T.I. announces retirement from performing
T.I. has been one of Atlanta’s foremost representatives for the past two decades, and the emcee has made many contributions to the entertainment industry regarding music and television. Alongside his wife, Tameka ‘Tiny’ Harris, the lyricist had a family TV show T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle, which aired in 2011 on VH1 and since 2001, he has released 11 studio albums.
However, after a 21-year streak of success, the emcee has decided to take a step back from music and performing due to his financial stability. During a conversation with Ferrari Simmons and BT on the Rari at 2 show on The Beat 96.1fm, T.I. unveiled that the radio’s Jingle Ball concert in Atlanta on December 19th will be his last live performance of all time.
Explaining how grateful he is to the station for providing him with his last booking, the Trap Muzik creator stated, “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. 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.”
Concerning not needing any more money, it is unsurprising because recently, the ‘I’m Serious’ rhymer, alongside his wife Tiny, recently won a $71 million lawsuit against MGA Entertainment, who they had accused of breaching their intellectual property rights.
The Atlanta duo alleged in their 2023 lawsuit that seven toys included in MGA Entertainment’s ‘LOL Surprise! OMG’ range were modelled on the image of the duo’s girl group, the OMG Girlz. As such, they sued MGA Entertainment for breaching their intellectual property rights. Last year, MGA emerged as the winner of the court case. However, the Supreme Court intervened and stated that a retrial was in order.
The emcee recently revealed that the judge awarded the couple $17.8m in real damages and $53.6m in punitive damages. A massive sum of money added to what is already a vast empire including Grand Hustle Records and more.
In a statement, Tiny claimed, “We did this for the city. We did this for the culture. It was a fight. It was a hell of a fight. We couldn’t be more happy.” However, the extra money means that T.I. feels he and his family no longer need to work.
During his appearance on the T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle, Young Dro, who accompanied him, insisted that he would happily take any bookings in place of T.I., stating, “I will be picking up all of Tip’s shows that he ain’t going to.”
T.I. said, he will still answer the phone to people who want to book him, adding, “Of course, I’m going to answer the phone to tell them that I will not be performing.” His upcoming album, Kill the King will also be the last he has confirmed.