T.I. on Why He Kept Kids Out of Music

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Like any father, T.I. wanted to keep his children out of trouble — and out of the recording booth.

Speaking on Arian Simone’s podcast Welcome to the Fearlessly Living, the Atlanta rapper said he actively steered his kids away from the entertainment industry, pointing to a culture of betrayal he witnessed firsthand. “To be honest with you I never wanted them involved. Not just my daughters, none of my children,” he said.

But having been in the industry for almost his entire life, the 45-year-old wanted to protect his children. “I just know how much treachery, how much betrayal … how much of the dark side exists in this and I never wanted to expose them to that. I always wanted them to be able to tailor make their own path and create they own motion coming from different areas given the influence that we’ve already created in this industry.”

The father of seven said he envisioned at least one child going into real estate, and hoped that they would fulfill other roles in society. “It’s not enough lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects … It’s not enough of them in the world coming from our households,” he said.

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“We got a thousand rappers, producers, DJs, models, actors — not that there’s anything wrong with any of this,” he continued. “But for us to evolve the way that I envision us evolving, I just feel like we need more Thurgood Marshalls, we need more Ben Crumps. We need more than just entertainment. We can’t just entertain our way out of the slump that we’re in.”

Despite those wishes, several of his children have found their way into entertainment, with sons King and Domani rapping, Messiah making country-blues music, and daughters Zonnique and Heiress singing. Deyjah Harris has moved toward modeling and social media instead.

To their father’s point, some of the children witnessed the nastier side of the industry. When 50 Cent targeted Tiny Harris online, both King and Domani released diss tracks in their mother’s defense, pulling the feud into the next generation. On The Ebro Laura Rosenberg Show on March 3, T.I. said he was conflicted: “No, I don’t enjoy it. I spent so much time trying to get this lil n—a off the ledge. Now, he has justifiable means to undo all of the teaching that I’ve been teaching.”

He drew a line when King posted a photo wearing a shirt featuring 50 Cent’s late mother. “I said that’s enough when I seen that damn T-shirt,” T.I. said. “I’m big on treating people the way I want to be treated.”

T.I.’s 12th studio album, Kill the King, is reportedly set to be his final musical offering. He was spotted alongside Domani and King Harris at the 2026 BET Awards, celebrating what he has called his final chapter in the business he once tried to keep his children out of.