47.) T.I. Joins Ebro, Laura, and Rosenberg to talk "Kill the King," 50 Beef, His Ego, & More (3/3/26)

Summary

The Ebro, Laura, & Rosenberg Show – Ep. 47: T.I. on "Kill the King," Beef, Ego & Evolution (3/3/26)

Episode Theme & Purpose

This episode welcomes Atlanta rap icon T.I. to discuss his forthcoming (and possibly final) album, "Kill the King." The show dives into T.I.'s recent public disputes (notably with 50 Cent), the family dynamics driving his choices, his evolution outside of rap (including comedy), and reflections on ego, legacy, and hip hop culture.

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Key Topics & Takeaways

1. Why "Kill the King" – T.I.’s Final Album?

• Retirement & New Chapters: T.I. explains his intent to retire from music, emphasizing personal growth and desire to explore other talents.
  • “I had one more album to deliver to the people...I can't retire until I give them what I promised.” (T.I., 02:14)
• Commemorative Timing: Highlights the album’s timing with the 25th anniversary of "I’m Serious", 20th anniversaries of "King" and "ATL." (02:22–02:29)
• Not About Age, But Life: The decision is about broadening focus, not feeling too old for rap.
  • “So much other stuff in life to do. I have so many other gifts…There’s more to be done after.” (T.I., 02:44–03:37)

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2. Family & Generational Growth

• T.I. as Family Man: Shares pride and struggles as a father and grandfather (soon to have 5 grandkids, 7 kids aged 9 to 29). (03:55–04:04)
• Realities of Public Family Life: Openly discusses his kids’ growth, challenges with his son King’s public actions, and family unity.
  • “I do not enjoy it. I’ve spent so much time trying to get this little nigga off the ledge.” (T.I. about King, 08:37)
  • “I’m not here to defeat. I’m here to defend…protect what’s ours.” (T.I., 09:57)

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3. The 50 Cent "Beef" & Handling Online Drama

• Origins of Public Spat: Host Ebro brings up how discussions on other platforms sparked 50 Cent’s responses, and the escalation into personal territory, including social media posts about T.I.’s family.
• T.I.’s Mature Response:
  • “It's 8 billion people in the world. Everybody ain't got to like me…I don't chase numbers. I got enough money to do whatever the fuck I want to do.” (T.I., 04:47–05:58)
  • “If that quietness was practiced at the beginning, absolutely nothing [would have happened].” (T.I., 06:12)
• Making Music Not Memes: T.I. stresses authenticity over viral drama, claiming that his product (“superlative product”) doesn’t need controversy.
  • “If the product is already being received well, you don't need that...[the drama].” (T.I., 08:05)

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4. Ego, Peace, and the Message Behind "Kill the King"

• Killing Ego: The album’s title alludes to “killing the ego,” as T.I. seeks deeper peace over competitive clout.
  • “Rap is an ego-driven sport…Peace is the greatest commodity one could have…that’s why I’m not enjoying this shit, because it’s impeding on my peace.” (T.I., 27:39–28:42)
• Disciplining Himself: Involvement in Ramadan, even as a non-Muslim, is part of pushing self-control and resisting negative energy. (29:01–30:07)

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5. Comedy as Therapy & Rebirth

• Entering Comedy: T.I. shares how comedy provided humility, peace, and a new outlet.
  • “Comedy—there was nothing but peace involved in that, because I came in at the bottom.” (T.I., 32:10)
• Humbling Experiences: Talks about bombing on stage and the process of building a new craft, with advice from legends like Dave Chappelle (“Stay on stage”). (35:09–36:03)
• How Comedy Differs from Rap: Comedy is about seeing how the world views you, vs. rap, which is self-focused. (35:30–36:10)

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6. Atlanta & Hip-Hop Collaborations

• Celebrating Atlanta’s Sound and Unity: T.I. addresses the renewed pride in regional identity and collaboration among older and newer ATL artists (mentions Metro Boomin', Jermaine Dupri, Young Dro, Usher, Pharrell, Jazze Pha, etc. on "Kill the King").
  • “Just getting back to the sound of a place, I think that's what's being done…when everything starting to sound the same, it loses its effect.” (48:06–49:34)
• Rap Competition vs. Social Media: Touches on how today’s beefs are sometimes more about online spectacle than real lyricism or musicianship. (26:21–27:32)

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7. T.I on Responsibility, Transformation, and Critique

• Transparency on Past "Snitch" Allegations: Offers detailed rebuttal to internet rumors about his legal history, inviting fans to check his actual court documents.
  • “[Gives his federal number] Pull it up…It’s all in there. The court minutes. You can pull up every goddamn time I went in court.” (13:14)
• Career Milestones: Reflects on hits like "Live Your Life," "Whatever You Like" and the impact of collaborations with Rihanna and Andre 3000.
• On Not Chasing Success:
  • “I don’t live chasing anybody else’s success. God has blessed me, so I don’t need nobody else to do for me to be okay.” (05:01)

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8. Legacy, Vulnerability & Reality TV’s Double-Edged Sword

• On "Family Hustle":
  • “60/40, bad...it alleviates mystery.” (69:22–69:31)
  • Intended as reputation repair post-prison, it revealed his family’s personalities but removed some personal mystique.
  • Unexpected positives: seeing his children’s self-presentation, gaining a “photo album” of their growth. (70:53–72:14)
• Fame’s Reach: Not just about him; his family experienced its pressures, jealousy, and challenges in school and public.

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9. Stepping into New Roles & Legacy Moves

• Acting Memories: Shares fun and humble stories about filming "ATL", "American Gangster", and working with Denzel Washington.
• Family Dynamics: Candid about parenting strong personalities, advice for children, and his own evolution from reckless youth to present-day wisdom.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ego & Retiring from Rap:

  • “Kill the King is really killing the ego, bro…Rap is a ego driven sport…as I evolve…I understand that peace is the greatest commodity one could have.” (27:39–28:42)

• On Social Media & Peace of Mind:

  • “One thing I’ve done, I think was back in 2023. I don’t have Instagram on my phone.” (24:30–24:41)

• On Comedy as Healing:

  • “It’s therapeutic to me...I get a chance to talk about things people observed me go through and I never got a chance to speak on until my take, and I get a chance to laugh through it.” (32:59–33:36)

• On Parenting & Legacy:

  • “You raise a human that now if ain’t nobody I can call...Shit, what you doing man? Pull up, man.” (76:39)
  • “I just want peace, prosperity, positivity for everyone because that’s what I want for myself.” (78:17)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Retirement & Album Context: 02:14–03:37
• Family Dynamics (Kids, Grandkids): 03:53–04:04; 08:37–09:57
• 50 Cent Beef/Drama Response: 04:19–06:20
• Numbers & Achievements: 06:58–07:28
• Ego, Peace, Motivation: 27:39–28:42
• Comedy & Therapy: 32:10–36:10
• On Atlanta’s Hip-Hop Culture: 48:06–49:34
• Rumors & Transparency: 13:14; 69:22–71:34
• Parenting Insights: 76:12–76:43
• Final Words on Legacy & Positivity: 78:17–79:04

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The T.I. "Kill the King" Album: Collaborators & Features (47:24)

• Production & Features: Pharrell, Mike Will Made-It, Jazze Pha, Weezy, Spider, Usher, Young Dro.
• Intention: "Give fans the image that they have grown to love from T.I....it's the last ride." (18:00–18:11)

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Wrap-Up

T.I. closes the episode with his signature blend of honesty, humor, and wisdom—reminding fans of his growth beyond music. He underscores that "peace" is the new prize and that "Kill the King" rests on dissolving ego, not just closing a rap chapter.

“I only want to exist in a positive space…I just want peace, prosperity, positivity for everyone because that’s what I want for myself.” (78:17–79:04)

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For more, subscribe to the Ebro, Laura & Rosenberg Show on YouTube. For show updates: X @theelrshow, TikTok @ebrolaurarosenberg

Transcript

[Stassi Schroeder]

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[Laura Rosenberg]

Ugh.

[Stassi Schroeder]

You said you were over him, but his hoodie's still in your rotation. It's time. Grab your phone, snap a few pics, and sell it on Depop. Listed in minutes with no selling fees. And just like that, a guy 500 miles away just paid full price for your closure. And right on cue.

[T.I.]

Hey, still got my hoodie?

[Stassi Schroeder]

Nope. But I've got tonight's dinner paid for Start selling on Depop. Where taste recognizes taste list. Now with no selling fees, payment processing fees and boosting fees still apply. See website for details. This is your shoe mix. I am your host, Stassi Schroeder. Welcome to Tell Me Lies, the official podcast. What's the most unhinged thing of season three?

[T.I.]

Steven.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Because he's so evil, I do think he is misunderstood.

[Stassi Schroeder]

You see everyone face consequences. It's intoxicating. The writers just know how to trick. Yeah. There's always a twist in this show. Tell Me Lies, the official podcast, January 6th. And stream the new season of Tell Me Lies January 13th on Hulu and Hulu on Disney.

[Ebro Darden]

Just don't call it a podcast.

[T.I.]

The Ebro Laura Rosenberg show.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ladies and gentlemen, Ebro and Laura and Rosenberg and T.I.

[T.I.]

yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

What's happening, sir?

[T.I.]

Ain't a whole lot too what you

[Ebro Darden]

know, you trying to downplay. Ain't a whole lot to it. Y' all got the Internet going crazy little and then.

[T.I.]

Man, look, just a week's worth and your back rapping. Yeah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Since the last time we saw you, you became a whole comedian and came and now are back to being an MC again.

[T.I.]

Yeah. I mean, I. I made a promise.

[Laura Rosenberg]

What was the promise?

[T.I.]

I made a promise that I. I had one more album to deliver to the people. And you know what I'm saying? I. I can't retire until I give them what I promised.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Let me ask you. I'm sorry, can I just jump right in, Ask you something? So why we do this? Kill the King, the final album?

[T.I.]

Yeah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Why does it seem like my favorite. Some of my favorite artists in hip hop feel the need to either say it's the last tour or the last album. Like, you are a very young man. You really are. Sure you're not gonna wanna make another album in 5 years and 10 years?

[T.I.]

I'm only speaking for me. I can't, you know, rationalize why other people make a decision. But for me, it's so much other stuff in life to do at. I'm 45, so. At 45. 40. You know what I mean? It just. So much stuff in life and. And I have so many other gifts that God has blessed me with. And I feel like this is, you know, a perfect time. And the reason I felt this year was appropriate because it's the 25th year. The 25th anniversary for. I'm serious. 20th anniversary for King, 20th anniversary for ATL. So, you know what I'm saying? I'd rather. I want to end this year, you

[Laura Rosenberg]

know, so it's not because it's almost the opposite. It's not because you're like, oh, I'm old and I shouldn't be rapping. It's cause you're still a young guy. But there's more to do in life.

[T.I.]

There's more to be done after.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I dig that. I could dig that. I still think you'll drop one again one day. But I'm here to play with no, bro.

[T.I.]

I mean, what I'm saying is that won't be my primary focus.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Got it?

[T.I.]

You know, that ain't what my attention is. You know what I mean? I got grandkids. I want to spend time. You know?

[Ebro Darden]

How many grandkids?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Four.

[Ebro Darden]

Four. How many kids?

[T.I.]

Soon to be five. Wow.

[Ebro Darden]

How many kids?

[T.I.]

Seven.

[Ebro Darden]

Seven?

[T.I.]

Seven kids.

[Laura Rosenberg]

And oldest and youngest ages again.

[T.I.]

Nine to 29.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Nine to 29, bro.

[Ebro Darden]

But that'll also make you look at life differently. What?

[T.I.]

And then when I come, when I do rap, shit, man, this shit is full of this type shit.

[Ebro Darden]

Well, nah. Now, now, wait, hold up now, hold up. Now. You.

[T.I.]

I ain't into this.

[Ebro Darden]

You were asked about verses on Shay Shay. And you were asked about verses with Gillian Wallow.

[T.I.]

That's right.

[Ebro Darden]

Both of yours.

[T.I.]

I was asked.

[Ebro Darden]

Right, but both of your responses. Yeah, but your responses led to 50 having something to setting it off. And I think we all pretty much agree, you know, before we get off into it, we none of us really love the whole posting of your lady. Nobody. Nobody loves all that, bro.

[T.I.]

Let me tell you, just on some real shit, my man, it's 8 billion people in the world. Everybody ain't got to like me. Everybody. I ain't everybody. Cup of tea. I mean, you know, I'm too strong for some, might not be strong enough for others. It's fine. I'm cool with that. You ain't got to even with me at all, J. Don't disrespect me, man. I'm real big on treating other people the way I want to be treated. And I'm also real big on treating the way they decide they gonna treat me. And it's really just this. I'm not here. I don't give a fuck who raps. I don't give a fuck who wants to do versus nigga. My life is full. I have a very full life. I mean, I'm wealthy enough. I don't chase numbers. I got enough money to do whatever the fuck I want to do. I want to go buy a house. I buy a house. I want to buy a boat. I buy a boat. I want to fly private. I fly private. I want to buy shoes. I buy shoes. I want to send my kids to school. I send them to wherever the fuck I want to send them to. I live a life that I am happy with. I ain't chasing nobody else. Success. God has blessed me so I don't need nobody else to do for me to be okay. You ask me a question as a man, I'm gonna tell you what the happened.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Right?

[T.I.]

Right. And as an. As a man, if you don't like what I said, then you shouldn't have handled it that way. And ultimately, all of the quietness that we're witnessing right now from.

[Ebro Darden]

From.

[T.I.]

Dude, what would have happened if that quietness was practiced at the beginning? Absolutely nothing. We wouldn't be here.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Nothing to talk about.

[T.I.]

Nothing.

[Ebro Darden]

There's nothing to talk about in that regard. There was some good promo out of this.

[T.I.]

I mean, I don't give a fuck about that, man. I don't give a fuck about that, bro. What the fuck I need, man? This same promo. $50,000 would have got it, right? I could have spent $50,000 for the same level of promo.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Well, and you just said you're not chasing numbers for this album.

[T.I.]

I'm not chasing it, but I'm just telling you that the amount of fucking hits and, man, 50,000 DOL got the same thing, right?

[Ebro Darden]

You posted something the other day about the success of your first single right now off this list thing. Lot of number ones, A lot of things. So you should be proud.

[T.I.]

Glory to God.

[Ebro Darden]

So let's see, you got number one on shade 45, trending audio on Instagram, number one, number one digital rap singles number one global achievements was the post.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah. Shazam. At urban. At Billboard.

[T.I.]

Yeah. Number one Number one urban radio. Just. Just as end up on urban radio as of yesterday. Number one urban radio. Well, as of Friday as a.

[Ebro Darden]

But. But first and foremost, these are numbers that you are watching. So let's be clear.

[Laura Rosenberg]

But those are different numbers.

[T.I.]

Well, I'm not watching all of them. I'm not watching all of them, but I was watching the urban radio joint. The other ones is like some shit that my. My public.

[Ebro Darden]

Some of these numbers I didn't even know was numbers. But I'm glad that they are well. And I. The song, right. Like, I think unanimously, when you put out the teaser video and it was pH on production and y' all collabing and the way you sound on the record, everybody love it and I appreciate that. So I haven't heard any negative about the song, but I was just pointing out that moments like this do keep the story going, though. What you mean where you having a back and forth with anybody, whether it's 50 or anybody. That's the world we live in today.

[T.I.]

But the thing is, you don't need that if you already have superlative product. If the product is already being received well, you don't need that. It's already growing. It's already gone. Yeah, that shit was already out of here. No, as soon as I cut my hair, that was gone. I didn't need this.

[Ebro Darden]

Right.

[T.I.]

I didn't cut my hair if I needed this.

[Ebro Darden]

Now, are you enjoying seeing your sons step up to the moment and the whole family concept?

[T.I.]

No, I don't. I don't enjoy it. I do not. Simply because I've spent so much time trying to get this little nigga off

[Ebro Darden]

the ledge talking about King.

[T.I.]

Yes. And now he has justifiable means to undo all of the teachings that I've been teaching.

[Ebro Darden]

Got it?

[T.I.]

Got it. I do not like this. No, I do not enjoy it.

[Ebro Darden]

Now, Damani kept us cool. Damani's always cool.

[T.I.]

What the fuck? What universe is this? You know what I'm saying, bro? Like, man, listen, man. I'm a logical, reasonable man of respect, bro. And I raise my children to be men of respect, logical, reasonable, and. And not to be emotional. And when I see King, how he moving, it's emotional. And I know. And me too. You know what I'm saying? Me too. You know, you drag the matriarch of our household into some nonsense. So the one thing that I am proud of out of all of this is that the women and Children in our family see that? It's a line of men I see that's here, right?

[Stassi Schroeder]

Right?

[T.I.]

Against who the ever. Yeah. I mean. And we not here to defeat. Like, I don't give a damn about beating. I ain't here to defeat. I'm here to defend. You understand? I'm here to protect what's ours, what we built. Man, this shit is. Man, I die in the street about this shit, man. This shit dead ass serious to me. This shit ain't no motherfucking game I'm not playing.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Do you. Do you hit King when you see, like, him post a video? Do you immediately hit him and say anything?

[T.I.]

I hit my forehead first. God damn. Like, bro, it's almost like, I hate to see some shit going down, going to a direction where it's headed, but what the fuck can I do to stop it? Cause I didn't send it there. I'm not the motherfucker that's directing. I ain't set the gps, bro. The destination is the destination.

[Laura Rosenberg]

How do you turn it off, though? Because you seem to have the ability to say, all right, this went too far. I'm not interested in this. I'm gonna focus another direction. How do you turn it off? And you just haven't been able to instill that part into King, maybe or you're.

[T.I.]

Man, to be honest with you, bro, I said that's enough. Really? I said, that's enough. When I seen that damn T shirt, I said, man, this is enough. That's it.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Oh, yeah.

[T.I.]

I said, man, y', all, man, chill out, bro. Chill out. Cause again, I'm big on treating people the way I wanna be treated, right? I don't be out here just doing unto others in ways I don't wanna be done. And so I don't wanna see my children doing others the way. But they like, man, this is. In response. I'm like, man, but it's over with. Let it go. Let the shit go, bruh.

[Ebro Darden]

Now, if it didn't involve your family in this way, and it was really

[T.I.]

about rap, man, to be honest with you, bro, I've been extremely. I've exercised restraint. You know, when I was minding my business at the super bowl, and goddamn. And Shannon and Ocho, they asked me, and he come up with the bullshit, the motherfucking Crime Stoppers commercial. And I am not ashamed if I can, man. Look, man, if I can find a way to motherfucking keep my mother fucking ass out of jail without sending nobody else to jail, what the. Why the fuck not? It Ain't nobody who was. Oh, I was gonna keep it solid, but now since I seen this commercial. Let me. Let me go ahead and rat. Let me go on and. Man, come on, bro. I'm talking to law abiding citizens reminding them that they have to protect their communities. Law abiding citizens do have the ability to call the fucking police.

[Ebro Darden]

Listen, I'm one of them.

[T.I.]

Yeah, I think we all are here. I'm talking to law abiding citizens. I didn't say, hey, criminals. Hey, if you're committing crimes, I want you to tell on other criminals. That's not what the fuck I said. You know what I mean? And the shit with me. And for lunch, when the testimony that was received was in no way incriminating to anybody there. I was subpoenaed. I was out on bond. $3 million bond, by the way. Already fighting a federal case. If I'm subpoenaed. I got to go. So when I went, called it how I saw it. I said, hey, man, I don't know who did it. I saw fire, I got low, we returned fire. I can't tell you this, man, is who did anything. I didn't see that. So to bring all that up when none of that is valid. None of it. Oh, and 594-58-1019. That's my federal number. Pull it up. My name, birthday, all of my, my, my, my, my, plea agreement, all that. It's all in there. It's in there. The court minutes. You can pull up every goddamn time I went in court. See, everything that was said, if you care enough. 594-580-8019. That my name, birthday, that number, get you anything you want. If you care enough. Go get the information. Go ahead. And where's this person I told on? It's been 20 years already, right?

[Laura Rosenberg]

This is terrible.

[Ebro Darden]

I gotta let you know, I'm a terrible. Rocky, I'm not keeping track of none of this.

[T.I.]

I'm a terrible rat, bro.

[Ebro Darden]

Because, you know, the Internet, I told.

[T.I.]

And it didn't get nobody no time. How the.

[Laura Rosenberg]

How the.

[T.I.]

Does that work?

[Ebro Darden]

You know the Internet is gonna make narratives, right? Like people gonna throw paperwork up. Sometimes it's fake, sometimes it's real. Tell stories that ain't real, all that. But once again, when it get to these lyrics and these raps, what you've delivered, I feel like with. Let's see here. What was it? Lessons. You put out two records now.

[T.I.]

N. It's been. There's been three.

[Ebro Darden]

Three. Three records.

[T.I.]

It's been three. It's been three. Well, maybe four. Maybe four.

[Ebro Darden]

But you have to admit this include war.

[T.I.]

If you include war, it's been four.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Got it?

[Ebro Darden]

Four records.

[T.I.]

Yeah. Simply because I don't. I. I make. I make music. I don't make memes. I don't. So every time I don't have a meme to post, I'm not doing that. And I. And, And. And if the most responsible, mature thing that I know how to do is get my ass behind that mic and talk my. On a record that keep me from looking in my phone, yelling, looking like King talking crazy. You know what I mean?

[Ebro Darden]

Every time I'm out here catching strays. Yo, King. Every time King gonna go at dad next. Here we go. He gonna have a record for you.

[T.I.]

We've been there before. But listen. Nah. Did it. Every time I see some and I get pissed off, I just start going through beats and I usually just pick the first one I hear and I just go, I ain't bullshitting, bro. I'm not. And I'm not trying to make a bop. I ain't trying to. Because I. I got one out there already. I'm just delivering. I'm delivering a message. Yeah. And hope it hits the ears. I'm. I won't.

[Ebro Darden]

But it looks like people are positively responding to you getting to these raps. And I have to ask you as a hip hop fan, too, right? Like, we're living in a time where people are dissecting lyrics, man. After, after, you know, it felt like the Kendrick Drake thing and people were really getting into what's being said in these records and who really has the skill to deliver, you know, cohesive thoughts and punchlines and layers and entendres and all the things. I feel like we're in that time right now.

[T.I.]

I feel like we've always been in that time.

[Ebro Darden]

Nah, it feels like it's highly. It's much more celebrated on social media now, man.

[T.I.]

It's always. I think social media may be the. The. The determining factor that has changed, but I think we've always been in that

[Ebro Darden]

time, so it never would have.

[T.I.]

We were dissecting the lyrics to hit them up.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, no, yeah, it had.

[T.I.]

We were dissecting the lyrics of who Shot you? Trying to see whether or not it was. You know what I mean? It's always been there.

[Ebro Darden]

So as a fan of hip hop, you're having fun right now. You gotta be.

[T.I.]

I told you. No, I'm not enjoying this shit.

[Ebro Darden]

You're not?

[T.I.]

I'm not.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Not this part, but you like the music? You like where the music's at in general?

[T.I.]

I'm enjoying having the number one record in the country.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Okay, okay, okay.

[T.I.]

I'm not enjoying this shit.

[Laura Rosenberg]

And what about the other music that's out in general? Have you been messing with other music?

[T.I.]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I fuck around. You know what I mean? Cole.

[Ebro Darden]

You like what Cole's doing?

[T.I.]

I haven't heard as much of Cole as of late. I've been seeing, like. I like his. Like, how he's rolling his project out.

[Laura Rosenberg]

No, it's been a dope rollout. The cross country trip and everything.

[Ebro Darden]

You haven't really locked in on album,

[T.I.]

around in the Honda Civic, pulling up in everybody hood selling shit out the trunk. I'm enjoying that. You know what I mean? But I haven't heard a lot of his records.

[Ebro Darden]

You haven't got into it all the way? Nah. I encourage you to listen.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah. It's a double album, so it takes time.

[Ebro Darden]

You'll love it.

[T.I.]

Okay, Got it.

[Ebro Darden]

You'll really love it.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Wait.

[T.I.]

It means a lot coming from you.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I wanna go back. Can you. I wanna go back to when you decided. Tell me about the moment they said, I'm gonna cut my hair.

[T.I.]

Oh, well, it was always.

[Stassi Schroeder]

And I'm going to make this music. And I want to hear about the phone call to Pharrell. I want to hear all that.

[T.I.]

Well, it was always. That was always the. That was. That was the agenda, you know, when we. When we start putting out music, we gonna give fans the. The. The image that they have grown to love from T.I. you know what I'm saying? Because it's the last ride. You don't want to give a. Okay, you got one last ride and you go make it different. You know what I'm saying? I'm gonna give it to you. You know, get the people what they want, man. They would do. People want to line up and they would do what they want to see get to them. And so that. That was always the. The intention as far as, like. Oh, another thing. I don't think people know we live in a studio, like, you know what I'm saying? Like, we're recording all the time. All the.

[Ebro Darden]

Your house?

[T.I.]

No, not the house. We have a studio that we just. This is ours and they're in there right now, I'm sure. King Damani, Buddy Redd. Omg.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, yeah. Shout to Buddy Redd. Didn't he put out a record too? He came.

[T.I.]

I don't think that was him. I don't think that was like Him,

[Ebro Darden]

Buddy Red's the oldest son. He's a blues artist.

[T.I.]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

And that might have been AI.

[T.I.]

I think that was AI.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Okay. You don't know.

[T.I.]

I don't think that was. I didn't ask him, but I know that he hadn't told me. Like, this is the thing. We are not. We're not in cahoots in unison, just doing well.

[Ebro Darden]

And also, people forget. Like, I see Damani, and I still think Damani's like 17, right?

[Laura Rosenberg]

How old's the money?

[T.I.]

The money? 24.

[Ebro Darden]

With two children.

[T.I.]

No, 25. He might be. He might be hitting 25. I think this March he'll be 25.

[Ebro Darden]

Crazy kings. How old, king?

[T.I.]

21.

[Ebro Darden]

We did. And so these were little kids on television at a certain. So you forget that, like, the. He's not. They're not checking in with their dad before they make moves.

[Laura Rosenberg]

No, I also, like, can't. I'm conceptually trying to understand any of this because I'm only now father of a one year old.

[Stassi Schroeder]

All.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I have my one year old girl right now. So we are both dads, but our lives are very different. So when he's talking about, like, I don't know what this kid is doing, because these are adults. These are all. You have a. It's like a crew. You know what I mean?

[T.I.]

Like, you talk to one of my best friends now. You know what I'm saying? So crazy. Yeah. Yeah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

And you guys are in the studio most days. Some version of a bunch of you will be in the studio together.

[T.I.]

Yes.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah. It's like, so you and Damani chilling, You and King chilling. But y' all argue a little bit more, man.

[T.I.]

You know?

[Ebro Darden]

Or just King likes to argue. And that's just.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Man.

[T.I.]

King, bro. King. King is. He's a passionate. He's a very passionate person, and he has a big heart.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Has he always been this way, by the way, since he was a little boy?

[T.I.]

Yes. Yes. Cause I told him. I told him, like, I think it started, like, when he was going to kindergarten. I said, hey, if you can't beat your brothers up, them little. Them little at school gonna kick your ass. So he. I say, your brothers love you. They're not gonna do nothing to hurt you. Them niggas out there don't care about nothing about you. If you can't whoop them, ain't gonna be able to whoop nobody. So he just start taking off on demanding.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Oh, my God.

[T.I.]

I mean, for real, bro. And I thought it would stop at a point.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So you created a monster Is what you say you did this, you're responsible.

[T.I.]

Somewhat. I'm culpable. I thought that, like, okay, he get in there and he win a fight. People see, he leave and they're back up. I didn't know this wanted to be Bud Crawford.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Right, Right.

[T.I.]

Nah. But. But I respect him a lot because he. He move on principle, you know what I'm saying? And, you know, a lot of time when we teaching principles, you know, like, for instance, when we. When we say somebody owe you, make sure they pay you right. If it's A$50 cent or, you know, you know, incremental amount, there's something you can let go. It's like, okay, that's enough to keep you out of my life. I don't have to push that line with you. Nah, he pushing it. You told me, you said, I'm doing what you said. And I. Bro, but it ain't that serious. Yes, it is. You know what I'm saying? It is. And so, you know, I.

[Ebro Darden]

But that's part of the big heart thing.

[T.I.]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

Right. Cause big heart, big love, also big pain.

[T.I.]

Absolutely.

[Laura Rosenberg]

But how do you. How do you get comfortable? This is the part I'm trying to understand, like, listening to you speak as a dad, at what point do you go, yeah, I wouldn't do it that way? But. But you're a grown. But now you're like a man. Cause it sounds like you. You're not forcing him to be a different way.

[T.I.]

Yeah. I mean. I mean, ultimately, bro, that's who he is. And that's something that I had to accept, you know what I'm saying? Cause at one time, I was like that, and it just took time and

[Laura Rosenberg]

experience and luck, I'm sure, too, though.

[T.I.]

And prison.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah.

[T.I.]

You know what I'm saying? To get me to a place where I understood how I got myself in certain situations. And I think for him, a lot of it has dialed down with him having his own child. Him becoming a father has kind of, you know, it's lightened his aggression.

[Ebro Darden]

But in a moment like this, well, here we go.

[T.I.]

That's. This is unfortunate. It's just unfortunate.

[Ebro Darden]

But it's also, hopefully just the music.

[T.I.]

It's unfortunate, bro.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Once people say certain things, you kind of have to check out, because at that point where you. There's nowhere to go. You know what I'm saying? I understand.

[T.I.]

So I got the number one record in the country, man.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's right.

[T.I.]

Are you.

[Ebro Darden]

So you're tired of talking about it, man, it's official. You don't want to do no more interviews about this, man.

[T.I.]

For what?

[Ebro Darden]

Well, it's a new week, though.

[T.I.]

It's a new week, and I'm on to something else.

[Ebro Darden]

There you go.

[T.I.]

I dedicated a week to that, man. I'm. I've moved on.

[Ebro Darden]

I gotta say, though. And once again, I'm bringing this up as a fan of hip hop. The response I'm seeing you get for getting in the booth and getting to raps and delivering on raps is very, very high from people I know who want raps. And I don't know if you're paying attention to it in that way.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[T.I.]

The thing is, I ain't. So one thing I've done. I think they were back in 2023. I don't have Instagram on my phone.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Good for you.

[T.I.]

You know what I'm saying? I don't.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's the way, bro.

[T.I.]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So much that's elevated life, you know what I'm saying? Like, if I go to my IG right here, I don't. It's not even on there.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I love it.

[Ebro Darden]

Okay.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You love to see it.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Okay.

[T.I.]

So I don't really see the. Somebody got to send me some.

[Ebro Darden]

Got it. Well, I'm letting you know. I'm letting you know. That's been the response on the blogs.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[T.I.]

But also.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Also, he bro f the Internet, because they're full of it. Because on one sense, yeah, they'll give Tip props for jumping and getting the booth right. But they'll. They'll give J. Cole grief because he decided he wanted to get in, then get out. But as. As long as 50 drops a funny meme, they don't have ish to say about 50.

[Ebro Darden]

Nah, they don't put it on. No, they talking trash about.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Because it just seems like there's Internet picks and chooses.

[Ebro Darden]

I'm looking at everything on this one because I know every man sit over there.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I rarely see him this much in the dark.

[Ebro Darden]

He said, you're excited.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Why are you?

[Ebro Darden]

So I know. I know both of them. I know both of them on camera and off camera.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Right.

[Ebro Darden]

I'm watching, right? And fib is getting flamed in his comments for. Especially when he put up somebody grandma, when you go and you done went and jumped from somebody mom, and then you put up Beyonce mom and people was out. They checked out, which is why he took it down. He knew he played. He went too far. But Tip was back to these raps. You was ready to get to these raps. And there's been a Thing always been tipped. But there's been a thing that people have been saying for a while, which is people, I hate talking shit on Instagram saying they got problems with people and you a rapper and you're not rapping. That's a thing.

[T.I.]

I ain't never heard of that.

[Ebro Darden]

That's a thing. That's a thing. Yeah, I see it. I see it in the comments where people are like, yo, get in the booth. I want a song. Well, get in the booth. Deliver a song.

[T.I.]

I love the fact that people think they could just got there, tell a motherfucker what to do.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I

[T.I.]

could sit in. They too. Get your rich ass in the mud. That is crazy.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That is true.

[T.I.]

That crazy. Think they got that?

[Ebro Darden]

Absolutely.

[T.I.]

And they probably do

[Ebro Darden]

in their mind. They bought a concert ticket, they supported an album. Maybe they did, maybe whatever.

[T.I.]

In exchange for the experience.

[Ebro Darden]

That's right. That experience. Not control over your own life.

[T.I.]

Not continue on, you know, but nah, I'm just. I think, man, as long as motherfuckers deal with shit, man, in a way that is sportsmanlike or in a way that's. You know what I'm saying? Hey, bro, say what the fuck you want to say about me. I ain't, man. I got thick skin and I know who the fuck I am. I walked in this motherfucker knowing who I am. So you ain't really like, I don't. But leave. How about we just lead the women and children?

[Ebro Darden]

There you go. There you go.

[T.I.]

Lead the women and children.

[Ebro Darden]

So on this album, Kill the King.

[T.I.]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

What are you saying with that title?

[T.I.]

Kill the King is really killing the ego, bro. And this is the reason I want to retire. Because, you know, rap is a ego driven sport. It's very big on I and me instead of us and we. You know what I'm saying? And as I evolve in my consciousness and elevate my mindset, I understand that peace is the greatest commodity one could have. You know what I'm saying? If you got a bunch of money and you still don't have peace of mind, you ain't happy. You, like still fucked up in the head about some shit that happened 12 years or however long ago. That money don't mean shit. You can't even enjoy it. You can't pay attention, to keep it because you focused on all the wrong shit. I value peace. And that's why I'm not enjoying this shit because it's impeding on my peace.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You said it ruined your Ramadan.

[T.I.]

It did. Fucked up my damn Ramadan.

[Ebro Darden]

First Day.

[T.I.]

First fucking day.

[Ebro Darden]

Wait, and you're Muslim?

[T.I.]

I am not. Oh, wait, wait.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So hold on. Wait. You just take this.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I'm just participating.

[T.I.]

I just participate. You just go to the Muslim friends. I got friends.

[Ebro Darden]

Wait, so now, what do you love about Ramadan?

[T.I.]

I love the discipline of it, man. Like, you know. Cause for one, we could stand to eat less. Yes. You know what I mean? That's the first thing. A bunch of the shit we eat is nonsense anyway.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So.

[T.I.]

So to abstain and just to show your body that your mind has the ability to say, no, we're not doing this for a period of time, to me, is just godly. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. So. And also, it's camaraderie in it. You know what I mean? When you Ramadan and it's other people around you, there's Ramadan and you might run it, and then we break fast at the same time. And then you go and you see a person breaking fast with you, you don't even know him. But y', all, you know, y' all fellowship and that shit cool to me, man. It's real dope. But the fasting is only one part of it. Abstaining from negative interactions from this whole shit is the antithesis of Ramadan I'm supposed to be doing.

[Ebro Darden]

And your commitment to hip hop, man, and your commitment to getting to these raps, man.

[T.I.]

My. My. My fl. My weak flesh. My flesh is weak. I'm still a man, you know, God is perfect. You know what I'm saying? I am not. You know what I'm saying? So, you know, it's my weak flesh and my fucking ego. And just me being just caring more about the defense and protection of my household's integrity is. I said, fuck it. I catch back up with y'. All.

[Laura Rosenberg]

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[T.I.]

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[Laura Rosenberg]

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[T.I.]

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[Stassi Schroeder]

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[Ebro Darden]

And so in this album Kill the King, do you tap into this killing of the ego?

[T.I.]

Actually, I'm doing the exact opposite.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You figure if you get it all

[T.I.]

out my system, that's what it is.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You're just talking shit.

[T.I.]

I'm doing it non stop.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yes, okay.

[T.I.]

It is.

[Laura Rosenberg]

And you hope when it's done.

[T.I.]

Yeah, I hope by the end, you know what I'm saying, I'll be able to, you know, find myself.

[Laura Rosenberg]

How did the. How did the. How has the comedy done for the feeding of the validation and the ego?

[T.I.]

Cause that's a very hands on, so comedy. There was nothing but peace involved in that.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Why? Cause you didn't feel pressure?

[T.I.]

I mean, bro, because I came in at the bottom and it wasn't nowhere to go but up.

[Ebro Darden]

And you had some rough patches.

[T.I.]

I had one. There was no expectation.

[Ebro Darden]

That was the ego. I wanted to see how you responded to that. The ego was like, I have one. Don't play.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Don't play with it.

[T.I.]

See his ego, I mean, you know, as far as rough patches go, you know what I'm saying? Because to be honest with you, Dave Chappelle get on stage and sometimes it doesn't go as well as it went. All comedians.

[Ebro Darden]

Well, first of all, first of all, comedy is hard. To all the comedians out there, anybody trying to do it, that is very hard.

[T.I.]

It's tough. It's tough.

[Laura Rosenberg]

But you found it. You didn't find that it hurt.

[T.I.]

It's therapeutic to me, okay? Because I get a chance to go up and I get a chance to talk about things that a lot of motherfuckers observed me go through and they only saw one side. I never got a chance to speak on it until my take. And I get a chance to laugh through it. And you know, that lessens like, I guess the negative impact, you know what I'm saying? Like for instance, the shit with me and King when, you know, we had, let's just call it Harris family father son bonding moment publicly at the Falcons game, you know what I'm saying? So experiencing that in the eyes of the world, me getting up there and talking about it. So the joke is, you know, listen, sometimes you gotta love on your children, especially if you raising black sons, you gotta love them, you gotta love them hard. But get y'. All. Cause the worst thing that could happen, that he could kick your ass and then that's gonna make the household up. But when you do it, if you anything like me and you my age, you utilize muscles that you ain't utilized in a while. So don't go back home with this same. Cause when I got home, I was so everywhere, I couldn't move or nothing. And I had Tamika for. Give me Excedrin, the Midol and anything, please. And she said, yeah, you gotta go get your own water. So I'm walking so ahead to the kitchen and King on the other side like, yeah, nigga, bring your ass on. We gonna stand on business. Yeah. Now it's my turn. You know what I'm saying? So me being able to speak about shit like that on stage, it kind of makes it easier that I live this shit through the eyes of the world, you know what I'm saying?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Do you think you're a good comedian?

[T.I.]

I think I'm a better comedian than I was when I started. Okay.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Okay, that's good. Because I feel like as someone who's always hit the stage and celebrated automatically. Cause we all love you.

[T.I.]

Yeah.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I can't imagine how humbling it is to hit the stage and bomb that one time where you're like, yeah.

[T.I.]

But the thing is. Okay, so that was a learning curve. First of all, you gotta understand, just as much as I'm working on being a comedian, just as much as I'm working on my set, people are also working on not seeing me as T.I. you know what I'm saying?

[Ebro Darden]

That's right.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Yep.

[T.I.]

So that's something that has to be, you know? So there are three versions of ourselves. There's how we see ourselves, how the world sees us, and then there's who we really are. Now, rap is real heavy on how we see ourselves. You know what I mean?

[Stassi Schroeder]

Yeah.

[T.I.]

Comedy is more so tapping into how the world sees you. So I understand what the world think of me. They think that, you know, I'm a smart. A smart motherfucker from the hood who use big words. So when I get out there.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That is correct.

[T.I.]

And I say, you know, by the

[Laura Rosenberg]

way, with the voice, with an interesting Southern twang as well.

[T.I.]

Okay.

[Laura Rosenberg]

All part of the thing.

[T.I.]

So, yeah, you know, so, you know, when I get out there and say, welcome to my metamorphosis, you know what I'm saying? Anybody who hear words you don't understand, just raise your hand. All my public school students, we'll get through this together. You know, that taps into a person's perceptions. Oh, I knew he was gonna use a big word. You know, what I'm saying. And it also allows me to dive into people's perception of me, begin to understand.

[Ebro Darden]

You enjoyed this.

[T.I.]

It's therapeutic for me.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah. You enjoyed it.

[T.I.]

Yeah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Did Dave give you any good advice? Any thoughts? Did he watch any of your sets?

[T.I.]

Man, every comedian tells me the same thing. Stay on stage.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[T.I.]

Ain't no way. This is nothing. You can practice at home and you got to stay on stage.

[Ebro Darden]

Are you gonna continue to do comedy

[T.I.]

after I get through with this?

[Ebro Darden]

Got it. Okay, so back to it.

[T.I.]

Yeah. When I finished this, I never saw

[Ebro Darden]

one of your standups, bro.

[Laura Rosenberg]

For real.

[Ebro Darden]

Never saw one.

[T.I.]

Okay.

[Ebro Darden]

It didn't hit my algorithm. For real, yo.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It's all false.

[Ebro Darden]

But wait, wait. But wait, hang on. I only heard that you got booed. I never saw it. I only heard people's feedback about your comedy. I never got to judging myself.

[T.I.]

But see, this is the thing, though, online, okay? The worst thing, especially for me, is for a motherfucker to take a joke that I'm working on.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Right.

[T.I.]

And post it before it's perfected.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, that. Yeah, that's.

[T.I.]

You know what I'm saying?

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's why people take cameras from people. Because it's not exactly.

[T.I.]

Because it's like. Okay. It's almost like if you play on the radio, all of the verses that didn't get perfected.

[Ebro Darden]

That's right.

[T.I.]

You know what I'm saying? Nobody want to present themselves the rough before it gets. Exactly. Nobody want themselves presented in that light. So that's probably why it hasn't hit your algorithm.

[Ebro Darden]

Why was. Because. Why?

[T.I.]

Because I try to keep that shit off the Internet.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Right, right, right, right.

[T.I.]

You know what I'm saying? It behooves me.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah.

[T.I.]

To keep that shit off the Internet.

[Ebro Darden]

There you go. Comedy's hard, man.

[Stassi Schroeder]

It's so hard.

[Ebro Darden]

Listen, I'm proud of you for it, though.

[T.I.]

It's fun, bro. It's fun, man. And not even just being on stage, just going. Being backstage in the green room with all the. All the comics and watching motherfuckers, you know, put they sets together. Seeing, man, just touring these comedy clubs, going around, man, from Tacoma, Washington, to Ontario, California, D.C. all, man. These are great comedy towns.

[Ebro Darden]

When you talk. You said earlier he was 45.

[T.I.]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

There's some comedians that we didn't even really meet and get famous until they was in their 50s.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Like who?

[Ebro Darden]

Red Fox? Red Fox was older.

[T.I.]

For real.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I think it's late 40s. Remember? Remember times different back then. I think Red Fox, he was late 40s, though. Yeah. I think.

[Ebro Darden]

I think when he said was late for.

[Laura Rosenberg]

He got that when he was in

[T.I.]

his late 40s, but that was when he was done with.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah, but he'd already. He'd already been big on, like, the black comedy scene, but he hadn't made it to national TV fans.

[Ebro Darden]

Right. He hadn't gone like this. That's what I mean. Big, big face.

[T.I.]

Well, I mean, bro, to be honest with you, man, I ain't doing it for the money. I got into it knowing that the money was scarce.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah.

[T.I.]

So I ain't speaking of your money.

[Ebro Darden]

And we talking money.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Wow, that's crazy. Crazy.

[T.I.]

I'm talking about a transition. Is wow.

[Ebro Darden]

Pocket watching money. Speaking of pocket watching is something I do. Y' all had a big lawsuit. Y' all landed, right? Can you talk about that? I always bring this up on the show.

[T.I.]

That my wife money, man. But it's that my wife money.

[Ebro Darden]

I don't listen. Whoever's money, you know that little lady

[T.I.]

everybody going crazy about.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[T.I.]

That her money.

[Ebro Darden]

But that's a real thing. Like, somebody tried to tell me it wasn't done. It wasn't real.

[T.I.]

Well, it is real. They do have the right to appeal. It is. You know, the numbers fluctuate. You know what I'm saying? Somewhere between 18 to 70 million. You know what I'm saying?

[Stassi Schroeder]

That's a big guy.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Even the low end of that is a lot of money. I'm gonna be honest.

[T.I.]

I mean, you know, but get what My life is already. I'm already straight.

[Ebro Darden]

But like I said, this was just not about your money, but specifically, but about the money.

[T.I.]

We're already straight. We're already straight. You know, And I ain't just talking about my money. She already. She was rich when I met her.

[Ebro Darden]

That's right.

[T.I.]

Right. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, she already straight. We good.

[Ebro Darden]

Y', law. Y' all ever talk about scrubs? No Scrubs money.

[T.I.]

What about it?

[Ebro Darden]

I mean, do y' all ever talk about. Do you ever just go, how much money still making?

[T.I.]

What am I talking about?

[Ebro Darden]

What does that number still look like?

[T.I.]

What do you mean?

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's between the banker and.

[T.I.]

Let's just say this. My trips to the mailbox are amazing.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Okay, that, by the way, that's the biggest one in the house, right?

[T.I.]

What's that?

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's got to be the biggest check in the house. The no Scrubs check. From a publishing standpoint, I have to

[T.I.]

imagine from a publishing standpoint. Well, she wasn't the primary.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Oh, but she's not.

[T.I.]

Wait A minute. I'm just saying, when I say primary, her and Kandy wrote that together. Somewhere between that and live your life.

[Ebro Darden]

Live your life, Live your life.

[T.I.]

Oh, my God. Somewhere between. I don't know. I don't know. It all comes.

[Ebro Darden]

Yo, the way Rihanna hit you on that yodel. When she yodel on that record, she took you to another place. My God.

[T.I.]

Hey, man, Rihanna was very, very generous. Yeah, man, very generous. And our family still thanks her to this day.

[Ebro Darden]

You know what I'm saying?

[Laura Rosenberg]

By the way, that is the craziest sounding start of a TI record that I never thought I have. Like, every time I still hear by.

[Ebro Darden]

Yo, when she pulls up with the yodel is crazy, bro.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It's a TI record.

[Stassi Schroeder]

What was your reaction when you first heard it, man?

[T.I.]

When I first heard it, I think it was just Blaze on there doing that shit. So it was way craz.

[Ebro Darden]

Wait, the demo was Blaze doing it?

[T.I.]

Yeah, the demo was Blaze. So it was way crazy.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Then just Blaze hit it. He said, oh, my God.

[Stassi Schroeder]

To hear that. Oh, my God.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Rihanna.

[T.I.]

Nah.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Okay, so how did you guys end up on Rihanna, man?

[T.I.]

It was a no brainer, bro. It was a no brainer. They said Rihanna. I said, hell yeah. And, you know, at the time, I was still like house arrest type shit, so I couldn't really move around. So I couldn't go and ask myself. I couldn't. You know what I mean?

[Stassi Schroeder]

Okay, okay.

[T.I.]

G. Roberson kind of, you know, he kind of quarterbacked that motherfucker and she was gracious enough to do it. And as soon as I heard it, I was like, yeah, we going.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So is that the second you got it done, you walk out of the studio and you go, this is gonna be a song that takes me to different places than I've ever been before.

[T.I.]

Absolutely. You know it without question. Even though when I got the vocals back, we were already in the middle of whatever you like, which had already gone crazy. Yeah, yeah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

See, but it's different versions of going crazy, right? Because whatever you like was gigantic but stayed mostly urban, right? No, it didn't.

[T.I.]

It went all the way around all formats.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Oh, all formats.

[T.I.]

All formats, yeah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

He didn't watch numbers, but he remembers those numbers.

[Ebro Darden]

Now, listen, when it come to this radio format thing, T, I always been on that, like, playing my. Who's not playing my shit? I need to know.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So whatever you like went everywhere, and then live your life went even bigger.

[T.I.]

Well, so it was a very unique moment, I think. I don't know if it's been done since then. But at the time, I don't think in hip hop, it had been anyone that was number one and then number one until their second single moved the next one.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Oh, really? That's what happened.

[T.I.]

So live your life. Replace whatever you.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Oh, that's crazy.

[T.I.]

Number one and number two. Wow. Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

So, on. On, man.

[T.I.]

Hold up, man. Oh, hey, King. I'm on. I'm. I'm on Ebro, Laura and Rosenberg show, and we. They. We were just talking about you. You. You have anything intelligent to say? Oh, tell them. Tell them I said, what's up, man?

[Ebro Darden]

What's happening?

[Laura Rosenberg]

What up, King?

[T.I.]

Yeah, what's up with it, man? Peace and positivity, man.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Love that.

[T.I.]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

And tell them we're not doing no new records.

[T.I.]

Hey, hey, man, we don't move. We don't move down, right?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[T.I.]

I mean.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, I'm trying to.

[T.I.]

Okay. All right. Right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I love this. I like this vibe.

[T.I.]

I love it. I love that for you, dog. That's a good idea. Glad you thought of it. Yeah, man, I. I caught you. Anything pressing? Can I holler at you when I get through with this? What my grandbaby doing? He ain't doing nothing. He sleep. Just went to sleep. All right, well, I get with you. You call was a little kid performing. Let him know. At Juicy Crab yesterday.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Is there video?

[T.I.]

Send the video.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yo, he sounds like he's in a great space.

[T.I.]

Thank the Lord.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It got the kid down for the early nap. That early nap is key.

[Ebro Darden]

Early nap. That 10am Nap there in Georgia, too. He's.

[T.I.]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's. You know, we have. He has his own dwelling on. On the estate, so he had, like.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I can't take separate dwellings on an estate. Is so wild, bro.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, remember you was having the problems with the gate entry? Remember all of that was in the public. Is that. Y' all still in the same place?

[T.I.]

Nah, we bought a different crib, so I think she sold that. That was her house, by the way.

[Ebro Darden]

Got it.

[T.I.]

You know what I'm saying? So, you know. You know, 16 years of marriage, you know what I'm saying? Ups and downs, peaks and valleys.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Oh, so that was at one point, her place.

[T.I.]

Yeah, that was her place, yo.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Hilarious.

[T.I.]

I love that. That's one thing about having a rich wife. She ain't gonna. She don't do shit you say. She ain't gonna do shit you say at all.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I will literally get my own house right now.

[T.I.]

Nah, exactly. Oh, that. What you doing. Oh, you ain't answer your phone. Okay. I Want the house. Get me the house. Yes, the big one.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's the big one.

[Ebro Darden]

Behind. Yes, behind the gate.

[T.I.]

And tell them he can't come in.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Oh, my God. You're like me.

[T.I.]

You got me. I can't come in. Yeah, but get what. So funny as hell, right? So. And you know, it times. So this the thing, right? It's times where, like, we'll be cool. You know what I'm saying? And I, you know, come back in and out, and more people, they be cool. But the times when we ain't cool is a motherfucker was like, nah, you ain't cool. You ain't cool. She told me you ain't cool. I'm like, bro, man, open this fucking gate, dog. Nah, nah, nah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That is hilarious. But her people are like, we just. The last conversation we heard.

[T.I.]

Exactly, exactly.

[Ebro Darden]

You didn't get the update? Open the gate.

[T.I.]

The funniest shit. The funniest shit, bro. One time, bro, man, they would open the gate, I parked the car, got out and walked. I said, toe it. And I walked to the house. I said, man, you think you can keep me from coming, Coming to my house? You think you.

[Ebro Darden]

But I thought it was her house.

[T.I.]

We married, so it's kind of his house.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It's kind of his.

[T.I.]

Hilarious.

[Ebro Darden]

We married.

[T.I.]

You call the police all you want to. You can't put me out. You hear me?

[Ebro Darden]

So back to the I kill the king. Yeah. What? Who's on this joint now? All we know so far is you and Farrell collect. What else? What else can you DJ tune?

[T.I.]

Okay, we got. Let me see. Mike Wheel.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah.

[T.I.]

We got Jazzy Faye. Wow, I love that. Who else we got, man? Weezy. Oh, okay. We got Spider, Usher.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Okay,

[T.I.]

that's all I can remember right now. DRO Young dro.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Young dro, I love that too.

[Ebro Darden]

He been moving around. Now, you as an elder statesman, an OG in Atlanta, if you will, there's been, you know, metro booming, put out a tape this summer, trying to bring that feeling back.

[T.I.]

Futuristic summer.

[Ebro Darden]

Futuristic summer. Yeah. Jermaine Dupri is, you know, put out a project this year that or 2025, that was capturing the magic, you know, of the club scene and what magic was about.

[T.I.]

Right.

[Ebro Darden]

Are you feeling like the generations. And I've asked several people from Atlanta, this, the generations of the newer artists and the older artists is a collaborative effort there. It feels good. Cause I'm seeing DRO collabing on a lot of things, and it feels like

[T.I.]

the cities I do. But I think even more so than that, what I believe is for a while now because of the success of some sounds. I think the industry got away from regional sounds. So everybody sound like they from everywhere. And so what I think, more so than generationally, I think just getting back to the sound of a place, I think that's what's being done. You know what I'm saying? Like, know what Atlanta pulled to sound like. Just like they know what Houston pulled to sound like. They know what LA pulled to sound like. They know what Detroit pulled to sound like. And when everything starting to sound the same, it loses its effect. So when you get back to the origin to, you know what shit really, really, really posed to be, that's when people get excited.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I feel. I love that when you would you. When you made. Sorry. With. With three stacks. That's what's going back like 13, 14 years now or something.

[T.I.]

Like, been a minute. Yeah. It was probably one of the greatest ass whoopings I received on

[Laura Rosenberg]

Hit the Button Ebro. Because he did it to himself. Second you. The second you asked for the verse. Yeah, you know what's happening.

[T.I.]

You played yourself. I did my thing, like, you know what I'm saying? I was. I was like. Like I was confident walking in and he just kept saying, oh, yeah, I'mma do it, I'mma do it. Yeah, yeah, I got it, I got it. Yeah, sure, sure. I'm like, man, what the fuck? And then finally he came in and he didn't have one piece of paper. This man had stacks of paper.

[Laura Rosenberg]

He was literally stacking. Literally three stacks.

[T.I.]

I'm talking about. This man had. And I'm like, man, what the fuck? And he just started. I'm like. I'm like, man, what. What I wanted to say. Get him out of there. But I'm like, man, that's my record. You know what I'm saying?

[Laura Rosenberg]

But you didn't. Did you recut yours after you let it be? You said, it's gonna be as good as it's gonna get.

[T.I.]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't have that story. Cause for one, him talking about him and Big's situation, I can't top that. What the fuck I'm gonna do, right? You know what I mean? So I just, you know, I left my shit where it was. That was the greatest ass whooping I've received.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Do you think that when it comes to. I'm not talking about body of work. I'm not talking about the whole. When it comes to just the ability to do things on a microphone in a way that nobody else can do. It. Do you think there's anyone better at it than Andre? Cause I don't know that I think there is. I don't know if he has the best body work or not better.

[T.I.]

I think there are people who are as good.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Got it.

[T.I.]

You know what I'm saying? Not many.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I can't imagine you think there are many.

[T.I.]

I mean, that is. It's a rare answer.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It's rare.

[T.I.]

You know what I mean? It's definitely like Kendrick, scarface, Jay Z. T.I. lil Wayne. Yeah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I mean, Marshall Mathers.

[T.I.]

M. Definitely M. Yes. Yeah, man.

[Laura Rosenberg]

But the air gets thin up there. It starts to get thin.

[T.I.]

It does it. The Jay electronica, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's. You know, it's.

[Laura Rosenberg]

What is it about Jay Elect that you like so much?

[T.I.]

I mean, dope. Just dope, bro.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Like, you know, he's so unique, right?

[T.I.]

And he's like, you know that. That actor, I think he was in There Will Be Blood. Daniel Day Lewis. Yeah. So you know this nigga is a shoemaker. Who? Daniel Day Lewis.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Daniel Day Lewis, yeah.

[T.I.]

He works in Europe. Like, also like a regular day job and just pop out every now and then and do some Oscar worthy and go back to his job. That's some superlative. That's what Jay electronica is like, you know what I'm saying? Some pop out, do some shit that's better than 90 of this out and then just go back to what the.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Wandering the universe, doing J Elect things.

[T.I.]

Gallivanting.

[Ebro Darden]

Gallivanting the world.

[Stassi Schroeder]

It is a beautiful life, though.

[Laura Rosenberg]

No, it is an interesting life.

[Ebro Darden]

I just saw J Elect putting out tour dates with his dog.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I saw that. Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

He was like, yeah, I'm coming to your city. And his dog, he couldn't get his dogs to be still.

[T.I.]

That's a fucking life, bro.

[Ebro Darden]

You know what I mean?

[T.I.]

That's a fucking. That's the way I want to live. Like Jay electronica, Andre 3000. I want to pick up up a.

[Laura Rosenberg]

A flute.

[T.I.]

A weird instrument. A weird instrument, you know what I'm saying?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Would win. That would mean you kind of did that.

[Stassi Schroeder]

You kind of are. I did what you kind of are doing. Walking to the beat of your own,

[Ebro Darden]

you know, like, comedy was that.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Comedy was your flute, bro.

[T.I.]

I'll go for that.

[Stassi Schroeder]

None of us would ever have thought that.

[Ebro Darden]

I didn't know what po.

[T.I.]

Comedy I did to my flute.

[Ebro Darden]

Tip.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Right?

[T.I.]

Tip.

[Ebro Darden]

I didn't know what people was talking about. They was like, yeah, his comedy. I was like, his comedy.

[T.I.]

Comedy.

[Ebro Darden]

What are you talking about, man, it was.

[T.I.]

It was. It was four years. It's been four years.

[Ebro Darden]

I met. Bro. I missed it January. And I bet you. And I bet you I saw your face. If I think hard enough, I think I did see your name on flyers and I thought you was performing.

[T.I.]

And that's what caused people to boo. Right, right, right. When they put me on a flyer with comedians and rappers and I come outside and goddamn, knock, knock.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Oh, okay. That makes perfect sense.

[T.I.]

You know what I'm saying? Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

I was like, oh, tip. Performing. All right.

[T.I.]

But I. But that taught me, don't get on shows that offer music.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's a great point.

[T.I.]

You know what I'm saying? Don't. Don't do those. So I learned that then.

[Laura Rosenberg]

We didn't mention this yesterday, by the way. Did you. Do you guys see that? The rumor this weekend is that Jay Z is not only. This is not only a tour in place, but there's a Jay Z album coming.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Coming.

[Ebro Darden]

Is that the rumor?

[Laura Rosenberg]

That was the rumor. This weekend was not reliable. You didn't see it.

[Ebro Darden]

Time out, Time out. Okay, okay, hang on.

[Stassi Schroeder]

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[Ebro Darden]

Last week we knew nothing of a tour. We just knew that two weeks was blocked out at the Barclay Center.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's what we heard.

[Ebro Darden]

Okay, so that. That is not a rumor of a tour, though.

[T.I.]

No, that's all residency.

[Laura Rosenberg]

A residency. A rumor of a resident.

[Ebro Darden]

By the way, it doesn't have his name on it. It's made up. They don't know who has the two

[T.I.]

it was also a merch item, wasn't it? Y merch item.

[Laura Rosenberg]

There was no.

[Stassi Schroeder]

He.

[Laura Rosenberg]

He re released Dead Presidents. They put out the single on vinyl. On his website, they announced the 25 year old streaming. Is this.

[T.I.]

Is this an anniversary year? 25 old dogs like us, we like the. The anniversary.

[Ebro Darden]

You got yours lined up? 20J30.

[Laura Rosenberg]

30 of reasonable doubt.

[T.I.]

Oh, yeah. This is logical. It makes sense.

[Ebro Darden]

No, no, no, but all I'm saying is we don't have. Have confirmation. That's all I'm saying. I'm not saying it doesn't make sense,

[T.I.]

but it's a reasonable assumption for sure.

[Laura Rosenberg]

A reasonable, very reasonable.

[Ebro Darden]

I have reasonable doubt.

[T.I.]

You have doubt.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I. I don't know.

[Ebro Darden]

Especially. Especially for the new album.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I don't know. They said that. Why are you doubting that?

[T.I.]

Why would. Why wouldn't he, though?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah, why wouldn't he?

[Ebro Darden]

I just.

[Stassi Schroeder]

And in Brooklyn.

[Ebro Darden]

It all makes sense.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Remember when Bleak came out?

[Ebro Darden]

Just not a pessimist. No, no, no. I'm just don't want. I don't want to get my hope. So.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Remember when Bleak. Remember when Bleak said on a podcast, Bleak came out at some point and said, you know, Jay's always in the studio. I was just blah, blah. And then he got scolded. And then Bleak was like, my bad. I didn't say anything. Something like that happened because I'm sure

[Ebro Darden]

he's always recording something, trying something. We all working on material. All this is true. But I don't want to get my hopes up. They might do a full art installation at the Barclay center where we walk around and look at holograms for two weeks. And that's cool, too.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I'd be happy.

[Ebro Darden]

I'll be happy. But not gonna go all the way to the, you know, album and tour. Last week it was a tour we didn't know nothing about. This week we jumped all the way to album. I'm not doing it.

[Stassi Schroeder]

I thought it was just an anniversary.

[T.I.]

I think the album is more. Is more likely than the tour. Well, if it's two week at the Barclays, that makes sense. But as far as going.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah, full tour round, ain't nobody doing that, man.

[T.I.]

Fuck all that.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, well, talk. Can you speak to us as a rich person when you say fuck all that? Like, it's just like, I'm not going city to city with y'.

[T.I.]

All.

[Ebro Darden]

Like, fuck all that.

[T.I.]

Rich people like to sleep in our beds. We like to be in our homes and drive our own cars and do the things that we like and be on Our boats.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That sounds.

[T.I.]

You know what I'm saying? That's what the fuck we got.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Why did Jay Z drive jump car?

[T.I.]

You gotta go to Toledo, Ohio today.

[Ebro Darden]

And Toledo. He didn't mean anything by that. He didn't mean anything by that.

[T.I.]

I'm just the problem with Toledo. I have no issue. No issue. I take no issue.

[Laura Rosenberg]

We love Toledo.

[T.I.]

Yeah, I take no issue with Toledo. But at the same time, when I go to Toledo, I'm not sleeping on in my bed.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's right.

[T.I.]

You know what I'm saying? You could say any other place, L.A. or anywhere, man. It's not gonna be in my bed. I don't get to go and open my refrigerator, you know what I'm saying?

[Ebro Darden]

That's right.

[T.I.]

And you know, if you don't have to. And another thing. And this is. This is. This is just me. I ain't speaking for Jake, me. No matter how much you charge, right? No matter how much you charge for your show. I don't give a fuck if it's a one thousand, a hundred thousand, one million, it's still somebody sitting at home counting your counting more money. They paid you to come do something so they can make money.

[Ebro Darden]

Say that again. Meaning whoever owned the venue, you work

[T.I.]

for somebody, you're working for somebody to promote. Why the I gotta drag myself out of my house to hop around, sing and dance for this? To stay home and count money?

[Laura Rosenberg]

I mean, listen, not all deals are the exact same. You know what I'm saying? Beyonce, Taylor Swift, they make a lot of money. I mean, you think they make it

[Ebro Darden]

more than Live Nation, though?

[T.I.]

Yeah. See what I'm saying?

[Ebro Darden]

That's what he's talking about.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I know, but how close is that, you think? You think?

[Ebro Darden]

I don't know, but how much more? I can't imagine they're fronting all the money.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I think they said, Taylor, on the last tour, I think she made, I

[Ebro Darden]

think 300 million and they probably made triple.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You think? You think so?

[Ebro Darden]

Probably.

[T.I.]

No, but they at least made as much.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Right, Right. Which is still a split,

[T.I.]

you know what I'm saying?

[Laura Rosenberg]

But into your. To. To. To Tip's point, I'd rather stay home

[T.I.]

and cop people and say, hey, man, you want to come do a show, come do a show.

[Laura Rosenberg]

But that's why the Barkley makes sense. Because to your point, he has his spot in New York. He does get to be at home. You do get to be home and do the show for two weeks.

[T.I.]

That's why I said that makes sense.

[Stassi Schroeder]

So let's See. You have anything planned for the 20th anniversary of ATL?

[T.I.]

Yeah, man. I don't know if Hannah want me to say it.

[Ebro Darden]

All right, well, don't.

[T.I.]

I don't know if Hannah want me to say it, but yes, there is

[Laura Rosenberg]

something in the world. Come on.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Come on.

[T.I.]

Yeah, I don't know if Hannah want me to say it. It's going to be. Let's just say if it. If it goes the way we think it going to go, it will be the biggest.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, God.

[T.I.]

Skate party.

[Ebro Darden]

You just said what it is.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Well, if. But he added the word if.

[T.I.]

If. All right, all right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

How about this, too? I don't ever ask you.

[Ebro Darden]

Nah. This is why they don't let you decide sometimes.

[T.I.]

You never guess the venue.

[Ebro Darden]

You never guess.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Don't let him talk anymore because something

[T.I.]

else will slip out. But it's if.

[Laura Rosenberg]

No, tell us a fun story of Denzel from American Gangster.

[T.I.]

A fun story? Yeah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Can you got anything fun for Denzel? Yeah.

[T.I.]

I'm gonna tell you. And you know what I'm saying this. This here, it tickled me at least. So, you know Frank Lucas was on set.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, that's right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Oh. During the making of the film.

[T.I.]

And. And, you know, in his head, he was still the same Frank Lucas before. He was not.

[Ebro Darden]

No disrespect. Things had changed.

[T.I.]

I mean, I'm just saying he wasn't. You know what I'm saying? I'm sure he ruled with a much more iron fist in his time. And so watching him try to tell Denzel how to be Frank Lucas was crazy.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It's essentially an acting lesson to Denzel.

[T.I.]

Nah. Let me tell you. See, look, now, you know, then they say, well, yeah, come. You know, and he. He was trying, like, at first he was trying to be.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah.

[T.I.]

And then finally, like, man, like. And that. That was crazy to me. That was wild to watch.

[Ebro Darden]

Was that. Was that your biggest. Was that your biggest role so far? Was that American gangster role?

[T.I.]

Define big. Or.

[Ebro Darden]

I mean, I guess we talking box office? No, I guess. Who you. Who you were working with? Who you were working with? Yeah,

[T.I.]

I mean, Takers was pretty big.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Yeah.

[T.I.]

I mean, I didn't have a Denzel, but you know what I'm saying? We had Paul Walker, we had Idris, Michael Ealy, Chris Brown. It was so many of us, you know what I'm saying? That showed up and that ensemble, you know, it was as big Will Ferrell and fucking Kevin Hart. That was a pretty big one.

[Ebro Darden]

That's.

[T.I.]

But I mean, man, bro, it was definitely My internship. That was my second movie. So I was really just there learning. Cause, you know, for atl, I was number one on the call sheet. That was my first movie.

[Ebro Darden]

And that's crazy.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You were the lead. You're the lead in the first movie, and you didn't know what the f. You were doing.

[T.I.]

I did. I didn't. I almost got fired.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Like, wait, why?

[Laura Rosenberg]

This is still tip day.

[Ebro Darden]

He was on rapper mode.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You were in rap mode.

[Stassi Schroeder]

You weren't showing up on time.

[T.I.]

Listen. So this was after the success of, like, bring him out. You don't know me. Oh, he was gassing, working on the team. I probably, man, Leo showed up, and I think he might have brought me a 10 million. $7 million check.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Oh, God.

[T.I.]

I'm making $60,000 to do this thing here.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It's a favor.

[T.I.]

They want me to show up for skate practice and all this. I just bought a Phantom. Two Phantoms in the city. It was big boy and mine, right? And I'm walking and I'm driving. I'm driving this big motherfucker. I'm driving a boat and blowing good gas through the sunroof, showing up. And I was. You know, I used to try to, like, you know, the rest of the cast, you know, of course, they stay at a hotel. They have a shuttle take. I used to be like, man, I come pick y' all up. I come pick y' all up. Come ride with me. So I'm. We all late. Pulling up late in the motherfucker. They like, bro, he gonna fire you, dawg.

[Ebro Darden]

Well.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Cause you're messing up the amount of money that you cost a studio to push a thing back hours. Everyone has to get paid that time.

[Ebro Darden]

Well, then you just got regular working people who just decide to be their job, and they gotta go home. I gotta pick my kid up from school. That's true.

[T.I.]

Yep, yep, yep. I didn't understand any of this. Yeah, I didn't understand any of this. I was introduced to the reality very soon.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah.

[T.I.]

And it was really on some shit. Like, I was like, so fire me. You want your $65,000 back? You know what I mean?

[Laura Rosenberg]

So then by the time you do American Gangster, your second movie, but now Denzel is first on the call list, and you're a bit down.

[T.I.]

Yes. But the thing is, now I actually get to see how number one on the call sheet, she conducts themselves right. And the responsibility, the leadership that comes

[Stassi Schroeder]

with that, the tone they set. Yeah.

[T.I.]

So I was able to actually learn. And not even just, man. That was a man that set was crazy. You had the legendary Miss Ruby D. You had rza, you had Russell Crowe, Common, you had Chiwetel Ijifor. You had, man, just so many bad motherfuckers on set at one time, and everybody, you know, just vibing. It wasn't no ego. Nobody was thinking they were, you know what I mean? More than anyone else, it was just a phenomenal experience.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So I'm guessing you're. The way that you were on those sets was night and day.

[T.I.]

Well, absolutely. But after the first week of atl, I kind of got it.

[Ebro Darden]

Okay.

[T.I.]

You know what I mean? I didn't continue on like that. I just. It was a learning curve.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Right, right, right. Needed a week. Needed a week with the Phantom.

[Ebro Darden]

Did you notice a different way people dealt with you when they noticed, oh, okay, this guy, he has records that I like. He's a rapper, he likes songs. Oh, no, they made a movie that I like. And now did people start to maybe see you differently?

[T.I.]

I saw a difference. Atl, yes. American Gangster. That was Denzel shit, you know, right? More so from American Gangsters. Like, hey, man, I was watching Denzel and I saw you. You know what I'm saying? Some shit like that. But where I really noticed the difference was the family hustle. Motherfuckers is like, you know, when I told you, me and my old lady, we had our moments, you know, I be minding my business, and little old lady walk up to me, hey, take your ass home to your wife. You know what I'm saying? I'm like, will you mind your business, ma'? Am? No, you take your ass home to your wife. You know what I'm saying? So that is the most intrusive line of fame. And that's interesting, because they were so vulnerable. Is the most intrusive because you're in people's like, homes.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Yes.

[T.I.]

For real. Like regular. Every day, 8:30, like dinner. You know what I mean? Like, you're at their dinner table.

[Laura Rosenberg]

How many seasons was that?

[Stassi Schroeder]

13?

[T.I.]

12. No, like that.

[Stassi Schroeder]

And it's your whole family too. It's not just you.

[Ebro Darden]

Well, tip talk about. And. And first of all, I want to thank you for giving us so much time today. First of all, very cool. Thank you, man.

[T.I.]

I came up here just for this. I ain't have. Oh, man, listen, I got some billboard boys. I got to go. You know, I got billboards. I don't know where they at. Where the billboards at?

[Ebro Darden]

Uhoh. You got billboards around New York. I ain't seeing it. This where the billboards at Times Square.

[T.I.]

Yeah, I got billboards out. Got to go check on, so.

[Ebro Darden]

But I. I wanted to say first, thank you. And thank you for sharing all these great stories and just always being transparent, giving us a great interview, man.

[T.I.]

Thank y'. All. Thank y' all for listening. Because no matter how dope the we do is, if you mother don't listen, it doesn't matter.

[Ebro Darden]

Well, thank you.

[T.I.]

So Thank y' all for that.

[Ebro Darden]

And thank you for getting back to these raps and wanting to put music out and all that too, because you're a legend in the game.

[T.I.]

Never got away from them, but we wasn't getting them. But, yes, you should have been, because I got. I got a record I dropped not too long ago, man. Me and Kevin Gates. Bad.

[Ebro Darden]

Really?

[T.I.]

Check it out. Yeah, yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

Missed it. I missed it.

[Laura Rosenberg]

There's a lot of that comes out. It's just.

[Ebro Darden]

I missed it.

[T.I.]

Well, it's 60,000 songs a day, right?

[Ebro Darden]

It's up to 120.

[T.I.]

Oh, my.

[Laura Rosenberg]

The streaming era is crazy.

[T.I.]

What the.

[Ebro Darden]

But, but. Sorry, Laura, but I do want to give you space on the family hustle thing, right? Because fathering, being a parent in public with young children for 13 seasons, I would love to hear from you how much that helped in some ways. Was it cathartic? Was there therapy and things that came out of it, Things you learned was able to do different. Different.

[T.I.]

60, 40.

[Ebro Darden]

Okay.

[Laura Rosenberg]

60, 40, good.

[T.I.]

60, 40, bad.

[Laura Rosenberg]

60, 40, bad.

[T.I.]

All right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I would have guessed more bad.

[T.I.]

Well, you know what? Yeah, I'm gonna say that by six.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Okay. Why?

[T.I.]

Well, for one, it alleviates mystery. You know what I'm saying? Like, if a know what you're doing all the time, they ain't got no reason to show up to see what you're doing. No. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But what I will be honest with you and say the intention of it was to show me in a different light. That's after my second prison stint and after I foolishly made a U turn in front of a sign that says no U turns. Can't do it on Sunset. I make a U turn. I do it every time I go back.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Every.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Do you?

[T.I.]

Yes. I make sure my pockets are clean.

[Ebro Darden]

But.

[T.I.]

But after the second prison run, it was like, ah, this nigga, he just a fuck up. You know what I'm saying? Ah, this nigga's just about these two mistakes he's made.

[Ebro Darden]

He ain't.

[T.I.]

He not serious. Right? So coming out of that, the goal for the show was to show me in a Different light with family, balancing business and, you know, turning my life around, so on and so forth. So it did that like a motherfucker.

[Ebro Darden]

Okay.

[T.I.]

It just did a whole bunch of other extra shit that I wasn't counting on. You know what I mean? Some of that is absolutely positive. Like, it showed my family. I never knew these motherfuckers were stars, like Major and fucking Evil and King Damani. I never knew that. They, like, when the camera was just on them and I wasn't in the scene, how they opened up and their presentation of themselves, I got to see how they saw themselves, which as a parent, we very rarely get to see that.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah, that's interesting. This is how I want to present myself to the camera, because I.

[Ebro Darden]

And when you're around your kid, they kind of.

[T.I.]

They just kind of go in into who they think you see them as.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, that's right.

[T.I.]

Who they think they are supposed to be around you, you very rarely get a chance to see who your children really want to see themselves as. And so it did that, and I was like, wow. I never. You know what I mean? I just never really looked at them like that, you know? And it's the greatest family photo album I could have ever asked for.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's true, too.

[T.I.]

That's worth.

[Laura Rosenberg]

What about impact on how the kids grew up in school, etc. Ego, being hot and being hot in school, all that stuff.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Outside of famous parents.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah. Already had famous parents, and now they're famous on their own.

[T.I.]

I think I have to ask them, bro. I think King, to me, because Damani pointed this out. King went to school by himself. Public school. Damani and Messiah always went to school together. King Deja, like, they always went to school by themselves. So I believe there was a heightened level of envy and jealousy. There was. That he kind of dealt with however he deals with things, you know?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Sounded very good as of today.

[T.I.]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, he's a great kid, though. Like, he really is. Like, I've seen him do things, you know, that exhibit just a great quality of character. You know what I mean? Like, even when, you know, even when he go too far out there, it's like. Like, for instance, the Waffle House thing, Right? So Waffle House. So the Waffle House thing, you know, I was always big on, hey, man, stand up for yourself. Don't let nobody disrespect you. Let you. You know what I'm saying? You train people how to treat you. You have to train people how to treat you. And so he's in There. And I don't know if the dude just was upset that he had to work and King is on fucking live Instagram and something happened and I guess the dude threw his order at him. Well, some. Something happened where he messed the order up. And so King said he ain't want it, so he threw it back. And so he said, come outside. Come on outside. We gonna get it on right now. Come on outside. I'm like, bro, bro, you just left a five million dollar house and a quarter million dollar car. The pull up to the wifi house expecting five star customer service. What the fuck is wrong with you? He was like, nah, but he threw the food at me. I say after he made it wrong, it wasn't your food anymore. Why the fuck do you care? You said, don't let nobody disrespect me. And I'm like, bro, discernment. You must use discernment. And now I think he's finding that balance of what is and is not working worth, you know, the time, effort and energy.

[Ebro Darden]

That's right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Just hearing his voice on the phone, though, like, just hearing how he interacts with you on the phone naturally in real life, like, you can just hear the spirit of a good kid.

[Ebro Darden]

Joy to call your dad and say you heard his new single being performed by.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Did he send the video, though? Did he send the video of the kid performing?

[T.I.]

Let him know I ain't eat, I

[Ebro Darden]

ain't eat, but you know what I'm saying. He was happy to let dad know that just somebody was performing his song at a random spot.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Which is so funny, right? That you be hot like it's ti.

[T.I.]

He got his little hat to the side too, too.

[Ebro Darden]

Let me see. A little, bro. Let us know the only thing moving. What? Send it to Rasan. We'll put it in the video.

[T.I.]

Yeah, yeah, that's dope, bro.

[Ebro Darden]

We got to post that.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I love that.

[T.I.]

Yeah, man, but, but, but I love, man, all my kid, bro, we just became, man, so much closer once they get through that phase. It's that phase of like 15 to 20, you know what I mean? Because, you know, you're a teenager technically, like, you're too old to be considered a kid for real, but you're not old enough to be looked at as an adult and you just kind of fighting for respect and you know what I mean?

[Ebro Darden]

And you're still trying to figure yourself out.

[T.I.]

Right? Right, right. So once you get through those years, the rest of it, man, and it's just. I can't describe it. Nothing else but it's the greatest thing that you could raise. You raise a human to hang out with. I raised a human that now if ain't nobody I can call, man. Hey. Shit. What you doing, man? Pull up, man.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Let's go.

[T.I.]

And you know what I mean, that shit is cool.

[Stassi Schroeder]

It's been beautiful to see your family grow. Cause we've all seen them grow. I partake. I love all your team, but Harris is. To me, she's gonna be a Broadway star, man.

[T.I.]

Harris is the love of my life. I. I am. I know it's gonna. I know that moment is gonna come. Like right now. She's daddy's girl. And I know that moment gonna come where she gonna turn. I know she gonna turn.

[Laura Rosenberg]

What, from being always daddy's girl?

[T.I.]

Yeah, she gonna turn. You know what I mean? You know it gonna be some little snotty nose, nappy head little boy. Well, I won' cause she in the K pop.

[Laura Rosenberg]

She like, it could be anything.

[T.I.]

Yeah. You know what I'm saying? They might share eyeshadow. I don't know. You know what I'm saying?

[Ebro Darden]

No, but times have changed.

[T.I.]

I just know. I just know that it's gonna be a little boy that she gonna, you know, she gonna side with him over me. And, you know, I just gotta prepare for that. Cause he's gonna fuck with up. He's gonna up.

[Ebro Darden]

That's part of the process.

[T.I.]

And I'll be here.

[Ebro Darden]

There you go. T. I, man. Kill the King. We don't have an album date, though.

[T.I.]

Not one that I'm sharing. No.

[Ebro Darden]

Okay. But right now we focused on Let them know.

[T.I.]

Let them know.

[Ebro Darden]

And it's a new week, so we not focused on last week.

[T.I.]

Yeah, last week of last week, man.

[Ebro Darden]

There we go.

[T.I.]

It's been a week's worth of nonsense. I'm trying to get back to, you know, my elevation of consciousness, raising my vibrations, man, and. And speaking peace and positivity into the world.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I love that.

[T.I.]

I would enjoy maintaining this for as long as I can. Everybody, please, man. I only want to exist in a positive space. I don't care what else everybody else is doing. I support whatever you're doing. Long as you ain't breaking in my house, I just won't. I just want peace, prosperity, positivity for everyone because that's what I want for myself. And I want to continue to raise my grandchildren, continue to be an example, continue to provide and protect the women and children in my family. That's it.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's it.

[T.I.]

That's it. That's all I want. You know what I mean?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Love that.

[T.I.]

Y' all can have the rest of this shit.

[Ebro Darden]

There it is. Give it up for T.I. thank you, T. Thank you for joining us today. Yo, and that's a show. We need an outro.

[T.I.]

Hit it. We got a beat. What does that mean?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Let him hear.

[T.I.]

Let him hear.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Start outro.

[Ebro Darden]

Yo, man, we didn't get to the super chat today because we was talking to TI we also didn't get to get to a lot of things.

[Laura Rosenberg]

No, we just got to see. I was talking to TI Tomorrow is Wednesday, and we'll get to it all.

[Ebro Darden]

We'll have a Patreon coming later on today. And make sure you subscribe and share and do all the algorithm things tomorrow, bro, because that's what's going on. Wait, what's today? Today's Tuesday. Yeah, Patreon's tomorrow, and then that's Wednesday.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's. Yo, I got you, bro. Every week.

[Ebro Darden]

Every week.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Every week. Every week.

[Ebro Darden]

Every week. Don't call it a podcast.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Close your eyes. Exhale. Feel your body relax. And let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh, my gosh. They're so fast.

[T.I.]

And breathe.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste. Visit 1-800contacts.com today to save on your first order. 1-800-contacts.