T.I. has revealed he’s stepping away from the stage, with his final paid performance set for later this year in Atlanta at 96.1 The Beat’s Jingle Ball holiday concert. T.I. has revealed he’s stepping away from the stage, with his final paid performance set for later this year in Atlanta at 96.1 The Beat’s Jingle …
T.I. Announces Retirement from Performing: ‘I Don’t Need the Money Anymore’
By Georges Davis
Midtown Times, Intertainment Senior Reporter : Photo Credit: NPR
T.I. has revealed he’s stepping away from the stage, with his final paid performance set for later this year in Atlanta at 96.1 The Beat’s Jingle Ball holiday concert.
T.I. has revealed he’s stepping away from the stage, with his final paid performance set for later this year in Atlanta at 96.1 The Beat’s Jingle Ball holiday concert.
During an interview on 96.1 The Beat’s afternoon show, “Rari at 2,” with hosts Ferrari Simmons and BT, T.I. shared that the station’s annual Jingle Ball concert on December 19 may be his last. The rapper will headline the event alongside artists like Sexyy Red, T-Pain, Saweetie, The Kid Laroi, Khalid, and Tinashe. However, T.I. indicated that this could end his performing career.
“I’m grateful that y’all are giving me my last paying gig because I don’t need the money anymore, and I won’t be performing after this,” T.I. said. “I’m not interested in being paid to hop around and sweat for other people’s entertainment anymore.”
His longtime collaborator, Young Dro, chimed in humorously, offering to take over any shows T.I. decides to skip. “I’ll be picking up all of Tip’s gigs that he’s not doing. Every last one of them,” Young Dro joked, prompting laughter from the room.
When Ferrari Simmons asked T.I. about future commitments, the rapper reaffirmed his decision, saying, “Of course, I’ll answer the phone to tell them I’m not performing.” However, he did leave the door open, mentioning that he might perform again, but only on his terms.
Recently, T.I. and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, won a $71 million lawsuit against toy company MGA, claiming the company had copied the likeness of their daughter’s former pop group, OMG Girlz, for its “O.M.G.” doll line. Some speculate this legal victory may have influenced T.I.’s decision to scale back on performance.
Regarding his music career, T.I. hinted that he might soon retire from rapping as well. Last October, during an appearance on the We In Miami Podcast, the Atlanta rap icon revealed plans for a double album titled Kill the King and Kiss the King, which he says will be his final release. The album includes a track featuring NBA YoungBoy, “LLOGCLAY,” which dropped in May of this year.
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