@TIP
Someone in T.I.’s camp recently published to his website a letter illustrating his current mental state behind bars.  He alludes to a promise not to return to prison on the account he’s just “tired” of being locked up.  I’m sure everyone currently locked up is tired of it as well but anyway….

“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”

First of all I think its time T.I. drops the “King” moniker.  Hell, Lebron James should drop it as well.  Kings don’t team up with two other kings and sit side by side in their thrones and the sure as hell don’t go to jail.  I’m kind of relieved to hear this level of anger and passion about his situation in the letter but I have no sympathy for him trying to blame others for his incarceration.  Was he crediting that same unfortunate upbringing for his rap celebrity and budding movie career?  I mean he says “I’m not trying to make any excuses for my situation” then goes on to rattle off a laundry list of excuses.  I don’t get it.

Also he’s saying he’s not doing this bid for the fans or the haters or those he let down?  Then why have this posted to your website?

Look, jail is a fucked up place to be.  Somewhere I hope I never see…again.  But many of its inhabitants are there BECAUSE of the lack of resources and their environment.  Guys like T.I., Lil Wayne even Plaxico Burress are there because they’ve taken for granted the gifts and subsequent responsibilities that came with them.  T.I. save the paper.  Write your letters to your family, especially your wife who failed to hold you down.  This kind of feels like that scene from The Shawshank Redemption when Morgan Freeman’s character can’t figure out what to say to get granted bail.  Is he rehabilitated? 

“Its just a Bullshit word. So You go ahead sonny and stamp your form and stop wasting my time. Because to tell You the truth, I don’t give a shit.”

The quicker T.I. takes a page from “Red” and stops trying to be T.I. and start being Clifford, the quicker he’ll “get it.”