The old and the new, the personal and the public, the smile and the scowl - T.I. has navigated these splits in his personality for years. After a year filled with personal tragedy, he slows down to talk to Benjamin Meadows-Ingram about all of it - and about getting to know himself just a little bit better.
T.I. vs. T.I.P. drops today, July 3. What follows is a never-before-published excerpt from our August 2007 interview, exclusively on VIBE.com.
What about your work excites you? Does production excite you, does acting excite you, does making music -
Winning excites me. Being able to win, put myself in position to win. Making good moves. Doing good deals. You know, business.
Is it always a financial thing or can it be more abstract?
You know when you've made a good move. Everybody knows when they made a good move. Everybody knows their minimum has been reached or their maximum has been reached in certain deals, situations, or scenarios. If I reach a situation where I maxed out its potential, I won.
Do you enjoy being famous?
Nah, not so much.
Sick of it?
Naw, it ain't that I'm sick of it I just don't enjoy it as much
As much as you used to?
Naw I don't enjoy it as much as I enjoy making music, what got me in it in the first place. I love making music but the fame shit I didn't really account for and I don't enjoy it as much as I enjoy making music.
You were never like, "I'm gonna be famous and that's gonna be a good thing."
I mean -
Or was it more like once you got here you were like, "Holy shit, this shit fucking sucks."
Kind of. Yeah, kinda. I mean, you catch privileges here and there, you catch perks. You have fringe benefits here and there, financial gain here and there, and then you just deal with the bullshit in between.
I would think the money is obviously the draw.
Nah. You can get money other ways, you can get money elsewhere. And even you can be famous…it's the fame of a rapper. It's rap fame [that's difficult].
What do you mean?
Denzel Washington don't have the same problems as me.
But he can't go anywhere either.
Shiiit, Denzel Washington don't have the same problems.
In what way?
People approach him differently. I mean in doing American Gangster together, we was in Harlem. All the while he was out there I was out there. His security never got surrounded. Like the people that go above and beyond the ramifications of being a fan at a young age like 13, they don't really care about Denzel. They know him, but, you know.
And they don't know how to be people yet so they get fucking crazy.
Yeah, so they minds are blown by this person being in front of them so they don't know how to act. And more people that don't know how to act approach me than they do Denzel. That's what I mean.
Like the world asks for everything from you but with Denzel, they don't ask for all of it. You see that with pop stars. It's almost like people want to take pieces of you home with them.
Like cut a piece off of me. Yeah I don't know what's up with folks, people crazy. Like, it's something missing from people's lives. And they looking at us to fulfill it. Aiight, I guess. I thought you just bought the album just 'cause you liked the song. I don't know what people expect for you to extend to them and not make yourself suffer. It's like, if I'm here with my kids, right, and the only time I don't got to spend with my kids all week, all month or whatever, I break away from that to spend all this time with you for whatever reason. . . if you really a fan and you care like you say, why don't you care about me missing out on [my family] to do this? And if not, then you're not as much of a fan as you think you are, you just selfish. A lot of times you have to break it down to people to where they understand it and you know sometimes people are assholes. People are just stupid, don't know no better. Can't even see past they nose so it's kind of like talking to a brick wall.
Does the fame make you crazy?
Maybe. I mean, shit,I don't know what sane or crazy is. They say it's a thin line between brilliance and insanity. Who's to say what's sane and what's crazy? Who's to say what we call crazy and insane and vice versa? Who knows? I feel fine. If I feel crazy, then I should worry.
How do you think you're doing about what Diana Ross said about keeping a part of you for yourself?
I think I could do better. I think I could do better. You know I wanna do whatever people ask me to do even if I don't wanna do it I wanna find a way some how to compromise you know. I wanna do something. If you ask me to do something I'm gonna try to do something. Even if I'm not doing what you want me to be doing I'm gonna try to do something. You know, sometimes even I shouldn't do that. But whatever my heart say do that then I do it.
What is your biggest regret?
I don't waste time with regrets. It made me what I am today whatever it was it made me what I am today. Why would I regret it? You know, I wouldn't be this if I wasn't... if I didn't do that. Finally going through that no matter how painful it was I wouldn't be the same person I am right here today.
To find out what T.I. says about his girlfriend Tiny, being a father to six children, and the passing of his best friend, pick up VIBE's August 2007 issue, on stands July 10.
July 03, 2007 @ 11:31 am
MY ALBUM'S OUT: T.I.
T.I. speaks on fame, winning and his regrets. Unpublished excerpts from our T.I. cover story.
del.icio.us
digg
Furl
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Previous: Fan Mail 2.0Page printed from:
http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2007/07/albums_out_tip/
Comments
1.
mitm says:
YAY T.I!!!!!!!!!
WOT CAN I SAY? HOT LOOKS AND HOT RAPS
MWAH X X X XX X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
September 22, 2007 at 2:42 pm
2.
ANTHONY CHRISTIAN GRAF says:
HEY TI WHAT'S UP I'M'VERY INTERERSTED IN SIGNING TO YOUR RAP LABEL I AM ALSO A HUGE HUGE FAN OF YOUR MUSIC. I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT TO MOVE TO ATLANTA COULD YOU BURN ME A CD OF YOUR ALBUM OF TI VS TIP FOR MY BIRTHDAY IS COMING UP OMN OCTOBER 2ND I WOULD GLADLY APPREACIATE IT. ONE LOVE
September 11, 2007 at 1:08 pm
3.
Edgar M Wwaluswa says:
T.I is okey.
July 30, 2007 at 7:56 am
4.
DeVanaire Norman says:
I love me some t.i. i just think these rappers can show the fans some more the love by havin free concerts and not just in their home town and coming to see other fans but King Of The SOuth allday I LOVE YOU
July 12, 2007 at 10:46 pm
5.
stip harris says:
well i jst wana dat.ti i lyk u so much,i need u 2 b ma ni***r.ppo col me ti becoz i lyk u.kip it up big bro.ma email is safirissy@yahoo.co.uk.UR DA BEST.......
July 10, 2007 at 6:11 pm
6.
Ebony (Black) says:
Fame and stardum, T.I. you make it sound like if you did't have it, you would be a much happier guy. Define happiness in your words is a question the interviewer should have asked. Don't get me wrong, Biggie said it best,"more moneymore problems." However, if you didn't have the fans that you put your work out there for, would you be happier living your common Trap-Life trying to make ends meet like the rest of us? What? By the way, you sure do look happy and like life is better than good on the front cover of this VIBE MAGAZINE that I'm holding!
Hey I got rap skill, I'll trade ya.
Houston Texas. Find Me.
July 10, 2007 at 4:21 pm
7.
mike Rich says:
Hey Tip, hold ya head up. u said it best: "all da haters keep hatin, but u wastin ya time." Much respect my nigga. from an old friend.
July 10, 2007 at 3:45 pm
8.
MURIEL says:
I'M SO TIRED OF THESE RAPPER COMPLAINING ABOUT FAME AND FANS. IF YOU DIDN'T WANT IT WHY DID YOU START ?PLEASE STOP CRYING! THERE ARE SO MANY MORE PEOPLE THAT WOULD WELCOME IT ALL ..MONEY ,FAME, PAIN.IF IT SO HARD TO HANDLE AND PEOPLE ARE SO CRAZY GIVE IT UP
July 9, 2007 at 12:01 pm
9.
Shamica says:
Anybody that knows me knows that i love Mr. Harris, and aside from all the fame. In this interview u can tell that he is getting fed up with the fame, and its mishaps. He's right about some of these fans out here they go ballistic. Jus keep ya head up man!!!
July 8, 2007 at 1:47 pm
10.
Davon Johnson says:
I have to admit that T.I. is doing his thing. I personally think or should I say know that T.I. is one of the realest rappers alive. He is just like everyone else on this earth; doing what they have to do to get where they want to be. All I have to say is do what you have to do to get where you want to be. And who ever give him his interview need to learn how to ask good questions instead of irrelevant bullshit. I could have ask extremely good questions than that. Whoever did it made me what to go to school for journalism because those was some improper questions to ask.
July 7, 2007 at 10:39 pm
11.
Tatyana says:
I was just reading the article I guess u was was being interviewed and You was talking about how Tameka "Tiny" Cottle was your girlfriend for six years and she gave birth to your youngest son "King" and to a still born babygirl. I would like to know did it feel to lose daughter?
July 7, 2007 at 6:04 pm
12.
Princess says:
I like all your songs
July 7, 2007 at 1:22 pm
13.
naynay says:
I LUV T.I./AND HIS ALBUM T.I.VST.I.P. I LUV U TIP AND CANT WAIT FOR U 2 COME 2 DC
July 6, 2007 at 6:56 pm
14.
Salym says:
Hi,T.I i love your style you rap,and the way you are, well.. but my commet is firstly i want to know t.i meaning, then a full name of t.i over...
July 5, 2007 at 2:06 am
15.
Salym says:
well.. my commet is firstly i want to know t.i meaning, then a full name of t.i over...
July 5, 2007 at 2:00 am
16.
Salym says:
well.. my commet is firstly i want to know t.i meaning then a full name of t.i over...
July 5, 2007 at 2:00 am
17.
nicole says:
MUAH!! I LUV U TI! I KNOW THIS ALBUM IS GON BE HOT, I'LL BE GRABBIN UP MY COPY...TINY JUST DON'T KNOW HOW GOOD SHE GOT IT.
July 4, 2007 at 5:36 am
18.
Brianna Woodward says:
I LIKE THE ARTICLE, BECAUSE I LOVE T.I. VERY MUCH AND I KNOW A LITTLE MORE ABOUT HIM THAT I DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE THE ARTICLE.
July 3, 2007 at 3:44 pm