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That was the proclamation from defense attorney Dwight Thomas,
as he exited the Richard B. Russell Federal Courthouse in Atlanta
on Friday, October 19, 2007, after U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan
Baverman decreed that his client, multiplatinum rap superstar,
Clifford “T.I.” Harris would not be allowed any immediate release on
bond. The rapper is facing federal weapons charges after he was arrested in a
sting at a Midtown Atlanta parking lot, just hours before he was set to perform at
the 2007 BET Awards. Authorities have alleged that Harris provided $12,000 to his
bodyguard to buy weapons. Harris was convicted on felony drug charges in 1998 and,
as such, is not allowed to own the weapons. Instead of performing at the event and
being honored for his musical contributions; the superstar was booked and detained,
with his car and College Park home being searched by federal authorities. At his home,
six other guns, five of which were loaded, were found in his bedroom closet. T.I.’s longtime
on-and-off girlfriend, Tamika “Tiny” Cottle (formerly of the girl-group Xscape) was also
arrested for possession of marijuana and
ecstasy pills.
According to ATF documents, the
investigation started after the rapper’s
bodyguard asked a gun dealer at The Gun
Store about purchasing a machine gun
without registering it — which is against
the law. The dealer reported the incident
to the ATF, who started an investigation
and provided a fake cell phone number to
an undercover agent posing as a gun dealer.
On October 10, Harris called the bodyguard who
was to pick up $12,000 to buy the weapons. The
bodyguard then met with the undercover agent at a
K-Mart in Doraville, Ga. T.I.’s bodyguard then gave the
agent $2,200 and a .223-caliber pistol in exchange
for three 9mm machine guns and two 9mm silencers;
after which federal agents arrested the bodyguard.
The bodyguard quickly revealed the purchases were
for T.I. and that he had purchased approximately 25
firearms over the past 18 months on T.I.’s behalf.
While the Second Amendment prohibits Congress or
any other government agency from infringing on “the right of the people to keep and bear arms,” the 1968 Gun Control Act
that was proposed after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy,
and passed swiftly after the assassinations of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.,
and Sen. Robert Kennedy.The act prohibited, among other things, the
sale of firearms to convicted felons.
The Legal Perspective
Defense attorney Ed Garland spoke to reporters after the bond hearing
on the 19th. “This judge has not made a decision,” said Garland. “This
matter is under consideration by the court and no one knows what the
outcome is going to be.” That cloud of uncertainty hangs over the entire
case, with a lone rapper sitting in the center of the storm.
Defense attorney Steve Sadow added, “[Harris] wants to move
forward in this case. He would like to gain his release if we can meet the
conditions the court imposes, and then we’ll deal with the defense once
we’ve gotten him out, if we’re fortunate.”
Hip-Hoppers Offer Support … and Advice
The hip-hop community isn’t unfamiliar with its biggest stars crossing
paths with the law, but T.I.’s arrest has brought some sobering reality
to artists who often find the line between loyalty and legality blurry, and
who, oftentimes, face very real dangers because of past associations. “In
a situation where you’re very successful, famous and rich, it’s important
to keep good people around you and stay true to yourself and walk a
righteous path,” says Atlanta-based DJ Drama. “[T.I.] is my big homie.
He’s always done right by me every time I’ve been around him. I’m gonna
hold him down to the end. It’s not the first time someone has struggled
and it’s not something [he] can’t overcome.”
T.I.’s co-star in American Gangster, Chicago MC Common, offered
encouragement and gave the self-proclaimed “King of the South” the
benefit of the doubt. “I don’t know what happened, but I know that T.I. is
smart and that he has a whole life in front of him,” Common said. “So he
ain’t doing that kind of stuff — trying to get guns. I don’t believe that. So
I just send my love and prayers for him.”
Superproducer RZA, also featured in the film, had some words of
wisdom for the younger hip-hop star and the entire hip-hop generation.
“You gotta watch what you do, watch what you say. Remember that
‘everything you say can and will be used against you,’ ” said the Wu-Tang
Clan founder. … I’d like to send out a prayer to him, a blessing to him.
And I hope that things turn out well.”
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“It’s one thing to talk about the conditions [in] which
we live and say we’re ‘keeping it real,’ but hell — is
that the way you want to continue to live? Is that
the reality that you want or do you want something
better for yourself and better for your people? Well,
how will you get something better if you don’t raise
[people’s] consciousness to aspire for something
better? The artist is the most important person –
you are the teachers. People listen to you – they
don’t listen to their preachers. The preacher’s day
is done; If he’s not a part of the revolution, he is
finished. Young people in the streets are not listening
to the preachers…”
Min. Louis Farrakhan, speaking on the influence of hip-hop |
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inside the courtroom:
“I’m concerned about that sort of dichotomy.”
They were all there. In a federal courtroom, Clifford
Harris Jr. shared laughs with his trusted attorney,
Dwight Thomas, while nervously scratching his face
and eyeing his prosecutors. In the front row behind
Harris sat his longtime business partner and manager,
Jason Geter, flanked by Atlantic and Warner Music
Group execs, Julie Greenwald, Lyor Cohen, Kevin Liles,
Craig Kallman and Chris Hicks. Immediately behind
the corporate giants, Harris’ girlfriend, Tameka “Tiny”
Cottle, sat on the end of the second row with Harris’
aunts, uncles and mother — all of them anxiously
anticipating the start of the proceedings. As much as
they wanted to be in good spirits, there was no shaking
the looming shadow of uncertainty, which lay in the
future of their son, lover and business associate.
They had heard everything that Harris had up to
that point. As Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Alley spent
almost half an hour listing Harris’ extensive rap sheet
from 1997-2003, his skin seemed to turn more and
more red with each offense announced. Alley and his
team would go on to to call Harris’ new charges, “crimes
of violence,” as he said there was no way to deny, “The
inevitability of what could happen with machine guns
and silencers.”
To counter the prosecution’s depiction of Harris,
Attorney Steve Sadow would admit, “It would be foolish
of us not to acknowledge violations, felonies and
misdemeanors,” but that minus a traffic violation in
December, 2004 that his client had managed to stay
away from jail and his career as a musician and Atlanta
community steward had flourished since then.
Following a brief recess, the tension in the room
became palpable as Judge Baverman returned to
his seat. “Mr. Harris is an exceptionally-gifted and
talented individual.” Baverman also acknowledged
that the rapper had been “exceptionally generous
and has reached out to the community, particularly
the community of the underprivileged — with great
generosity.” But Baverman also noted that “on the day
that is probably the most important of his professional
career, he shows up armed at a gun deal. I’m really,
really concerned about that sort of dichotomy.”
For those who missed Baverman’s proclamation
in the flurry of show-boating music executives, and
kids outside the courtroom passing out “Free T.I.P.,”
T-shirts, the judge reiterated: “His characteristics
are noteworthy,” he said. “But I would be blind
not to recognize some of the lyrics of some of the
songs that stand as contradiction of what he says to
schoolchildren.”
Much of T.I.’s appeal is derived from duality: the
contrasting image of T.I. — the businessman, entertainer
and philanthropist; and T.I.P. — the snarling, guntoting
street soldier. As he exited the courtroom, Harris
turned to his family and friends, clinching his fist and
pumping it into the air; one has to wonder if T.I.P. would
be the biggest threat to T.I.’s freedom.
The Path To Destruction
T.I.’s Rap Sheet |
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| Nov. 1997 – arrested in Georgia
for distribution of cocaine,
manufacturing and distributing
a controlled substance, and
giving authorities a false name
Convicted of the charge in 1998,
and served seven months in jail
before being released on seven
years probation. |
| Sept. 2003 – arrested in Florida
for striking an officer, trespassing
and disorderly conduct. |
| Dec. 2003 – warrant issued in
Georgia for violating parole. |
| Apr. 2004 – sentenced in
Georgia to three years in jail;
served less than a year. |
| Jan. 2005 – sentenced in Florida
to 18 months probation and 75
hours of community service. |
| Mar. 2005 – violated Florida
parole by driving a car with
a suspended license — 150
additional hours of community
added to his sentence. |
| Apr. 2005 – after failing to
fulfill community service
requirements, another warrant
was issued in Florida. |
| May 2005 – released from
Georgia jail on $25,000 bond. |
| 2005 – arrested for threatening
man outside Atlanta strip club;
charge dismissed. |
| May 2006 – Harris’ assistant and
best friend, Philant Johnson, is
killed in a gunfight in Cincinnati. |
| Oct. 10, 2007– indicted by a
federal grand jury on charges
of possession of unregistered
machine guns and silencers
and possession of firearms by a
convicted felon. |
| Saturday, Oct. 13 – four hours
before he is slated to appear at
the BET Hip-Hop Awards, Harris
is arrested by federal agents for
allegedly attempting to buy three
machine guns and two silencers. |
| Monday, Oct. 15 – appears in
court for the first time after being
arrested Saturday for weapons
charges. U.S. Magistrate Judge
Alan J. Baverman orders a
continuance until the following
Friday, when he will decide
whether Harris will be freed on
bond or detained until trial. |
| Friday, Oct. 19 – stands before
countless family members and
business associates at his bond
hearing, where arguments are
heard by the prosecution and
defense. Not satisfied with all
the facts presented before him
on why Harris should be freed or
jailed, Judge Alan J. Baverman
ordered another continuance
until Friday, Oct. 26, when he
will make his final decision on
Harris’ bond. |
| Friday, Oct. 26 - TI Free on $3 million dollar bail. Click here to read more... |
| Jailhouse Rock |
| It’s inevitable that a rapper’s time behind bars will translate into material for their next album.
In spite of the less than ideal circumstances, MCs often use jail time as a marketing tool to
generate buzz. Below are examples of some hip-hop figures who have maintained their career
while incarcerated. |
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C Murder – The TRU Story...Continued (2006) |
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Beanie Sigel – The B. Coming (2005) |
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Lil Kim – The Naked Truth (2005) |
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Shyne – Godfather Buried Alive (2004) |
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Tupac Shakur – Me Against the World
(1995) |
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Slick Rick – The Ruler’s Back (1991) |
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