T.I. says he’s retiring — at least from performing.
The King of the South and Young Dro sat down with 96.1 The Beat’s afternoon show “Rari at 2” with hosts Ferrari Simmons and BT, and the station’s annual Jingle Ball holiday concert in Atlanta on Dec. 19 was brought up. T.I. is headlining alongside Sexyy Red, T-Pain, Saweetie, The Kid Laroi, Khalid and Tinashe, but it may very well be his last performance ever.
“I appreciate y’all for offering me my last working gig because I do not need the money anymore and I will not be performing,” he told the room. “I don’t want to do it anymore. … I don’t want people to pay me to hop around and sweat for their entertainment anymore.”
Young Dro then comically added that he would be picking up the gigs T.I. turns down. “I will be picking up all of Tip’s shows that he ain’t going to. Doing them all,” the Polo Ralph Lauren enthusiast said to laughs.
Ferrari then asked if he was going to “do” something for another upcoming show, and Tip answered, “Of course, I’m going to answer the phone to tell them that I will not be performing.” He did say, however, that he will perform again — but only on his terms.
T.I. and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris recently won a $71 million lawsuit claiming that toymaker MGA stole the design of a line of “O.M.G.” toy dolls from their real-life teen pop group OMG Girlz. The now-defunct pop group was created by Tiny and featured her daughter Zonnique “Star” Pullins. So maybe that has something do with his decision.
As far as rapping goes, he might be retiring from that soon too. In October of last year, after being asked what fans can expect musically from the Atlanta rap legend, he told the We In Miami Podcast that he’s planning to release a double album titled Kill the King and Kiss the King and it will be his final album. He also mentioned that one of the first singles was going to be a song with NBA YoungBoy. That track is called “LLOGCLAY” and it dropped earlier this year in May.