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Rapper T.I. Shows the Love in First Show Since House Arrest
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"The king is back!" T.I. announced during his show at Love on Friday night. "You can officially say the comeback has risen!"
T.I. was hailing his reemergence after a months-long house arrest while he awaited sentencing on felony gun charges. He diplomatically attributed the absence to being "on vacation."
The Atlanta rapper recently struck a plea deal that includes 1,000 hours of community service and a year-long jail term he'll begin serving in 2009. While he awaits his time in the clink, he's making movies, starring in an upcoming MTV reality series, promoting his new album ("Paper Trail," due this summer) and otherwise trying to prove that being homebound for so long hasn't diminished his talents.
"Ya'll know this my first [expletive] show back, right?" he said to the crowd at Love. "Don't get it twisted -- I ain't lost it, homey."
T.I. seemed happy to be in front of an audience again. Normally not the most exuberant of showmen, he performed with zeal and energy, bounding across the stage during "Watch What You Say to Me," "Motivation" and "ASAP."
The closest he came to discussing his legal troubles outright was during "No Matter What," a single from "Paper Trail." The track's message is so uplifting and cautionary that performing the piece should count as community service. Before leaving, T.I. told fans that "long as there's an ounce of breath in my body, I'll be right here doing what I do." He then performed his 2006 mega-smash "What You Know" and quickly hustled offstage to make it back to his hotel before his 1 a.m. curfew.
-- Sarah Godfrey
