How Andy Young came to officiate T.I.’s wedding
Our colleague, business columnist Henry Unger has spent the afternoon over at former Mayor Andy Young’s house, conducting a wide-ranging interview in Young’s lovely, art-filled home.
At our behest Unger asked the question we are sure you will agree is the most pressing. How did the former ambassador come to officiate the recent wedding between Clifford “T.I.” Harris and Tameka “Tiny” Cottle?
The answer is pretty simple. T.I. called and asked him.
The two have known each other for years, and Young said that young Clifford had the highest I.Q. of any kid in his class back in the day at Frederick Douglass High School. More recently, Young has served as a mentor of sorts, helping the rapper embrace his community service obligations following his arrest on a weapon charge. He was sentenced to a year and a day, with 100 hours of community service as part of the deal. (Here is that story from 2009, if you missed it).
T.I. and Tiny made the scene after his release from prison, at a benefit concert at Opera nightclub. Young had been encouraging the two to marry.
“Tameka is one of the strongest, toughest-minded people I know – just to put up with him,” Young quipped. “They belong together.”
Incidentally, Young is involved in a documentary project called “Change in the Wind,” which debuts Aug. 24 at the Buckhead Theatre. Full details, including contact information, are on the flier below.
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41 comments Add your comment
light
August 13th, 2010
2:25 pm
Let God will be done thru this blog http://lightoftheearth.blogspot.com/
Ben
August 13th, 2010
2:32 pm
Strong women don’t usually allow their men to sleep with other women nor stand by and watch them buy illegal firearms. I like Mr. Young, but I’m not too sure about his judgment on this. I like Tiny too, so I wish her all the best.
EW
August 13th, 2010
2:49 pm
Do you know that T.I. has slept with other women, did he say that somewhere or are you making assumptions.
Buy Wedding Rings
August 13th, 2010
3:16 pm
I think he is. http://buyweddingrings.org/
Trizzle
August 13th, 2010
3:39 pm
Does it matter who he sleeps with? It’s not like your marrying him. If she’s ok with it, then that’s on her. Who knows, in today’s world, divorces are more common then going to the bathroom.
Mr. Ed
August 13th, 2010
4:05 pm
Weddings are supposed to be a joyous event. Usually people are smiling in their wedding pictures.
T.I. looks borderline angry.
RenaP
August 13th, 2010
4:06 pm
who the hell is TI and tiny?
KD
August 13th, 2010
4:07 pm
Did not know that Young was a minister.
Are You Serious
August 13th, 2010
4:16 pm
Him sleeping around (if he did) doesn’t negate the fact that she’s a strong woman. A woman or a man for that fact can’t allow anyone to do anything. And what’s with us with all this holier than thou stuff…People make mistakes, huge mistakes and often and sometimes over and over and that’s what we that call ourselves christians know for a fact – we will fail! Isn’t that’s why Chirst died for us? Believe me I’m no “holy roller”, but if 2 people love each other and want to commit to marriage, then who am I to act like I know what’s right for them, or for that matter commenting that someone else who knows them personally got it wrong this time. Get a life…………….
Uncle Tom
August 13th, 2010
4:21 pm
I’m ready for Christmas!
Matthew
August 13th, 2010
4:27 pm
“Does it matter who he sleeps with? It’s not like your marrying him. If she’s ok with it, then that’s on her. Who knows, in today’s world, divorces are more common then going to the bathroom.”
Divorces are also more common than proper grammar, eh Trizzle?
Angela
August 13th, 2010
4:33 pm
If she likes it – I love it. God bless ‘em.
hadababyitsaboy
August 13th, 2010
4:39 pm
In response to the Q about young being a minister. Young is a minister in the spirit of jackson and sharpton ~ “poverty pimp ministers” in that they will stand for anything that they can get a dollar out of. Don’t get me wrong these guys have done some great works but have undermined it by being for sale. i.e., jackson railing against alcohol billboards in Chicago that is until one of his sons got a budweiser distributorship and the fool that young made of himself over Walmart. Let us not forget sharptons Tawana Brawley mess ~ still waiting for the news that “will shock the world”
Rodney King
August 13th, 2010
5:26 pm
Can’t we all just get along!
Mia
August 13th, 2010
5:31 pm
And for those that did not know Andrew Young was a minister, then shame on you for following WOCKA FLOCKA and not your dang history. Duh
Ti Fan
August 13th, 2010
5:36 pm
@RenaP….get a life
@ Ben …… How do you know who the hell T.I. is sleeping with. Do you want him?
Ti Fan
August 13th, 2010
5:38 pm
@ hadababyitsaboy ………. you are such an ignorant A$$
Angel
August 13th, 2010
5:38 pm
Ben shut the hell up. Its always a hater lurking.
Angel
August 13th, 2010
5:41 pm
Ajc yall kill me putting these blogs up, just so you can sit back and watch people down the brothers.
Angel
August 13th, 2010
5:42 pm
Congrats Tiny & Tip, “live your life”.
shaking my head
August 13th, 2010
5:53 pm
it is really pathetic how folks will sit up and pass judgement about other folks. . . .you needed to be worried about what GOD is going to say about you when your time come. . .. . this is a horrible day in time that we are living in. . .. better get your lives right while you are worrying about somebody else. . .. .need to be worried about why it’s august and we are still having 105 degree temperature. . .. god is trying to tell you something!
Ti Fan
August 13th, 2010
5:57 pm
@ Angel…….Angel I beleive that is exactly why they post blogs. It has happened with every Black entertainer and athelete. Remember how almost daily they had a blog just so people could right racist comments about Mike Vick? The AJC is so predicatable.
duh
August 13th, 2010
6:32 pm
that’s not the wedding photo
WHO CARES
August 13th, 2010
6:42 pm
THIS IS WHAT’S WRONG WITH OUR SOCIETY. WE ALWAYS FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS IN LIFE. WHO CARES WHO’S SLEEPING WITH WHO! THATS NOT WHAT THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT. IM VERY HAPPY FOR T.I. & TINY AND I AGREE THAT SHE’S A VERY STRONG WOMAN AND THERE SHOULD BE MORE LIKE HER & I. AND WHATEVER HE DID BEOFRE THEY GOT MARRIED DOESN’T EVEN MATTER ANY MORE. “HE WHO HAS NOT SINNED CAST THE FIRST STONE”.
Big Jim
August 13th, 2010
6:51 pm
WTF does God have to do with a drug dealer marrying a pig w/ lipstick? WTF does racism
have to do with calling out a black celebrity? Why are black celebrities given free defense
by too many blacks? While shaking your head at opposing comments, shake your at a dope dealer!!!
Less time spent calling everything and everyone racist. More time calling out folks who f–k up!!!
God should’ve given you more sense than that.
Jennifer Brett
August 13th, 2010
6:55 pm
Calm down, y’all. It’s the weekend.
Kimy
August 13th, 2010
7:16 pm
Be Happy T.I and Tiny!!! There are more fans than haters.
Big Jim
August 13th, 2010
7:19 pm
Me? Or the overwhelming majority that applaudes negative behavior.
I’m out of place for not being racist. Sorry.
ant banks
August 13th, 2010
9:53 pm
i hate ti and what he represents. i am an educator and so many of my young african-american students want to be HIM, a rappin’, thuggin’, slang talkin’, drug dealin’, gun buyin’ idiot. ti should be recognized by the kkk, skin heads, aryan nation and other white hate groups. ti actions, along with other rappers, have contributed to the death and incarceration of more blacks than the white hate groups could have ever done. martin luther had a dream….ti is the nightmare.
don’t call me a hater. look objectively at this guys work.
Eric
August 13th, 2010
10:28 pm
@ ant banks
You call yourself an educator? Apparently you have not done your research. You are spewing your ignorant opinion and not facts. The KKK, Skinheads, Aryan Nation and Poor White Hillibillies were responsible for killing and lynching more African Americans than any other organization in America. While I agree with one part of your statement in regard to Dr. King, the rest of your comment is pure garbage. What have you done to influence the “young african-american student’s” you claim to teach? Probably nothing except go home and talk about them like you are superior.
Mrs. Dee
August 14th, 2010
12:51 am
I hope every one will find something else to do but write dunb comments. The way most of you sound one would be surprised to know you can even read. Have another tall glass of cherry flavored HATERAID!
Mrs. Dee
August 14th, 2010
2:19 am
I FORGOT TO TELL YOU RSCISTS THE REST OF THE TRUTH
MIKE VICK IS STILL IN THR NFL AND DOING WELL….HA HA HA
Carl Schwarz
August 14th, 2010
8:35 am
TI probably paid for the favor by buying 4 or 5 new Mercedes from Andrew Young’s car dealership, Mercedes Benz of Buckhead. Don’t believe the hype, Andrew Young is one of the schrewded and richest of Atlanta’s businessmen. And he’s using that professional poor person “brand” like there’s a not a new day comin’!
Ms. Jackson
August 14th, 2010
9:46 am
Sorry, I think Tiny deserves better. On the Toya & Tiny show, he came across as being a control freak and bully. I find it interesting that T.I. had to be “convinced” to marry the woman who has been with him through all of his foolishness. Good luck Tiny.
sexi1216
August 14th, 2010
10:10 am
@ Mr Ed..this pic is not from the wedding!
foxy
August 14th, 2010
10:44 am
Dear Ms. Jennifer Brett,
The link referred to in your article regarding a story from 2009 does not work. Do you journalist verify and proof-read your work anymore?.
Honey
August 14th, 2010
10:48 am
Congratulations to The King An Queen of Bankhead
Tonya
August 14th, 2010
11:28 am
That’s not the wedding pic, it’s an event pic. He seems like a good guy (waaay more than most rappers), loves his family & made a bad decision due to fear of his family being harmed. It’s not like he asked her, “dear, should I go out and get guns to protect us”?
I’m glad they finally got married. She’s not a typical hoochie. In fact she’s 6 years older than him & is very business-minded with her little country self. It seems he loves her because she’s real.
Kimy
August 14th, 2010
9:20 pm
Big Jim get a life so that you do not have to worry about others. Creep!
The Truth
August 21st, 2010
6:31 am
If you don’t know T.I. then you are either too old or too lame to even worry about it… LMAO!!!
SW
August 24th, 2010
8:51 pm
OK, here we go! People always got something to say about something they know nothing about. How about this, before you open your mouth go to your bible, read Matthew chapter 7 and be reminded to look at the log in your eye before you start critizing the stick in someone else’s. We just need to love each other. Do something good pray for their marriage to make it.