Atlanta rapper T.I. was one of many in the Hip Hop community to pay homage to the late Shawty Lo following the Southern rapper’s death yesterday (September 21).
In an Instagram post uploaded hours after news of Lo’s untimely death spread, T.I. referred to Shawty Lo as “a true Westside Atlanta Legend.”
“Damn!!! I just woke up to some Bullshit News…RIP to a true Westside Atlanta Legend!!!!! You truly represented Bankhead to the fullest!!! My Heart goes out to his family,and his children as well. Even through our toughest times I must admit I was impressed,& kinda proud of how well you rep’d our hood,and how much you cared for it. It was a real relief to have someone else helping to lift Bankhead up & hold it there,” T.I. wrote in the caption to a vintage photo of himself and Shawty Lo.
The two rappers, who both hail from Atlanta’s Westside, were once at odds with one another over T.I.’s claims to Bankhead.
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On “Dunn Dunn,” Shawty Lo famously quipped “Nigga say he from the Westside / Well God damn, it must be two sides.” The record was filled with not-so-subtle jabs at T.I., and was soon followed by the self-proclaimed king of the South’s “What Up, What’s Haapnin’.”
In addition to solidifying his claims to Bankhead on the record, T.I. went so far as to film the “What Up, What’s Haapnin'” music video in front of Bowen Homes, Shawty Lo’s former home.
After their crews clashed at the 2008 Dirty Awards in Atlanta, the two later settled their differences publicly in 2009, performing together at a show in Bankhead.
In a newly released interview, T.I. revealed that even though his feud with Shawty Lo was “unnecessary,” it did result in “some great music.”
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“Although unnecessary because when you get to the bottom of it, we were both Black men coming up, tryna make the best of our circumstances and using our hustles to our benefit, tryna make a better way for our families, but one thing I can say is that it did bring about some great music,” T.I. said. “The best part about it was that we were able to mature past it.”
Shawty Lo was killed following a single car accident in Atlanta yesterday. He was 40 years old.
