T.I. Wants to Turn Buildings in Gentrified Areas Into Affordable Housing in Atlanta
On top of promoting his new album, Dime Trap, and making time to let Kanye West know exactly how he feels about his visit with President Trump, T.I. is also making time for what arguably is the most important to him: his advocacy efforts.
During a new profile with ABC News, the Grammy Award-winning artist explains how he is at an interesting point in his career, a time where he’s more interested in being a “real model” than a “role model,” and is dedicating his time to putting tangible action behind his spirited activism.
"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," he says.
The impassioned Atlanta native has built his career around giving back, whether in the form of sharing his musical gifts or making sure he’s using his platform to education others on issues important to him.
Recently, his philanthropic nature has him on a new mission to “Buy Back the Block.” The venture, which is in association with Dynasty Real Estate Development and APD-Urban Planning and Management, is dedicated to buying and flipping as many buildings whose price point has been grossly inflated due to gentrification so that they can instead be turned into affordable housings.
On top of having purchased nine buildings so far, T.I. has also teamed up with Killer Mike to save an old neighborhood favorite restaurant, Bankhead Seafood, which was dangerously close to shutting down. Together, he and Killer Mike bought the property and plan to tear it down and rebuild the fish fry, using the same name and same recipes as the original owner.
"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," T.I. adds. "Rather than try to be a role model, I'd rather be a real model."
Take a look at T.I.’s recent sit-down interview with ABC below.
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