T.I. is in big trouble. How big? “If he gets ten years, that ain’t bad,” friend 50 Cent tells MTV News. While a decade in prison sounds pretty damn bad to us, other pals of the “King of the South” place the blame for his weapons arrest not only on T.I. but also the bodyguard that “snitched” on him to the Feds. “Tip was feeding this man’s family. We don’t do it like that, dog,” opinionated rapper David Banner said. “We gotta start making the environment in our neighborhoods not conducive to snitching. How I’m doing this song, I’mma make it uncomfortable for snitches.” The song Banner is referring to is his Internet-only release “B.A.N. (The Love Song),” which also name-checks Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg. As you may recall, snitchin’ is also unpopular with Cam’ron and Busta Rhymes.
Some blame the tattletales for T.I.’s fall, while others blame a “hip-hop task force” that is specifically in place to catch rappers in felonious acts.
As Wu-Tang mastermind RZA put it, “They looking [to lock us up] for whatever we do. … The black community has moved up to being creative and making money, and that means that these cops need jobs and their job is to come and follow us and watch us. … I’m a nerd right now. I don’t play nothing, nothing ’cause all eyes are on us.” Common, Young Jeezy and Wyclef Jean (who recently called Tip a “prophet” and compared him to Malcolm X, according to MTV News) are banding behind T.I. and keeping their “fingers crossed.” As for police profiling rappers, we don’t recommend anyone pay attention to this Dallas initiative aimed at eradicating low-riding baggy pants.
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