T.I. talks to Howard Stern about new book, Atlanta
T.I. visits Howard Stern's Sirius XM radio show. Photo credit: HowardStern.com
T.I. is really pressing his new status as an “author.”
The rapper made the publicity rounds in New York Tuesday to hawk his new work of fiction, “Power & Beauty: A Love Story of Life on the Streets,” and stopped by Howard Stern’s morning show on Sirius XM to talk about the book, his own literary pursuits and his recent prison stint.
In case you had any inkling of pity for the guy, consider this: T.I. told Stern that before heading to prison on weapons charges, he was making $225,000 per concert and another $75,000 to $100,000 for an after party appearance. So yep, in one night he could have conceivably pulled in $300k.
While in prison, T.I. said he got into one fight, admitting that he it started because “I wanted to fight.” He also mentioned that while incarcerated he “ran a little crew” and was generally respected by his prison mates.
When talk turned to “Power & Beauty,” Stern asked the rapper to name his favorite books and for a second, it seemed he might pull a Sarah Palin and offer an empty stammer.
But T.I. quickly recovered – surely this question has popped up elsewhere while on a book tour – and named Jay-Z’s “Decoded” and Sister Souljah’s “Coldest Winter Ever.”
T.I. said the goal with his own book was to create a piece of work “that equally entertains and educates my generation – because there isn’t enough reading going on.”
Stern also asked the rapper about his efforts to talk a man contemplating suicide down from a Midtown Atlanta building last October.
T.I. said he told the guy that “whatever it was that had him up there, we could fix it.”
When Stern wondered why T.I. hadn’t made the move to a celeb-friendly Mecca such as New York or L.A., he audibly shrugged and said, “I love Atlanta. That’s my home.”
The newly crowned author is also on a book-signing tour and will appear at Books-A-Million in Peachtree City at 7 p.m. Thursday to scribble his signature on “Power & Beauty.”
accessAtlanta Partner Sites
Sections
Advertise on accessAtlanta.com »
Reach the audience you want by advertising on accessAtlanta.com
Join the Access Atlanta Network »
Advertisers and Publishers, expand your reach by joining the Access Atlanta Network.
Tell us what you think about the site
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement | About our ads
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
67 comments Add your comment
Truthpaste
October 19th, 2011
4:05 pm
One comes out, one goes in.
SlimmeG
October 19th, 2011
4:18 pm
There’s a wise saying that goes “DO NOT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER”…….So PliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiZ Pipz STOP Judging him…WHO ARE U TO JUDGE?????……..DAts his life!!..WE should all be HAPPY wit de FACT dat TI is CHANGING!!…Can’t WE ALL JUST HAVE A TOAST ON THAT!!…COME ON!!!!…FOr all those pipz out there who are criticizing him..I feel Sorry for U!!!……coz u see…even though he has done BAD things, WE should all learn to FORGIVE N FORGET!!….Everyone does things to SURVIVE!!…N from my own Opinion “LIFE IS NOT WHERE U JUST SIT AROUND AND WAIT FOR THINGS TO COME TO U…U HAVE TO STRUGGLE FOR IT…SO YEA, T.I STRUGGLE FOR HIS LIVING”…SO PLIZ…JUST FORGIVE HIM N ENCOURAGE HIM TO CONTINUE WITH HIS ARTIST CAREER…..
@ T.I: BAd Criticism too is good for us…Why???…..It motivates us to prove them wrong…. So My Advice to u is “BE A MAN, NOT A BOY”….
Jblack
October 19th, 2011
5:26 pm
Personally I love T.I. and he is so handsome and very intelligent. His book is going to do big things. Keep up the great job!!!!!
50 Says Tiny Should Have Done T.I.’s Jail Time, T.I. Responds « theJASMINE.BRAND
October 20th, 2011
7:20 am
[...] AJC & [...]
Mike S
October 20th, 2011
9:23 am
Who did he start a fight with in prison? Emanuel Lewis aka Webster….Amazing, you want to talk about how you changed but you admitted to fighting just because you wanted to, and also proudly claims you ran a small gang of thugs behind bars….C’mon people does he really expect someone of intelligence to believe this s@#t….T.I. works for the FED’s now, Snitch #1….He’s in their back pockets people!!…Live your life and take care of your family, but for god’s sake when will these rappers stop the tough guy act?…Slinging the ROCK in a previous life doesn’t make you a bad ass, It just makes you a person that took the easy way out to make money!!….HIP HOP is like Wrestling now, Fake and full of cartoonish characters….I’m a 35 yr old blk male who’s so tired of seeing his people buy in to this ignorance.
Daartist
October 20th, 2011
11:53 am
Yeah many haters on this page.. At 225K a show.. Hate on haters.. He’s paid.. Grand Hustle 4 Life
mrs. pittman
October 20th, 2011
5:59 pm
t.i i am invisit you to talk with my pastor. jerry d. black in decatur ga.beulah missionary baptist church 2340 clifton springs road 404-241-3307
Muffican Jam
October 20th, 2011
10:50 pm
MLK did something for Atlanta. Hank Aaron did something for Atlanta. Heck Kasim Reed is doing something for Atlanta BUT not T.I. C’mon people. Everytime a rapper gets out of jail we celebrate his/her return like they just graduated college or returned home from Iraq after a successful tour of duty. Please, there are a lot better rappers out there than this dude that know how to drive down the street and not have a lap full of drugs. Don’t confuse what a person makes with his impact on society. Studio execs get these kids to glamorize living in the hood is good. Give me a break. When is someone going to rap about their parents both live at home and have good jobs and make the right decisions in life. There are more people like that out here than in the hood. BUT, there’s $$ in the selling of the hood life. Selling to the lowest common denominator out here. This kid is a victim of the meat grinder that is the music industry. How many of ya’ll put something on his books when he was in?? I feel for people that see rapping as the only way of getting out of their situation.
marcus
October 23rd, 2011
2:43 pm
did he explain why after being surrounded by all those fine women, he married the ugliest one he could.
JB
October 23rd, 2011
3:21 pm
Bet that fight and “crew” stuff is made up. But glad T.I. is back.
TaxMan
October 23rd, 2011
5:08 pm
I don’t have a problem with TI making $300K a night. He makes it because people are willing to pay! It is that simple. It is like drugs. People complain about the influx of drugs into this country but it would not be happening if it was an empty well. People create the market and control the price based on demand!
You want to know how TI helps the ATL?So much of the ATL relies on the GOVT TIT to live day to day>People like TI helps & Tyler Perry pay that bill by making millions to help keep the black community from starving.
Groove
October 23rd, 2011
6:11 pm
Before T.I. went to prison he was handing out backpacks full of school supplies in his Bankhead community. He still does this every year before the school year starts. He doesnt boast or brag or even mention this but he spends his own money doing this for his community.
T.O
October 23rd, 2011
6:30 pm
Who cares about another thug rapper doing time in the joint. Rappers are the epitome of trash in the world. Look what they have done to the black youth. Its amazing that people follow this guy and want to see him be successful in life. He’s been arrested for buying machine guns, doing drugs you name it and he’s a role model for kids. Embarrassing. Its the Hip Hop culture why the African America population will never be taken seriously. Very sad!
T.O
October 23rd, 2011
6:36 pm
All rappers rap about is doing drugs, making paper, banging hoe’s and killing folks…..I would say they are great role models. Only job in america where you can make 6 figure’s with multiple felony’s and convicted murder charges. You can’t be serious if you support these people. It just shows you have no life. Oh well its not going to change so what can you do.
Ohmygod
October 23rd, 2011
8:38 pm
It’s sad to read how many of these comments are semi-literate. I know that we all make slips of the keyboard, but the misspellings and incorrect grammar and usage are astounding. Maybe TI should donate some of his money to start renmedial English classes for his fans/detractors.
ed mack
October 23rd, 2011
8:58 pm
i aint mad at him.. . good for him. he a father, a son, a employer. . .for those he inspire good for them.. .
ed mack
October 23rd, 2011
9:01 pm
we see you didnt proof read your comment before you hit submit