S. Samuel
Grammy-winning rapper T.I. recently offered his take on gun control laws and why a complete ban over firearms would do more harm than good despite recent horrific shootings throughout the nation.
In Tip’s perspective, there should be some revisions but an overall ban over firearms is not realistic.
“I think as much as we can afford to be in place, should be done. I think there should be some adjustments made to the criteria that must be made in order for you to be allowed to have [a weapon]. … I think the complete overall ban of firearms’ a bad idea simply because if you do that, then you say the only people who are going to have guns, are the ones willing to break the law to keep them. That means you are putting the guns in the hands of only the criminals.” (Hot 93.7)
Last month, T.I. said the horrific Connecticut Sandy Hook school shootings were reason enough for why he needs guns to protect his family.
“It’s a tragedy and it’s a travesty, it was a catastrophic event. My heart goes out to the families. As a parent, there’s no way that you can hear or see or observe something like that go on and not be touched in your heart. Just to know somewhere so sacred, somewhere that is supposed to be completely off limits to any kind of wrongdoing, something like that can happen to kindergarteners — I don’t want to run the risk of sounding inappropriate but that is exactly the reason why I had mines. At any time, if anybody calls me, anytime, when I had mines, I’m pulling up with ’em and the whole perimeter will be secure and ain’t nobody moving but us. … I haven’t been to the military but I’m very militant-minded when it come to protecting.” (“Sway In The Morning”)
The rapper faced some backlash after featuring a gun on the cover of his new Trouble Man solo album.
It certainly wasn’t intentional, but the release of T.I.’s new album definitely comes at a sensitive time. Or, more specifically, the album’s cover art, which features the rapper holding up a gun. The disc, Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head, dropped today as the nation continues to mourn the horrific tragedy that took place last week in Newtown, Conn. No word yet if there had been any discussion about possibly postponing the release date in light of the events at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Of course, time will tell what, if any, impact the cover might have on sales. (E! Online)
Once the cover art leaked online, some sites viewed the loaded gun as a metaphor for personal struggles.
T.I. holds a gun again on the album cover of ‘Trouble Man’ 2012. The Atlanta emcee has turned his failures into success since his long run ins with the law. After going to jail twice over gun and drug charges, T.I. emerges from the ashes triumphantly. The album cover for ‘Trouble Man’ has T.I. cartooned holding a gun. The graphic on the gun is filled with women, cars, and dice. With T.I. holding a gun on the cover the album artwork has to be symbolic to his personal struggles which we can look forward to hearing. (Club 937)
