T.I. Says He Embellished Story About Telling On Deceased Cousin

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Celebrities Visit SiriusXM - January 24, 2023
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 24: Tip "T.I." Harris visits SiriusXM at SiriusXM Studios on January 24, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
T.I. said that he thought the "embellishment was clear" when he said he told on his late cousin to get out of a gun charge.

T.I.’s faced significant backlash over the past few days following Boosie’s interview with Vlad. In late 2022, a resurfaced clip from Tip’s podcast sparked dialogue regarding whether he snitched on not. During the podcast, he explained that his dead cousin told him to pin a gun charge on him which got the Atlanta rapper out of years of jail. However, people, like Boosie, felt as though he snitched. Boosie went as far as saying that he won’t put out their joint project if T.I. was truthful about cooperating with authorities.

Tip lashed out at Boosie Badazz in a lengthy Instagram post where he said that the Louisiana rapper could’ve called his phone. Though he offered to show paperwork to prove that he never told on his cousin, he also explained that he was disappointed in Boosie, a man he considered a friend. “To get on da net & speak on shit you've never spoke to me about is leaving me to believe you been hiding ya heart the whole time!!!! I'd NEVER speak "certain disrespect" on your name/reputation bout a "IF" homie,” Tip wrote.

T.I. Says His Comments Were “Free-Thinking”

As tension between himself and Boosie rise, Tip sat down with Richard Benjamin Trapper of the Trap News Network to discuss the comments. Once again, he denied snitching on his cousin, though he explained that he has the luxury of speaking freely. “I can offer some alternative perspectives to the way things are being viewed by the majority,” Tip said. “Open up the conversation about taboo topics. Free thinking,” he added as an explanation for his previous comments.

From there, Tip said that his comments stemmed from a conversation he had with his friend about if they’d be willing to dime the other out if one of them died. “Off of that conversation, I created a set of circumstances and I thought that the embellishment was clear when I said, ‘I talked to my cousin and he told me –,’” he said before Trapper said that it was “satire.” “It was humor, sarcasm, and satire, it escaped them,” he continued. “It came from a very real place but I added embellishment to it to fit the needed discussion.” However, he explained that the court dismissed the case due to the suppression of evidence after they discovered the police conducted an illegal search and seizure. Check the comments above. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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