With Lil Wayne and T.I. in prison locked up around the same time, two different PR methods for incarcerated rap stars were on display. While T.I. barely communicated with the outside world, Wayne was all action all the time, setting up a site just to send out cheery missives, trying — and, admirably, succeeding — in making it seem like this whole prison thing was nothing more than an inconvenience, a slight hiccup on the never-ending parade of money-getting that is Wayne’s real life. And when T.I. unfortunately went right back into prison after getting out, it seemed like he was copping Wayne’s playbook, with passionate, optimistic direct messages distributed online. Well, looks like T.I. couldn’t keep up that spirit for too long: His latest note from the big house is about as bitter and sad as one might expect.
This experience is truly a pain I have never felt before and that’s saying a lot for a nigga who’s been down locked up as many times as I have. I see this as a real ass whoopin’. The kind you don’t just go back outside to play afterwards. You take ya ass to bed and don’t come out of your room until it’s time to go to school. I don’ t know what effect this will have on my life moving forward but I’m certainly sick and mother f*cking tired of going to jail, juve, prison, the pen, correctional facilities or whatever else you want to call it. I’d have been better off doing a 5-10 year bid one time than going in time and time again for days, weeks and months for the last 15 years of my life. Even though it’s been a long road, I’m still standing, barely but nevertheless still standing. At one time I thought my motivation for continuing was for my fans, my partna Philant, my pops, my grandmama, even for the haters or the people I let down. But nah… I got to do this shit for me!!! I’ll be God damned if I’ve come all this way and made it through so much hell to let it go down like this! F*ck that! If an hour in the dark is worth a second in the sun then pass me my mother f*ckin’ shades cause I’m ready to cash my darkest hours in…ASAP!!! A lot of folks had fathers or father figures in the house to raise them into manhood. I’m not trying to make any excuses for my situation but my father was a hustler that lived in New York. My uncle was a local big time dope boy turned 10 year federal inmate. My mother and grandparents did the best they could but I found my manhood in the trap and in prison systems. But I found it. And nan one of mine will ever have to feel the cold tight grip of a handcuff or grace the presence of a jail cell if I can help it. Over my dead body! So if you can’t respect that you ain’t rocking with my movement then Fuck you dog! I know a bunch of mother f*ckers who are…..
- Love KING
Oh, by the way, the promotional cycle for T.I.’s upcoming No Mercy is now getting into the swing of things, with videos and TV appearances recorded before he went away being rolled out gradually. This could get weird, folks.
A Message From T.I. #3 [Official site via MTV]