In this week's T.I. And Tiny: Friends And Family Hustle episode, Tiny shows up unannounced to monitor King's new life on the road, Monica recovers from surgery, LeToya readies herself for her first performance in years, while Toya and Reginae bond over the release of Ms. Anita's memoirs.
Read last week's recap here.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
King's New Life On The Road
As expected, Tiny isn't going to let King's recent admission during last episode's family trip to Hawaii go down easy. Now knowing without a doubt that her 14-year-old son is sexually active while on the road as an opening act for hip-hop collective Members Only, Tiny is committed to making sure that her son stays on the right path. All too aware of the distractions that present themselves to musicians on tour, Tiny assures Tip that she has everything under control despite the fact that he's clearly unconvinced. Against King going on tour from the start, Tip reminds his wife that she's actually not as much of an authority as she thinks. Unsurprisingly, Tiny holds her ground and promises that she has everything under control.
"If there's one assignment missed, if there's one infraction...if he colors outside the lines only for a moment, the tour is over," says Tip, ready to lay down the law if Tiny fails to keep King under her thumb. "And it's for his own good. He's already on thin ice with high skates."
Book Release
The big day is finally here. With Toya's help and guidance, Anita's (Toya's mother) long-awaited book of memoirs is published and ready for sale. After receiving a large package of freshly-bound books, Toya is giddy with excitement as she, Anita and daughter Reginae discuss just how much work it took to reach this point. Leveling with her daughter and granddaughter about the book's explicit material outlining her hard-as-nails life as both a crack cook and an addict with a rap sheet, Anita gives her family a glimpse of the untold stories that live in the pages of her unique memoir.
"I'm so proud of you," Toya says to her mother, her voice brimming with unbridled emotion. "I'm proud of your growth. This is a whole book about your life, your struggle."
During their emotional conversation, Reginae reveals that she too is ready to become more vulnerable in the hope of strengthening her personal relationships. "I'm looking at myself a little bit more deeply now since the whole Nipsey situation happened," says Nae. "I prayed a lot, I told my loved ones I love them, it's hard to cope...but I'm trying my best to be strong for my family and just keep my head up."
With their bond stronger than ever, Toya agrees to ask Tip about using his Trap Music Museum as the venue for her mother's book release party.
Monica Checks In On Her Kids
In an attempt to get a handle on how her children are coping with the huge changes in their lives, Monica sits down with Rocko, Melo and Laiyah too see just how they're faring throughout the divorce process. After bringing up therapy/counseling sessions as a resource to help the entire family, Monica's children shut her down and assure her that they don't need to speak to a professional. "Sometimes things can be bothering you and you don't know what it is," says Monica, determined to get her kids the help they need. "I appreciate you all holding it down and we're gonna make up for some lost time over the next summer."
Lunch With The Ladies
Even intense foot pain won't keep Monica away from lunching with her ladies. Sitting down with LeToya and Toya, Monica clues the girls on what's going on with her upcoming video release and her kids while LeToya outlines her plans for getting back on stage in less than a month. While they all catch up on what's going on in each other's busy lives, LeToya and Toya can't help but notice that despite all of the recent upheaval in Monica's life, she's showing up and showing out by serving some serious looks. Brunching in a silk wrap and a lingerie top, it's clear that amidst all of the drama, Monica is coming out on top.
What's Good, King?
During a nearby tour stop, Tiny pops in on King completely unannounced to make sure that he's keeping to his word and staying out of trouble on the road. Judging by King's face when his mother burst through the door, the "Drip" rapper had absolutely no idea that he would be called out in front of the crew.
"It's crazy how my mom can just pop up," says King. "That's like your mom showin' up to your job...and can whoop you whenever she wants to. You don't want that."
Putting his mom's reservations at ease, King clued Tiny in to his academic progress and revealed that somehow, his grades are better on the road than they were back at home in Atlanta. With his mom watching in the wings, King gave a great performance and much to Tiny's approval, all of the women in the front row kept their tops on.
"When my mom's watching...that's when I go ten times harder," says King, happy to Tiny his new moves on stage.
Unsurprisingly, Tiny was more than motivated to go home and share her findings with her husband.
Book Release
With budding actress Reginae slated to perform a scene from Anita's book at the release party, an acting coach was called in to monitor her progress. While at first, Reginae's over-acting came across as disrespectful and mocking, she stepped out of her comfort zone and accessed her vulnerability at Anita's release event. Thankfully, the formal celebration of Anita's struggle, long road to sobriety and newfound status as an author was an absolute smash hit, thanks to Reginae's performance.
"Nae nailed that part," says Anita, more than proud of her granddaughter's depiction of her life.
Rumors In The Studio
Even though LeToya was beyond nervous to show off her most recent work in the studio, she let her guard down enough to show Monica her latest tracks. Thankfully, Monica totally embraced LeToya's new vibe and offered her praise while reassuring her that the new music would connect with her fans. After listening to the tracks, Monica let LeToya know that the rumor mill has been off the hook after she announced her divorce, with some haters even claiming that she's a closeted lesbian.
"I've never read more untrue shit about myself," says Monica. "I read I was gay! I was like, 'Damn, that's one place I've never ventured.'"
