T.I. was clearly the crowd favorite at yesterday’s National Hip-Hop Team Vote held in Philadelphia on the eve of probably the most important primary of the year. Despite the combined star power of Flo-Rida, Ciara, Lil’ Mama, video director Lil’ X, “106 & Park” hosts Terrence and Rocsi, and of course Russell Simmons, among other celebs, T.I. was cheered almost every time he opened his mouth. While turnout was not as big as anticipated, the crowd gathered truly seemed to appreciate the artists taking their time to talk about the importance of voting.
The irony is that as a convicted felon in Georgia, T.I. no longer has the right to vote. (However, felons in Pennsylvania can vote, as they can in some other states.) Still, he was on message, saying “As you know, I’m a felon 3, 4, times over. They’ve taken [the right to vote] away from me but if I can influence the masses, maybe my one vote can be counted again.”
The response to T.I.’s appearance pointed up his biggest challenge going forward. While a good majority of the crowd came just to see their favorite celebs, the question and answer period brought forth some serious questions from young people who are feeling the pain of political decisions that impact them, but none of the power of participating in a democratic society. Questions about homeless voters, the struggles of single mothers and how to empower adults if you yourself are too young to vote seemed to underscore that there are many young people interested in being part of the process.
For T.I., who’s taken on the burden of paying a portion of his debt to society through this kind of public community service, the stakes are high. He still has to do a year in jail and raise what will soon be six children on what could turn out to be diminished earning power. Until his legal troubles, T.I. was well on the way to a stellar multimedia career whose momentum has now been disrupted. On top of that, he’s now forced for the rest of his life and career to stay firmly on the straight or risk the jail time he’d undoubtedly get as a predicate felon.
It’s a super-slim margin of error resting on the bony shoulders of a man not even 30 years old. As T.I. is talented, charismatic and articulate, its possible he can pull it off. But he’s going to have to find a mentor outside of the entertainment industry who can to get him up to speed so that he’s better able to serve the people he’s said he wants the chance to reach. For example, when the question was asked about homeless youth voting, he should at least have had some information to provide.
The questions for T.I. will only get harder going forward as there are those who are truly in need of inspiration and information that will look to him, in this new position he’s taken on, as their savior. He’s going to have to have the answers and he’s going to have to take the role that’s been thrust upon him by his own mistakes seriously. Let’s face it, he caught a break, one that his money and fame afforded him, after getting busted doing something that would have sent the average dude to jail for years. Obviously some part of his renewed devotion to community service was self-serving, but given that he’s accepted that’s how it has to be, T.I. is now poised to truly make a difference. God works in mysterious ways and it may be that more than rap stardom was intended for him. But in the same way that he prepared for his rap career, T.I. will have to be prepared to really serve the community. People are watching. Not only does his own liberty depend on it, but the kids that look up to him deserve it. As they say, to whom much is given, much is expected. What ya know about that? -Hellifiknow