The fine folks of Atlanta never cease to amaze me when it comes to their relentless celebrity worship. Last year, I told ya'll about two Atlanta area school systems that invited noted one hit wonder Yung Joc to speak to elementary school students about achievement. It didn't make much sense to me that in a city chock full of black entrepreneurs and professionals, the best representative of "achievement" that the school system could find was a guy best known for such lyrics as "meet me at the traaaap, it's goin' down", not to mention that idiotic motorcycle dance. On the bright side, at least he didn't use a vocoder.[1]
Well, eager to one-up each other, school systems and civil rights organizations, and various other bastions of impressionable youth are lining up to help (c)rapper T.I. serve his 1,000 hours of community service.
If T.I. will speak, people will listen. That was the reasoning behind the U.S. Attorney's Office plea deal with the enormously popular Atlanta rapper — giving him a reduced prison sentence but making him earn it by spending at least 1,000 hours over the next year preaching nonviolence to "at-risk youth."I don't just play a parent on TV, I'm actually one in real life. That said, I'm not a child psychologist. Perhaps one of my more enlightened readers can tell me if this sorta 'scared straight' public speaking that T.I. will engage in is proven to actually deter kids from a life of crime and inevitable punishment. My completely uneducated guess is 'no'.
Less than 24 hours after the highly publicized plea, requests for the rapper to speak have come rolling in, Steve Sadow, one of the rapper's lawyers, said Friday.
"The idea really is he can get through to kids and fans like nobody else can," Sadow said. "Why not take advantage of what may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?"
T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., pleaded guilty Thursday to three firearms violations charges. Under the advisory federal sentencing guidelines, Harris faced between 4 years and 9 months and 5 years and 11 months in prison. Instead, when he is sentenced in March 2009, he will be ordered to spend a year and a day in prison as long as he fulfills the obligations of his community service and stays out of trouble.
For community service, Harris will speak out in opposition to drugs, gangs and illegal and reckless gun use. He also must promote respect for law enforcement, according to the plea deal. Already, local district attorneys, a law enforcement group from Florida and a local NAACP chapter are among those asking for Harris' time, Sadow said.
I can just see T.I. pulling up (chauffeured of course) to Bankhead Middle School in a $400,000 car, draped in jewels, publicist and weedcarriers in tow, entering an auditorium full of giddy kids. He'll probably say something or other like "drugs are bad, stay in school, take your vitamins, blah blah blah", but inevitably, the whole thing will turn into typical idolatry. T.I. will sign and pass out promotional copies of his latest single "Thank God For Good Jewish Lawyers", pose for some flicks with kids and a wannabe cool assistant principal, and dip in less than an hour. And as he pulls away in his Maybach on the way back to his million dollar home, the kids won't think anything other than "man, that's a fly ride, and I gotta get me one." Nobody will be saved from the traaaap, nobody will be enlightened to stray from crime. Why?
Simply because T.I.'s music is all about nothing but crime. I seriously doubt many of these kids will draw the distinction between the guy who raps about ignant sh*t and became a millionaire in the process, and the guy who tells them not to do the very same ignant sh*t that made him a millionaire in the process. It's just human nature.
Besides, isn't this the same T.I. who helped me coin the phrase "raise your own damn kids"?
How soon we forget.
If the judge really wanted to make this whole charade impactful, he'd demand that T.I. be treated like the criminal he is, not a celebrity. He'd be brought to the school in a squad car, draped in an orange jumpsuit, and shuffled into the same auditorium in handcuffs with his probation officer behind him. He would be forced to explain to these kids what his dumb ass was thinking for amassing a military grade stockpile of guns when his fool ass was already on probation. As he sat there, shifting uncomfortably in his seat[2], and looking emaciated[3], he'd also have to espouse the virtues of truthfulness by telling all about the person(s) he snitched on to get such a sweetheart deal in the first place. There would be no promo CD handouts, no autographs, and no photo ops. He would be shackled back up and lead back out to the squad car, as the impressionable kids looked on at this miserable scene and thought to themselves, "man, T.I. really f*cked up! I need to stay in school." But you and I know there's no way it goes down like that.
This is good P.R. for Clifford Harris, and little more. A Grand Hu$tle indeed.
And for that, the celebrity worshipping adults who will invite the rapper to appear in front of hundreds of kids as he effortlessly burns off his thousand hours oughta be ashamed.[4]
But that's just my opinion, what's yours?[5]
Question: Will T.I.'s Scared Straight Tour 08' actually deter kids from a life of crime, or is this dude just lucky he's rich enough to hire good attorneys?
Requests roll in for rapper T.I. to speak to groups [AJC]
[1] The Vocoder Anthology, coming soon to AB.com
[2] Catch my drift?
[3] Well, moreso than he normally does.
[4] And if you're shakin' your head at this whole story, but not doing anything to prevent the next T.I., then you oughta be ashamed as well. Do somethin' already!
[5] What the heck does T.I. stand for anyway? Totally Ignant? Terrible Influence? Truly Illiterate?
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I work in Law Enforcement and believer me for the feds to give up a fat cat like T.I he had to do some real snitching. The guy was already on probation in the state of Ga. where you have to sign a no firearms agreement (federal form) that lands lesser mortals in Jail for a period of 5 years with no chance of parol. but hay like the cat says (You know What it is )
Black males will eventually self destruct, until there are none left.
Where are the responsible men in the community especially Atlanta, they say we don't need this crap?
It's amazing how when celebs like him get into trouble and somehow miraculously get 'out' of trouble, they become big time charity-workers and speakers of the house, etc. I hope it's genuine, but I still have to give the side-eye to his actions here.
"Thank God for Good Jewish Lawyers"
So do you actually know if any of his lawyers are Jewish, or are you just making an obnoxious generalization for no reason?
@ dNa
google the name "Steven Sadow" before you start making obnoxious generalizations for no reason.
@ angryblackwoman
Black males will eventually self destruct, until there are none left
Not is black America (and I don't just mean men) starts proactively fighting back and trying to save some of these boys (and the girls whom they'll be killing each other to impress).
Mentor. Tutor. Coach. It's not that hard, folks.
@ anon
He definitely snitched on somebody. Wonder if he'll rhyme about this on his next album.
AB, I agree with your sentiment on this one..however I am thinking that the schools are thinking that since these at risk youths unfortunately look up to these rappers that possibly hearing "Say No etc" from someone they want to be like & identify with will maybe get their attention more so than some suit coming to their school who they aren't familiar with.
I agreee 150% that T.I. should not receive any celebrity red-carpet treatment during his community service. The image speaking from the podium should look nothing like the rags-to-riches fella in the videos.
He should be an orange jumpsuit. He should be in shackles. He should be escorted by police. He should should should look the part of somebody whose life took a wrong turn after a wrong decision.
What good will "just say no" do if his bling is so blung that it enters the room before he does??? If he doesn't look like the image of consequences, how will his words ring true past the glowing force field of celebrity?
And don't forget that T.I. must appear to have a humble and repentant heart. I believe this would make T.I.'s appearance more powerful than any speech delivered by a local CEO or successful business person.
Hawa from
Fackin Truth Blog
google the name "Steven Sadow" before you start making obnoxious generalizations for no reason.
I didn't make a generalization, YOU did. I'm sorry, but is Dwight Thomas Jewish? What about Ed Gar The man had four lawyers. Or are you just saying that Sadow got him off with his magical jew-power?
AB, I totally agree.....those children aren't going to see the wrong under all the flash of him being a celebrity. It's no different than if a neighborhood drug dealer pulls up in his fancy car, expensive clothes, etc, and tells you not to sell drugs...it is counterproductive.
my bad, hit post on accident. In any case, I don't see too many references to Steve Sadow's religion in news articles, maybe because most people understand that it doesn't have much to do with anything.
Ok..but let's say he doesn't roll up with all the bling etc... what then? Can he get through to these kids? I agree about him appearing in shackles, prison gear etc. If he is forced to do it then he needs to do it right. He has children, would he want his own to be like him?
AB, I think your idea for how this should work is perfect. Breaking down the image is the way to go.
Also, he should have to do his jailtime FIRST, then the community service.
What he really needs to do is go and speak with some of those ignant a$$'d parents who blast T.I's music and have rap-alongs in the car, thinkin its cute when their 5-year old knows an entire verse of "What You know about That" but doesn't know his ABC's.
When we begin to change the mindset and attitudes of the parental figures in these children's lives, there will be a trickle-down effect that would stick and linger long past his brief visit.
Overall this post is spot on. A popular public figure touting the virtues of education, etc. does not necessarily produce positive results. Imagine known popular VD carriers like Pamela Anderson or Paris Hilton speaking to your children about the virtues of abstinence or safe sex? I pretty much doubt how effective his public speaking tours will be save for a small number of children.
On another note, I know that seatbelt safety is important because Fred Flinstone said it during a televised PSA. You never know.
Although I am not familiar with T.I.s catalog, I'm sure his hits from Trap Muzik and Urban Legend are still popular with his fans. It screams contradiction but who knows, maybe T.I. will change his life and music to project a productive lifestyle. You never know.
I wouldn't go as far as suggesting he be treated as a criminal but I hope if I were ever caught in an unlikely jam, my treatment will be fair and just . . . like a celebrity.
I vote 'Both'!
I'm not mad at T.I. - he made a stupid mistake, and now he's paying for it.
I do think his celebrity status guarantees the kids will, at least,LISTEN to his message. What the kids do with it when they get home is up to their parents.
My son is a year older than T.I., and when he was growing up, gangsta gap was just becoming hot. I didn't let NWA's, or Snoop Dogg's music raise my child. Today's parents shouldn't let T.I.'s music raise theirs.
It's the parents' job to keep the kids out the trap, not Tip's.
oops - that's gangsta Rap:-)
T.I. is a joke, so what he's forced to try to tell kids not to follow his example while he continues to push his negative messages with his music.
Maybe T.I. will find inspiration in this whole ordeal to change his ways and make more positive music.
Then again, this isn't the first time he's skirted trouble with the law and promised to change his ways. So don't bet on it.
First of to answer your question T.I. actually stands for nothing.. His name when he first came out was TIP(his childhood nickname) he dropped the P when Arista Records decided there was too much confusion w/ labelmate Q-Tip from ATCQ.
And also Steve Sadow is one of the baddest attorneys in Atlanta hell even the U.S.. He is known for getting cats off with little to no jail time even with insormountable evidence against.. He got "Cut Em Up" Ray Lewis off from facing life in prison.. He got Jamal Lewis 6months in a half way house a few years ago.. So T.I. got the best attorney around regardless of if he was Jewish or not.
T.I. is a man of many contradictions to which he has rapped at length. He has given back to the community everyear thru his toy drive in christmas and also developing new homes in his dilapdated community of Bankhead and SW Atlanta.. So dont peg him as using this"community service" as an oppurtunity to take advantage of his sweetheart deal he's been putting in work.
But i do agree w/ you that the best way to get thru 2 the kids is by mentorship & coaching and I've already started at 26/
TI recently spoke at my son's school and I was pissed. My wife and I went to the school complaining. It didnt do much since we were the only parents upset about the situation. They suprised the kids with his appearance.
@ angryblackwoman-
I do agree that black men in the community have to step up, but black women must do the same. And making statements such as "Black males will eventually self destruct, until there are none left" helps noone. That sounds just as bad as "Your gonna be nothing just like ya daddy!!" We dont need our young men being beat down by the words of people within their own community too, do we?
you have a very good point about bringing him to school in a squad car in a orange jumpsuit. I think that would have a much bigger impact on the way kids think.
At the same time, I'm not against what T.I. did. Buying guns is perfectly fine to me, as long as you're not running around doing Virginia Tech-type mass murders on folks, I'm cool with it. Rap music does not ruin kids, I listen to it everyday...along with old school r&b and gospel, and I don't drink, smoke, sell drugs, or really do anything "bad" except mess with various young ladies across my Michigan. I'm still a working, college student, with a healthy IRA account. "You just do you, I'ma do me."
Don't blame TI for having a great defense team. Rather he snitched or not, I have no idea. If he did, then shame on him. He'd be guilty of the same thing he knocked his driver/boy for doing.
Hey Average Bro..just found your site. I was one of the people that didn't quite agree with T.I's deal but I had the chance to see him at a school and it changed my mind.
http://necolebitchie.com/2008/04/15/tis-future-brighter-than-his-past/
He also rode up in a regular vehicle wearing normal clothes. His label didn't want anyone from the media there so he's not trying to get PR out of this.
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