Your Black Gossip reports:
Self-Proclaimed "King of the South, Clifford "T.I." Harris, fresh out of the bing and back on Atlanta's throne, graces the Dec 2011/Jan 2012 cover of VIBE Magazine, and oh what an interview it is.
On Osama Bin Ladin, T.I. had this to say:
"The conversation shifts from Muammar Gaddafi’s death—which occurred five days prior—to Osama Bin Laden’s assassination to both Eastern giant’s once empowered relationship with the U.S. government. “It’s like everybody that the U.S. was besties with, years later they’re the worst person in the world,” says Tip. "My question is what character traits do they possess now that they didn’t possess when y’all were besties? What made it go astray, and who’s to say they were on the dishonest end of that?”
VIBE: So you’re skeptical about the legitimacy of Osama’s death?
T.I.: Man, I’m a conspiracy theorist by nature. You can’t experience the federal penal system and not be somewhat skeptical.
On comedian Tracy Morgan and homophobia in the United States, Tip held no punches:
Man, I will say this, the funniest joke I ever heard Tracy say during a stand-up was, ‘C’mon man, I think gay people are too sensitive. If you can take a dick, you can take a joke.’ [Cracks up laughing.] That shit was funny to me. And it’s kind of true.’
Though T.I. is supportive of the LGBTQ community, he makes it clear that he thinks they need to develop a think skin along with equality:
“They’re like,‘If you have an opinion against us, we’re gonna shut you down,’" T.I. said. " ...That’s not American. If you’re gay you should have the right to be gay in peace, and if you’re against it you should have the right to be against it in peace."
On 50 Cent saying that wife Tiny should have taken the recent drug charge for him, T.I. challenged the rapper's right to be in his business and insinuated that the rapper doesn't know the definition of a man:
“I’ma tell you, 50 Cent and anybody else, we not gonn’a have no discussion about what my ole lady should’a, would’a, couda done for anything as it pertains to me,” begins his rant. “We ain’t gonn’a do that. I’m the only one in my family that’s gonna take a lick when it pertains to the legal system. Since me, none of my other family members have seen a jail cell. Nobody. I’m the last one. The buck stops here. I feel that a person that stands behind [his woman for a criminal charge] is a coward anyway.”
VIBE: I doubt she would have gotten any time.
T.I.: She wasn’t gonna catch it period, ’cause I’m there. That wasn’t even a consideration. Even if she asked me to I would’ve been like, “Nah, you trippin’. “
VIBE: So you didn’t feel you were more valuable to your family, employees and business partners on the street
T.I.: That’s a discussion between me and another man. Not with the mother of my children. Not with the nurturer of my household.
Well, tell 'em how you really feel, T.I. "It's the King!"
