Rapper T.I. may be one of the one of the savviest businessmen in hip-hop, but the rap legend has also become known as one of the most charitable figures in the music industry. However, that reputation was nearly destroyed recently when rumors began floating around the Web that T.I. wanted to charge a family tens of thousands to show up at a young boy’s funeral. Now, Tip has finally decided to speak out on the rumors and is saying they’re ridiculous.
According to media reports, the drama all started when a website claimed that a 12-year-old boy named JaJuan Latham was shot and killed Saturday night in Knoxville, Tennessee, in a shooting between three local gangs. Latham was reportedly sitting in his father’s SUV during a cookout at a local park when someone started shooting. Latham was caught in the crossfire and was rushed to a local hospital, but died from his injuries.
Reports claim that Latham was a big fan of T.I. and that his nickname was even “TIP” because of his admiration for the rapper. Sources say that his family requested that the ATL rap mogul appear at the boy’s funeral to honor him and pay his respects. Tip allegedly agreed to show up to Latham’s funeral, but sources claim that the rapper asked that the family pay him $40K for an appearance fee.
However, after the reports hit the Web, Tip decided to respond via his Instagram page and he slammed the reports, saying that he’d never charge anyone to appear at a funeral, especially not one for a young kid.
“#LIES ain’t nobody contacted me for no such thing. Let alone me charge someone to attend a funeral. What people should do is be aware of who they’re contacting & not believe every Tom Dick & Hank who says they’re connected. BUT I’d appreciate it if y’all could quit wit da…. I been in dis game too long … Check my resume’ I’ve payed for funerals & sent kids to college… Charging 40k to attend a funeral ain’t even in my repertoire…. #KnockItOFF,” Tip captioned the screenshot.
Well, there you have it, folks.
