There are few in the rap game who are busier than Clifford “T.I.” Harris.
You may have seen his name intertwined with Kanye’s earlier this summer when he collaborated with the controversial rapper on “Ye vs. The People,” or more recently when he publically denounced Ye on Instagram.
It’s also very likely that you caught wind that he signed with Epic and dropped his tenth studio album in four years, Dime Trap. Not too shabby for a 38-year-old seasoned veteran who has managed to stay relevant without making a fool out of himself.
More importantly, however, T.I has made news again, this time for his pitch on how to transform gentrified homes in Atlanta into affordable housing.
During a new profile with ABC News, the Grammy Award-winning MC spoke on how he’s in a different place in his career and how he wants to be a real role model. This energy has led to his new endeavor to “Buy Back the Block.” He says,
“With as much growth and opportunity that’s going on in my community—and, you know, Mike’s community as well—we refuse to be left behind.”
The venture is in association with Dynasty Real Estate Development and APD-Urban Planning and Management and their purpose is to buy as many buildings with gentrification inflated prices as possible and flip them into affordable households.
So far T.I. has purchased nine homes and has also teamed up with Killer Mike to save an old neighborhood restaurant called, Bankhead Seafood, which almost closed. T.I. added,
“I have enough things going on where I don’t have to chase sensationalism, I don’t have to be provocative for no reason just because my personality lends itself to controversy. Rather than try to be a role model, I’d rather be a real model.”
