naturedly. “The price of fame. I ain’t get into this for the star-studded Hollywood scene. I can be comfortable in it,” he admits. “But the ramifications of being famous, I ain’t into that. I think the stars are in the sky and people walk the streets.” While we’re on the subject of gossip, is it true he’s dumped former Xscaper Tiny (and mother to his son King), for Hoopz, some chick off a Flava Flav documentary? “It’s not true that I left one lady for another, no, that ain’t my style,” he states. “I don’t have no lady right now. You know, a lie don’t care who tell it, but you don’t justify a lie with the truth.” He’s also quick to insist that controversial track Talking To You isn’t addressed to former adversaries Ludacris and Lil Flip. “No, I’m not talking to any of those people of who you speak,” he smiles. “I stand on a certain side of the fence and anyone who goes against that, then I’m talking to you. If you rap or promote a certain way of life you ain’t willing to live then I’m talking to people like that,” he shrugs.
Scandal and lies aside, lets talk facts - namely the 500plus selling, hot-to-death new record. “I can’t say I was expecting the album to go like this, but I’m definitely appreciative. I can’t take 100% credit,” he adds quickly. “A lot of people worked long hours and went beyond the call of duty to make sure it had the best chance.” Lets not be too modest though Tip - it’s a tight album. During a London playback in March attended by the big dawg himself, DJs and tastemakers were going nuts for the Jamie Foxx featuring Live In The Sky and the Crystal Waters-sampling Why You Wanna. It’s intimate events like this, as well as movie ATL and hit single What You Know that have finally helped T.I. become the king he’s long claimed to be. “People needed to find out about it and when they found out, they found they liked it. When they find they liked it they told someone about it and that process repeated itself about 522,000 times over on one week,” he says of his super-big first week sales. Conscious of over-promo’ing himself, T.I insists on some serious talk before he goes. “I’m a real person with real problems; real issues and I live in a real world. A lot of people think because you have a certain level of success that you’re exempt from real life issues but nothing could be further from the truth.” If only he knew how true those words would soon ring. “Whatever obstacles life brings along to me I’ll deal with it,” he concludes philosophically. “I’m prepared for whatever life brings.”
Why You Wanna is out June 12th on Atlantic Records
T.I. Talks The Truth
What’s sexy to you?
Confidence.
What’s not?
Insecurity.
Proudest moment in your sexual history?
Probably conquering the room of six or seven women - with me being the only chap in the room! I’ve had exquisite experience!
Being from the ATL – what’s the best stunt you’ve ever seen a stripper do?
Man, I seen a lot. I done seen strippers smoke blunts outta their…origins (laughs)
How about the p*ssy-popping?
That’s quite the mouth you have there young lady! Oh yeah, when they make it look like it’s breathing.
That’s a good trick. They can stick water out there too, like that. Atlanta’s got the finest strippers, I tell you that.
RWD Magazine
You didn’t listen to him when he told you he was an Urban Legend. But now the King is back and he’s got the sales and the No. 1 spot to prove it.
Words by Hattie Collins
It’s three days before an incident in Cincinnati that we talk to T.I. As ever, he’s cool, calm, collected and thoughtful. In just 72 hours though, his life will be turned upside-down when his personal assistant and long-time friend Philant Johnson will be shot dead, for reasons as yet unknown. Three other people will also be injured in a roadside shoot-out after an after-hours party that Tip had just left after performing a few tracks. Unsurprisingly, it’s hit him badly. “I ain’t never done anything this hard,” he said, during a eulogy at his friend’s funeral.
But right now, he’s blissfully unaware of how life is about to take a horrible change for the worse. Right now, in fact, life is great for the man born Clifford Harris. Mind you, he tells RWD success does come at a cost. “They say when you reach superstar status, people want to talk about what you doing, even when they don’t know what you’re doing,” he says, referring to various rumours doing the rounds. Of course, when your fourth (and finest) album, King shoots to No. 1 in the Billboards, your film ATL takes $11.5million in its opening weekend and you’ve got everyone from Jay-Z to Will Smith shouting your name, you can expect a little chitter-chatter, right Tip? “Yeah,” he agrees good-naturedly. “The price of fame. I ain’t get into this for the star-studded Hollywood scene. I can be comfortable in it,” he admits. “But the ramifications of being famous, I ain’t into that. I think the stars are in the sky and people walk the streets.” While we’re on the subject of gossip, is it true he’s dumped former Xscaper Tiny (and mother to his son King), for Hoopz, some chick off a Flava Flav documentary? “It’s not true that I left one lady for another, no, that ain’t my style,” he states. “I don’t have no lady right now. You know, a lie don’t care who tell it, but you don’t justify a lie with the truth.” He’s also quick to insist that controversial track Talking To You isn’t addressed to former adversaries Ludacris and Lil Flip. “No, I’m not talking to any of those people of who you speak,” he smiles. “I stand on a certain side of the fence and anyone who goes against that, then I’m talking to you. If you rap or promote a certain way of life you ain’t willing to live then I’m talking to people like that,” he shrugs.
Scandal and lies aside, lets talk facts - namely the 500plus selling, hot-to-death new record. “I can’t say I was expecting the album to go like this, but I’m definitely appreciative. I can’t take 100% credit,” he adds quickly. “A lot of people worked long hours and went beyond the call of duty to make sure it had the best chance.” Lets not be too modest though Tip - it’s a tight album. During a London playback in March attended by the big dawg himself, DJs and tastemakers were going nuts for the Jamie Foxx featuring Live In The Sky and the Crystal Waters-sampling Why You Wanna. It’s intimate events like this, as well as movie ATL and hit single What You Know that have finally helped T.I. become the king he’s long claimed to be. “People needed to find out about it and when they found out, they found they liked it. When they find they liked it they told someone about it and that process repeated itself about 522,000 times over on one week,” he says of his super-big first week sales. Conscious of over-promo’ing himself, T.I insists on some serious talk before he goes. “I’m a real person with real problems; real issues and I live in a real world. A lot of people think because you have a certain level of success that you’re exempt from real life issues but nothing could be further from the truth.” If only he knew how true those words would soon ring. “Whatever obstacles life brings along to me I’ll deal with it,” he concludes philosophically. “I’m prepared for whatever life brings.”
Why You Wanna is out June 12th on Atlantic Records
T.I. Talks The Truth
What’s sexy to you?
Confidence.
What’s not?
Insecurity.
Proudest moment in your sexual history?
Probably conquering the room of six or seven women - with me being the only chap in the room! I’ve had exquisite experience!
Being from the ATL – what’s the best stunt you’ve ever seen a stripper do?
Man, I seen a lot. I done seen strippers smoke blunts outta their…origins (laughs)
How about the p*ssy-popping?
That’s quite the mouth you have there young lady! Oh yeah, when they make it look like it’s breathing.
That’s a good trick. They can stick water out there too, like that. Atlanta’s got the finest strippers, I tell you that.
RWD Magazine
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