S. Samuel
With T.I. finally getting back to the swing of daily life, no longer in an Arkansas prison facility, SOHH decided to hit up his Akoo Clothing marketing director Jeff Belizaire to get an update on the "King of the South."
Speaking to SOHH a few days before he was released on Wednesday (August 31), Belizaire described how progressive Tip has been even behind bars.
“We’re looking forward to his coming back and coming home, spending time withe his family, friends and relatives,” Belizaire told SOHH referring to Tip. “And of course, we’re looking forward to him getting back involved to the swing of things with the brand. Even while T.I. was away, he still remained a pretty intricate part of the design, of the creative inspiration. He never really lost a beat. In fact, he’ll come out even more focused.” (SOHH)
Giving off a few hints, Belizaire said do not be surprised if Tip ends up at highly publicized events in the coming weeks.
“As far as what we have planned as far as him getting released,” Belizare added, “there’s nothing that I can say at the moment. But suffice to say, we have a lot of stuff lined up where he ‘might’ be present. We have a huge fashion show coming out September 9th, which is happening on the first day of Fashion Night Out for New York Fashion Week. It’s our first fashion show in New York. Ever. And we’re doing it on the largest fashion stage that exists in New York after his release. So who knows? His birthday is also coming up on the 25th and then there’s the BET Awards in the first week of October. So there’s a lot of opportunities where we might see glimpses of him.” (SOHH)
Last year, the “King” detailed his emphasis on Akoo crafting military-style designs.
“I definitely think that military-inspired gear is fresh just as long as it’s not overdone,” he said in an interview. “Akoo’s gear stays pretty subtle and pays attention to detail. Our brand’s inspirations draw from the outdoors to nautical to aeronautics, which are all components of military. Our tag lines reflect this sort of culture with slogans including ‘Always Hunted’ or ‘Trust Nothing With Teeth.’ … I’ve tried to be part of every detail as much as I possibly can along the way, from fabrication through to certain elements of design. I pay attention to the materials that make the clothing right down to the conditions of the places for the employees who manufacture it…I’ve always had a vision for my own line, but I wanted to do it right, and really be able to inject my creativity and persona into it, and right now it feels right.” (The FADER)
As of now, Tip currently resides under federal custody.
Grammy-winning rapper T.I., who was freed after months in prison, was back in federal custody Thursday because of a flap over his use of a luxury bus to report to a halfway house, his lawyer said. Steve Sadow told The Associated Press that the Federal Bureau of Prisons “has moved T.I. to a different facility” because of an issue involving the rapper’s 375-mile trip Wednesday from the Arkansas lockup to Atlanta in a gleaming motor coach. He did not elaborate on the exact nature of the problem federal authorities had, but said it was not drug-related. He said they are trying to resolve the problem. T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, traveled with an entourage to check into the halfway house, stepping off the bus clad in a red and blue striped polo shirt and white shirts. “There appears to be confusion surrounding the method of transportation,” Sadow said. (CBS News)
Check out some past T.I. footage below:
