T.I. or Tip, whichever one is your preference is on the cover of the Fall Fashion issue of the YRB magazine. In his interview he gets into depth about how he became crowned ‘The King of the South’, the meaning of “King Uncaged”, his latest movie ‘Takers’. He also speaks on his young fashion line AKOO. On some more serious issues, the recent year of incarceration he had to serve out during 2009.
Below are a few excerpts from the interview as well as some photos from the shoot.
On how he became crowned ‘The King of the South’….
“I actually began rapping when I was nine years old and started looking for a deal when I was 11,” the 29-year-old ATL native recollects. “By the age of 18, when it still hadn’t happened for me, I was ready to focus on being a cocaine kingpin instead.”
Talks about the “King Uncaged” ….
“The title of the album signifies freedom in all senses,” he explains. “Physical freedom, mental freedom, financial freedom, artistic freedom, and also, just really taking advantage of all the opportunities around me.”
“On the album I’m Serious, I wrote the lyrics down,” he replies. “Everything from the “Urban Legend” album to “Paper Trail“ I didn’t write down. And on this new album, I’m doing a little bit of both.” Commenting on the difference between both methods, he says, “When I get into the booth without writing, it’s like a kinetic energy or spontaneous combustion with one continuous thought, but when I decide to sit down and write, it’s more about the technique and craftsmanship of the lyrics.”
On “Takers”….
“With Takers, my partner Jason Geter and I were fortunate to be the producers of the movie,” T.I. proudly states. “That means, we were responsible for picking the cast, choosing the director and, during the days of shooting, we made sure that what was on the script was being conveyed correctly to the screen.”
On his fashion line AKOO…
“Well, first of all I can’t draw, so I don’t really get into the sketching and designing or anything. What I do is provide direction and guidance to the designers,” he explains. “You see, I shop a lot and take pictures of things that I like, and then I go back to my designers and I ask them, ‘Do we have one of this?’ or ‘Do we have this in our collection?’ The way I do business is that I look at areas that I spend thousands and thousands of dollars myself, and then I ask, ‘How can I start a company that provides the same kind of service or product?’”
His 2009 incarceration….
“There were several moments of reflection when I was away last year,” he solemnly confides, “but you know those were all just thoughts, and now it’s time to put those thoughts in action. As far as any specific resolutions I came up with, there are quite a few. It’s all about simplifying things down now, taking it one day at a time and executing.”
“Growing up in the ghetto, all you got is your pride, your ego and your resilience because everything else around you is saying to you that you ain’t shit,” he says of how he attained his indomitable drive to succeed. “So all you really have to keep you going is what you believe about yourself in your heart and your mind. I always knew the opportunity existed to be successful in music, it was just up to me to execute and navigate through the tougher periods of my life to get to where I’m at today.”
To check out the video of the shoot click on, T.I. – YRB.
Source: YRB Magazine
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