By Rob Markman
On TI's new VH1 reality series "T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle," the Atlanta rapper is very much the family man, but on his latest mixtape F--- Da City Up, Tip still shows a much grittier side of himself. So how does he balance family life with being a rapper? "That's when I go home," T.I. told MTV News of his role as a husband and father. "You ain't gonna hear that music on that mixtape or this album."
On New Year's Day, T.I. dropped his F--- da City Up mixtape, and next up is his eighth solo album, Trouble Man. Tip, who has never shied away from putting his street persona on display, makes it clear that there is a distinct line between "T.I. the rapper" and "T.I. the father figure." What fans see on TV isn't necessarily what they'll get when they listen to his new records.
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"When I go home, that's who I am, what you see on the show. Now, what you're gonna hear through them records is when I hit the streets, when I'm out movin' and groovin' — this is the person that must maintain this personality because it's a cold world out here," he said. "At home, I could be Mr. Harris or Daddy or whatnot, but when I'm out here in these streets it's gonna have to be Tip because that's what it takes to make it out here."