T.I. has admitted that he “never wanted” his children to become entertainers, despite a number of them following in his footsteps.
In an interview on Arian Simone’s Fearlessly Living podcast, the “What You Know” rapper said he believes the world needs more Black people in worthwhile professions to help cure society’s ills.
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“I never really wanted them involved,” he said. “I just know how much treachery, how much betrayal and how much of the dark side that exists in this, and I never wanted to expose them to that.
“I wanted one of my kids to dive into real estate. Also I think it’s not enough lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects … coming from our households. We got a thousand rappers, producers, DJs, models, actors — not that there’s anything wrong with any of this.
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“But for us to evolve the way that I envision us evolving, I just feel like we need more Thurgood Marshalls, we need more Ben Crumps. We need more than just entertainment. We can’t just entertain our way out of the slump that we’re in.”
Watch his comments at the 16:18 mark below.
It’s worth noting that many of T.I.’s children are actually already in (or entering) the entertainment industry. His sons Domani and Messiah are up-and-coming musicians, while his 7-year-old daughter Heiress is a budding singer.
The rapper’s 19-year-old son King Harris is also a rapper who has made headlines in recent years for various controversies outside of music.
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One astute Instagram commenter highlighted this contradiction, writing: “The moment they were a part of their reality shows it over. It’s two types of celebrity parents; those shield their kids from the spotlight and those who puts them center stage.”
The Harris kids were featured in the reality show T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle, which ran on VH1 for six seasons.
Regardless of T.I.’s desires for his children, there’s no denying that they’ve been in the spotlight a lot recently — and not always for the right reasons.
Domani recently defended King against the onslaught of bad press his younger brother has received, namely the viral video of him violently arguing with his father T.I. and mother Tameka “Tiny” Harris.
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“I think everything King is trying to say is coming off … he’s using the wrong words,” Domani said on The Baller Alert Show. “What was on TV was not what actually happened. And I think he’s trying to say that because people are trying to treat him differently.”
He continued: “I don’t think he’s out here just saying it out of the blue. We’re all livin’ our own lives. He’s got his own thing going on. I don’t know what be goin’ on with him.”
