Following Lil Wayne's controversial comments on ABC Nightline about "not feeling connected" to Black Lives Matter, T.I. came at him in public posting a lengthy Instagram post, last November. In an interview with Sway, T.I. said he made those remarks out of love for the New Orleans rapper.
"It was a knee-jerk reaction," he said on Sway's Universe. "Because I was confronted by my kids asking me about it."
The Atlanta rapper said he went on Roland Martin's show and defended Lil Wayne at first, saying he probably wasn't aware of all the facts and needed some time to think on it. But when Weezy stood by his statements, Tip said he could no longer hold his tongue.
"In a way I kinda did it so the people wouldn’t be able to do it. I felt like everything I said I said out of love," T.I. said. "And I used Instagram as a forum because it was such a public matter. It wasn’t really me speaking to him as much as it is speaking to the kids I know that’s following him.”
Though he still respects Weezy and considers him a legend, he said he had to say something so kids, who idolize Wayne, would still know that racism and oppression are a real thing. Lil Wayne later apologized for his comments saying he got agitated by the interviewer's pointed questions.