NEW YORK, May 6 -- In his first televised interview since
a plea bargain on weapon charges, multi-platinum recording artist and actor
T.I., a.k.a. Clifford Harris, Jr., speaks exclusively to BET News in the
half-hour special T.I. SPEAKS, premiering Wednesday, May 7 at 7:30 PM*. He
directly answers the tough questions from host Toure and at-risk youth
about his life and future after being sentenced to a year in prison. In a
compelling moment, he explains why someone who seems to have everything --
money, power and fame -- would risk it all.
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On October 13, 2007, T.I. was set to perform at BET's second annual HIP
HOP AWARDS in Atlanta, but he never made it to the stage. Just hours before
the show, the Grammy Award winner and budding actor was taken into custody
by federal authorities who alleged that he gave his bodyguard cash to buy
firearms. Never bashful in his lyrics about his days of drug dealing and
guns, this arrest was just another line in the 27-year old Atlanta native's
already long rap sheet.
While not making excuses for his poor decisions, the rapper discusses
his best friend's murder in 2006 and explains how being a celebrity has its
drawbacks and "ignites a certain paranoia." He says, "Every one knew me and
I knew no one ... you can't tell if a person is a fan or not until the
(car) window winds down." With a new baby on the way, a forthcoming
marriage, a new album and the one-year jail sentence awaiting him, T.I.
details how this entire ordeal has changed his life. Claiming a new
understanding for life and its meaning, T.I. delivers a strong message
about decision-making to a group of at-risk students and reveals his
thoughts about going back to jail and his career's future. He says, "I must
be a man and stand up and accept responsibility. I exercised extremely poor
judgment, and for that, I must be willing to pay whatever price that comes
before me."
For more on T.I. SPEAKS, viewers can go online to http://www.bet.com.
* All times ET/PT.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the
nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public
affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The
primary BET channel reaches more than 87 million households according to
Nielsen Media Research, and can be seen in the U.S., Canada and the
Caribbean. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a
diverse group of businesses extensions: BET.com, a leading internet
destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET Digital
Networks -- BET J, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for
cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, a full-scale
event management and production company; BET Home Entertainment, a
collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs
and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, which offers ringtones, games and video
content for wireless devices; and BET International, an extension of BET
network programming for global distribution.
