T.I. appeared on Larry King Live in his first public appearance since being released from prison after serving nine months of a year sentence on illegal firearms charges.
The interview is incredibly funny and interesting, and T.I. banters with King calmly and with ease. But for those who don't have time to watch the whole thing, here are some highlights:
On why T.I. was imprisoned:
Larry King: You bought an Ingrahm 9mm machine gun capable of shooting almost 1100 rounds a minute, and SWD 9mm machine gun capable of shooting 1200 rounds a minute, and a HMK 9mm machine gun capable of shooting 990 rounds a minute. That kind of fire power isn't even used by police...
T.I.: Uh-huh
LK: ...or federal agents.
T.I.: Yeah.
On who shot at T.I. in Cincinnati:
T.I.: I still don't know who they are. I know who they say they are. I know who the law say they are, but I never knew them before that night.
LK: Who does the law say they are?
T.I.: Citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio.
LK: Who wanted to shoot rounds of guns at a rapper and his friends?
T.I.: Yeah, you know, jealousy is something, Larry.
On T.I.'s right to bear arms:
LK.: So, you can't legally have a gun?
T.I.: No, I lost my Second Amendment rights.
LK: And, you don't get them back, right?
T.I.: Not to my knowledge. Not unless some things change in Washington.
On T.I.'s remaining amendment rights:
LK: Have you shot a weapon?
T.I.: Have I ever before? [Laughs] Yeah.
LK: At a range or at someone? ...C'mon.
T.I.: Fifth Amendment. I plead the Fifth. ...At a range.
On being a parent:
LK: So jail's been a part of your life, drugs are part of you life, weapons are part of your life...
T.I.: My past life, yeah.
LK: You have five children.
T.I.: I have five children, but I really have six.
LK: The sixth is what?
T.I.: The sixth, she's my daughter through my relationship with a very special young lady.
[On Smash]
It's funny, because the last quoted exchange is supposed to be one of those pseudo-racist "OMG rappers are such libidinal amoral sexists" but the you realize that the interviewer has been married eight times.
I know, Larry King is far more of a player than T.I. I mainly just wrote it down because I thought it was a funny exchange, because of "I have five children, but I really have six." And then Larry asking "What is the sixth?" as though it's some sort of object, not a child.