Crib Notes

A sold-out crowd of 16,000 packed Atlanta’s Philips Arena on Sunday, May 24 to bid rapper T.I. farewell before beginning his 366-day prison sentence

“What I need y’all to do is pray for me while I’m gone,” he told the audience.

See the T.I. concert photo gallery.

About three hours ago, he reported to the low-security federal prison in Forrest City, Arkansas, according to the AP. If his sentence gets reduced for good behavior, he could be released in 10 months — not two, as the AP mistakenly reported last week.

(Photo by Alan Friedman)

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From hiphopDX.com:

After reports earlier this week that Atlanta-based Rap star T.I. [click to read] would be serving his 366-day sentence at Forrest City Federal Correctional Complex in Arkansas, T.I. is reportedly appealing this location. The minimum security prison reportedly has alternatives, closer to the rapper’s home and family.

Within the appeal, the rapper’s defense council is also arguing the sentencing that claimed T.I. had a history of violence.

The rapper, who is serving time for a 2007 firearms violation, has had previous felonies for assault and gun possession.

Fans will have their last chance to see him perform this Sunday at T.I.’s Final Goodbye Bash. $10. $20. $36.70. 7 p.m. Sun., May 24. Philips Arena, 1 Philips Dr. 404-878-3000. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.

UPDATE: Contrary to the erroneous report made by the Associated Press on May 17, T.I.’s 366-day prison sentence will not be reduced to two months. The report was based on a miscalculation in which the 305 days he’s already served in home confinement was subtracted from his prison sentence. But one has nothing to do with the other, according to a statement reported on MTV.com from Charysse Alexander, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

Even if T.I. gets released early for good behavior, he’ll still serve at least 311 days in prison. Upon release, he will then serve out the remaining two months of home confinement.

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Be sure to check out my story on Bobby Ray this week, in which he discusses his transition from gat-rapping persona B.o.B to existential genre-hopping rocker/crooner/MC.

He was very forthcoming in the interview, and I ran out of space for all the great anecdotes and info he shared. Here are the best cutting-room floor bits.

Why he won’t visit his Grand Hustle label head T.I. in prison

“He doesn’t want anyone to see him in prison. I thought about it, I was definitely going to come by a lot. But he doesn’t even want his kids to see him there. He doesn’t want that image implanted in their heads, of him being in jail. I can kind of understand that.”

Janelle Monae

“She is probably my sister from another planet or something. She reminds me a lot of me. Everything that she says and does, her music and her show, kind of rubs off on me. She has a lot of good energy, and I take what I like from it and put my spin on it.”

His future goals

“I’m trying to outdo myself. I’m going to take all the best elements from all the music I know. I don’t even want to say some of the stuff I’m thinking about, because it’s stuff that’s never been done before, like recording a song on an airplane. Or maybe even recording a song outside.”

On the Outkast-sized expectations people have for him

“It’s what you make of it. Sometimes it used to intimidate me, but now, it’s like, you gotta go with it, you have to use the energy to your advantage. If people are excited to see me, I’m like, ‘Fuck yeah, I’m excited too. Let’s do it.’”

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(SEE PHOTO GALLERY OF TODAY’S SENTENCING PRESS CONFERENCE)

A funny thing happened to Clifford “T.I.” Harris in the year leading up to the sentence hearing, held earlier today, on his federal firearms conviction: the 27-year-old Atlanta rapper turned his life around — and, apparently, a lot more lives in the process.

T.I. declared it so. His team of defense attorneys agreed. Even former Ambassador Andrew Young and Bishop Eddie Long said they recognized the change in him when they addressed the court on the defendant’s behalf.

But perhaps it was best acknowledged by U.S. District Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr. when he told T.I., “I congratulate you on the work you’ve done so far. If you had failed I would’ve sent you to prison [and] I would’ve probably held Mr. Nahmias out the window of the 23rd floor.”

Everyone in the courtroom laughed at that, including David E. Nahmias, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. Without his belief that society could be better served by sticking T.I. with 1,500 hours of community service rather than the four to six years of fed time warranted by the crime, the mood in that courtroom — located on the 23rd floor of the Richard B. Russell Federal Building — would’ve been quite different today.

(more…)

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Wearing a three-piece suit, black shirt and tie today, Clifford “T.I.” Harris was sentenced to serve one year and one day in prison, as expected, after pleading guilty to federal firearms charges exactly one year ago.

See photos from the post-sentencing press conference, where T.I. was joined by his defense team and fiancé Tameka “Tiny” Cottle.

Stay tuned to CL for more updates about today’s hearing and the controversial nature of T.I.’s plea deal and reduced sentence.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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