T.I. [click to read] has spent the majority of this year enjoying chart topping releases and speaking on his problems with the law. In an attempt to make strides forward, Tip has been advising kids to stay away from the negative aspects of street life and learn from his lessons. Recently, he spoke on his and more.
In a recent blog at Global Grind, T.I. noted that carrying guns was part of his life, but that he learned he needed to alter his lifestyle to live in a positive way.
“Where I come from, having a gun is just part of everyday life. But, through this painful process of going to court and being convicted, I realized that I had to make a change. I made some bad decisions. I broke the law and will accept my punishment,” he said [click here].
He went on to note that speaking to young people could help keep others from making mistakes he made.
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“With deep reflection about where my life was headed, I have begun the process of redemption, and decided that before I go to prison, I want to speak to young people about responsibility as a lifestyle. I hope that through my mistakes, young people can begin to learn, as I did, that we have to put our guns down and start to give our guns back. It pains me inside to hear about so many of our people dying because of gun violence. Just in the past weeks, a 13-year old boy was shot in the head in Harlem, a 17 and 19-year old were murdered in a double homicide in Queens and a 15 year old was chased, beaten, shot and burned in Chicago.“
Why is T.I. saying this now?
“Now is the time to speak out against gun violence. Now is the time to take responsibility for our actions. Now is the time to make our communities safer. Now is the time to support good legislation, like the S.N.U.G. Bill in New York. Now is the time to give back our guns. Now is the time for me to lead by example. …We can and we will do better.“
T.I. will be joined by Rev. Al Sharpton, Russell Simmons, Kevin Liles, Political Swagger, Mobile Regime and the C.H.A.N.G.E. Initiative for an anti-gun violence rally and press conference, set to take place at the National Action Network in New York today (May 11) from 4 PM to 5 PM.
