Is T.I. too overbearing of a Father?

By The Voice
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

For years, the world has only viewed one side of T.I., the thug, the womanizer, the overall “man’s man.” This style turned T.I. from one of the many aspiring rappers from Atlanta into one of the most-successful rap artists of all-time. In reaching so many goals in so little time, T.I. has also fallen victim to the fame, losing a friend in a homicide, and eventually his freedom, while trying to protect himself and his family from the same fate.

Right when T.I. appeared to have learned from his lesson and was preparing his comeback, the rapper was caught with drugs and returned to prison for another year. This time around, T.I. has proven he is serious about his comeback, with several new songs, and several new business ventures. Along with the business ventures has come his show with VH1, “T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle,” which also spotlights the family T.I. has managed to keep out of the spotlight.

In the series, fans have a chance to see another side of the “Rubberband Man.” T.I., at least in front of the camera, serves as the voice of reason for both his wife and children. He walks the narrow line of “cool dad” and diciplinarian. Obviously, T.I. is a modern-day father, as he uses lessons to make his children co-operate, as opposed to what he was raised by, physical punishments, known in the South as “spankings.” Despite T.I. being a relatively young man, his children are getting older, with his youngest child approaching the age of ten.

During the most-recent episode of “The Family Hustle,” T.I.’s eldest child, Deyjay, returned from her tour, promoting her new girl-group, The OMG Girls. T.I. has been very proud of his daughter, as she is following in his footsteps, but in the eleventh episode of the season, the controversial rapper expressed concern in his daughter’s new style of dress. Throughout the episode, when he would watch Deyjah, he commented on how the girls in his old neighborhood, who dressed this way, were labeled as “easy” by the guys. In response to this, Deyjah, who is nearing sixteen years old, assured T.I. she is not like those girls, which Tip agreed.

While agreeing, T.I. continued to show up at his daughter’s workplace (the photoshoot), demanding she not wear the outfits picked out for her, warning of the style of dress. Understandably, knowing how he was with women, where he came from, and then the business he dominates, there was cause for concern for T.I. However, it is clear Deyjah is a lot like T.I., possessing his best qualities, while still not being a pushover, as she stood up to him throughout the episode. In his early music, T.I. rapped of how the parental figures in his life stood in the way of his overall dreams and tried to change him, but has T.I. become what he disliked the most growing up?