T.I. vs. T.I.P.
Grammy Award-winning rapper, T.I., born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. seems to have done it again. After many fans accepted his “humble” apology for getting into an altercation with rival Ludacris’ manager just days before his big night at the BET Awards, T.I.P. decided to have a July bout.
While performing at an ESPY pre-party last Tuesday, a fan threw a cup onstage, which infuriated the self-proclaimed “King of the South” to jump off stage and confront the fan. In an effort to keep his hands clean, T.I. hit the culprit with the microphone, bloodying the man.
T.I.’s latest July incident follows an altercation that he got into with rapper Ludacris’ manager, Chaka Zulu at a luncheon called "Make It Happen" aimed at power brokers with actress Holly Robinson Peete as the guest of honor. Classy, huh? Days later, while he was accepting his BET Award for Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, he apologized for the altercation, but mainly blamed it on his “alter ego,” T.I.P.
“On behalf of my partner T.I.P., I want to apologize for what happened the other day. They say there’s a fine line between brilliance and insanity.”In case you’re confused, T.I. declares that he has an alter ego, T.I.P. that often battles with T.I.
Apparently, T.I. is a calm, cool, collected businessman who can mingle with Hollywood stars and fashion and music moguls. T.I.P. is the crazy side that you’d see fighting outside of a club.
All this fantasy sounds great for onstage freestyle battles with himself to show the fans how versatile his style can be.
It should do wonders for his latest album, T.I vs. T.I.P., which instantly topped the charts when it was released earlier this month. He even got some praise for being a man and owning up to his immaturity in that half-assed apology on stage at the BET Awards.
Now that he’s assaulted a thoughtless and angry fan at an ESPY’s pre-show concert, it’s becoming clear that his “T.I.P.” persona is simply a front to hide the irate person that he really is. I’m hoping he decides to keep the whole, “T.I.P vs. T.I.” excuse for the stage, since a judge in a real court won’t care what comic book hero he’s trying to be before sentencing. These fights are an obvious pattern of constant loss of control which is bound to escalate. Are we to expect a shooting next month when someone talks bad about his Momma?
His main success is primarily in music, but he also has his hands in acting and a clothing line. With these multiple endeavors taking off, someone needs to calm his ass down, and make him realize that fighting every month with the next man that doesn’t like him will only bring him down before he can be a complete success. We need proof that he can live up to his potential as one of the main players in the recent popular business of music, clothes, and acting.
Whether he likes it or not, T.I. is representing his industry which is increasingly under more scrutiny for its negative characteristics that keep playing out in real life just about everyday. He’s representing successful Black businessmen that appeal to a huge, adoring audience, ready to suck up all that he gives them. Everything he wants is sitting right in his lap, it’s just up to him to either continue to prove how tough he is (T.I.P.), or how smart he is (Clifford Joseph Harris Jr.)
Keep talking, it’s the only way they’ll ever hear you.--JJJ