T.I., continuing his whirlwind media blitz following his release from prison, appeared on E!’s “Chelsea Lately” on Oct. 25 to promote his new book, Power & Beauty. The rapper talked about 50 Cent and reuniting with the man whose suicide he helped prevent.
T.I. and host Chelsea Handler, known for their comedic and sometimes flirty rapport with each other, started out the interview on a funny note, with Handler referring to Tip as her “ex-boyfriend and making light of his recent prison drama.
“Well, it seems like every time I leave here I’m going to prison,” joked T.I.
“Don’t you think that’s weird?” replied Lately, prompting Tip to joke, “Yet, I keep coming back.”
Speaking about his new book, which was inspired by Sister Souljah’s 1999 novel, The Coldest Winter Ever, Tip explained his fictional tale of teens struggling to avoid a life of chaos and crime.
“It’s a fictional story about two teenagers that are thrust into adult situations … they actually have real-life circumstances to navigate themselves through,” explained Tip. “Power [the main character], he’s being mentored by a gentleman that is taking him down a path that most teenage boys need to stay away from. After their guardian dies, that’s who takes them in.”
The new author also spoke about his noteworthy act of kindness in 2010, when, shortly before entering prison, he helped to prevent a man from jumping off of a building in downtown Atlanta.
“I must say, honestly, I didn’t really do anything. I just heard that it was a gentleman who was up to here with life and he was on top of a familiar building in downtown Atlanta and I knew where it was so I just swung by to see if I could be of any assistance,” explained T.I. “I got a message to him, got word to him that I wanted to holler at him and for him to come down so that he and I could try to see what we could do to right the wrongs in his life … and he stepped down.”
Tip continued, “I’ve seen him lately. I’ve seen him since I got out and he’s doing very well.”
And, of course, the interview had to end on a lighter note with T.I. making fun of Handler’s past romance with another of her favorite rappers, 50 Cent.
“Your last name isn’t ‘Lately’ by the way,Chelsea,” T.I. said. “I thought your last name was ‘Cent.’ I thought it was Chelsea Cent.”
Always quick on her feet, Handler responded, “No that’s not true, 50’s last name was ‘Lately’ for a while. But then we changed it back.”
T.I’s Power & Beauty is currently on store shelves nationwide. –nicholas robinson
