Earlier today, T.I. dropped the third entry of his “A Messages From T.I.” blog series to fans. The Atlanta star is back in the jail for at least the next year for violating the terms of his parole following a September drug arrest in California.
In the short letter, T.I. speaks with anger and regret regarding his latest predicament. He explains that he now knows if he is to truly change, it has to be a decision made for himself (“I thought my motivation for continuing was for my fans…I got to do this shit for me!”). The Grand Hustle CEO also states that after various run-ins with the law for more than half his life, he’s finally “sick and motherfucking tired of going to jail.” Later, he attributes some of his issues to the male role models of his youth, who were a father and uncle deeply involved in the drug game.
The entire, unedited letter can be read below.
This experience is truly a pain I have never felt before and that’s saying a lot for a nigga who’s been down locked up as many times as I have. I see this as a real ass whoopin’. The kind you don’t just go back outside to play afterwards. You take ya ass to bed and don’t come out of your room until it’s time to go to school. I don’ t know what effect this will have on my life moving forward but I’m certainly sick and mother fucking tired of going to jail, juve, prison, the pen, correctional facilities or whatever else you want to call it. I’d have been better off doing a 5-10 year bid one time than going in time and time again for days, weeks and months for the last 15 years of my life.
Even though it’s been a long road, I’m still standing, barely but nevertheless still standing. At one time I thought my motivation for continuing was for my fans, my partna Philant, my pops, my grandmama, even for the haters or the people I let down. But nah… I got to do this shit for me!!! I’ll be God damned if I’ve come all this way and made it through so much hell to let it go down like this! Fuck that! If an hour in the dark is worth a second in the sun then pass me my mother fuckin’ shades cause I’m ready to cash my darkest hours in…ASAP!!!
A lot of folks had fathers or father figures in the house to raise them into manhood. I’m not trying to make any excuses for my situation but my father was a hustler that lived in New York. My uncle was a local big time dope boy turned 10 year federal inmate. My mother and grandparents did the best they could but I found my manhood in the trap and in prison systems. But I found it. And nan one of mine will ever have to feel the cold tight grip of a handcuff or grace the presence of a jail cell if I can help it. Over my dead body! So if you can’t respect that you ain’t rocking with my movement then Fuck you dog! I know a bunch of mother fuckers who are…..
– Love KING
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 
ITS CRAZY CUZ U SAYIN NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES A NIGGA GO TO JAIL OR FOR HOW LONG NO MATER THE TIME ITS ALL BULLSHIT N DAT WE COULD N CAN BE DOIN SOMETHG ELSE BESIDES DIS SHIT I FEEL U T MAN, BUT THIS IS TO PUT IT N PERSPECTIVE DATS ALL U STILL GOT IT I UNDERSTAND U WAS ABOUT TO START UR ENGINE N THEY CUT IT SHORT AGAIN BUT U STILL GOT UR CAR SO JUST LOOK AT IT LIKE U HAV TO GO THE WORK FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF MONTH TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR IT U NO MI NIGGA GOD GOT U AND DAT U COULD BE BROKE DOING THIS SHIT SO ITS GOOD FAM I GOT U MAN U A REAL NIGGA N IM USING WAT U SAYING TO HELP ME WEN OR IF I GO DOWN IN A COUPLE OF MONTH FOR A COUPLE OF MONTH NO MATER WAT UR KIDS AINT FOCUS ON OR WILL EVER FOCUS ON THAT CUZ U WORKED HARD TO HAV THE MEAN TO KEEP DEM OUT DAT REAL SHIT U NO WAT I MEAN SO DAT AINT OR SHOULDNT BE THE FOCUS CUZ DAT MANDATORY N MANDATORY SHIT WE DONT SPEAK ON RIGHT BUT THE PEOPLE OUT HERE RALLY DO NEED U WHO DONT HAV DAT AN LOOK UP TO U FAM FOR REAL N I AINT PLAYIN IT SUPER HARD OUT HERE N U JUST DOIN WAT U NO BEST PARTYIN N BULLSHIT TAKIN CARE OF BIZ N FAM SO DONT LET NOTHIN BUT JUST THE PAUSE N EFFECT DAT U DEALIN WIT RIGHT NOW DONT LET IT GET TO U, CUZ MI DUDE U STILL GOOD N BETTER THEN MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OUT HERE N CAN HELP MANY OUT HERE U NO DAT FEEL ME. I NO DIS SHORT PIECE GOT U WANTING TO JUST GET BACK OUT HERE N DO IT N IT STOPS AGAIN DAT HOW THEY CONTROL US THROUGH TIME N SPACE MI NIG. ITS NOTHIN NEW N THEY DONT LET US BE US BUT MONEY CAN DO DAT TO IF U FEEL ME ,SO WEN U GET OUT WHICH IS NOTHIN U AINT BEEN THROUGH BEFORE U GOIN TO CONTROL DIS SHIT AGAIN MAANNN DONT TRIP JUST CHILL AND FOR FEEL STOP TALKIN LIKE DAT. U DONT NEED IT N UR LIFE N WE DONT WANT U TALKIN LIKE DAT EITHER .DO U BUT WE GOT U NIGGA ITS NOTHIN. U A FUCKIN BOSS MAN U NO WAT THIS COULD MEAN PUT UR OTHER ARTIST OUT N GOD WAT U TO FOCUS ON UR EXECUTIVE PART INSTEAD OF IT ALWAYS BEING ABOUT U UMMM N ITS FUNNY CUZ I SAYD DAT NOT TO LONG AGO ABOUT HOW SHIT STOP AT GRAND HUSTLE WEN THE BOSS WAS DOWN NOW DO DEM OTHER NIGGAS U GOT OR ABOUT TO WORK WITH U BEING KIND OF SELFISH A LIL I NO HOW BIZ GO WEN U GOT TO BE THE ONE TO KEEP THE BOAT AFLOAT BUT WORK DEM OTHER NIGGAS, MAN I WISH WE COULD TALK FACE TO FACE CUZ FOR U NOT TO BE MI FIRST CHOICE N THIS I THINK ABOUT U ALOT I FEEL CLOSE TO U FOR SOME REASON N I NO DIS CUZ I WOULDNT OR DONT WRITE NO NIGGA N I DONT OR HAVNT EVEN WROTE MI OWN FOLKS N JAIL BUT I FELT WAT U WERE SAYIN FOR SOME REASON I CAN FEEL DA SOME SHIT N TRUELY UNDERSTAND WHAT UR TALKIN ABOUT BEST BELIEVE I GOT U TEEZY MI NAME IS MIKE BUDDHA FROM MILWAUKEE 8636 W. APPLETON AVE APT 3 53225 MILWAUKEE WI ITS WATEVER 414 915 3084 HIT ME WENEVER I NO CUZ I NO THE WORLD NEED U N WAT U REALLY STAND FOR N ABOUT I THINK WE NEED U FOR EXACTLY WHO U R. N KEEP BEIN U,I HOPED IT HELP U BUT I NO IT REALLY HELPD ME ALSO I JUST WENT IN ON DIS LAST MIN SO I HOPE U CAN UNDERSTAND WAT WAS SAYD TO U NIGGA CUZ A NIGGA WAS JUST TYPIN N ZONING N DIS IS SOME OF THE REALEST SHIT I EVER WROTE SPECIALLY TO A NIGGA SO RIDE WIT IT LOVE PEACE JUSTICE HAPPINESS EQUALITY FREEDOM N DA MIND WEALTH SELF WORTH FITNESS THINKETH PRAYER SCIENCE STUDY CONCENTRATION PUSH UPS MEDITATE FAMILY FUCK A FRIEND DIS IS WAT U NEED NIGGA PEACE MAN