T.i. quotes

All of US sometimes feel that one of the most difficult things in the world is to talk to US about US in an effort to help US.

Brain so good could've sworn you went to college

We can no longer afford to be entertained beyond the point of accountability. We can't keep selling each other out and be willing to do anything to be seen, to be famous or to be rich.

You have to surpass the levels of success that you have already achieved, and that's the challenge. But, it's a welcome challenge. I appreciate it because it brings the best out of me.

If you're not worth speaking on, then you haven't adequately done your job.

Fear aint in the heart of me, i learned just do it, you get courage from your fears right after you go through it.

Our obsession with material things and lack of self-worth is evident in our need for an abundance of momentary luxuries and must-have amenities that have no true value for real, man. And I mean, we do it just to impress people that could care less if your children or your children's children have anything left to show for your life after you gone.

I know what it's like to be so distracted by your surroundings and in the moment that it's seemingly impossible to not get caught up in 'em. I know what it's like to feel so much smaller than the activities of your environment that you can't see how not to succumb to 'em. I know what it's like to not be able to focus in class due to real life hunger pangs. I know what it's like to be disruptive just to pass the time and take your mind off what's lacking at home. I know what it's like to be laughed at by your teacher when you tell them what you hope to be in life.

I always tried to work hard and stay focused, and just use one opportunity to contribute to the next.

I'm not to the point where I need to shut myself off from people, unless I feel like I need to, but I don't force myself to deal with people.

I don't think there's anything wrong with sitting down with people as long as you understand that there are needs to be met and purposes to be served.

Hawaii ain't a bad place to work.

Im either running from life or im just waiting to die im the supplier or fire if you chasing a high.

It's only five rappers out of Atlanta who bussin and I'm one of 'em; the other four you know who you are; but if you gotta think twice (well) shawty ya ain't nice; regardless of ya publishin' deal ya can't write

MTV has always given artists a platform to get their stories and music out to their fans and this series reveals the unknown side of T.I.-one of the world's greatest artists at the most precarious time in his life.

Even when I lose faith in myself there is something in me that speaks through and says I am not finished yet.

I dont care what you do fo you respect, but i would die for mine

We have been underserved, underprivileged and unfortunate for far too long. There are no more excuses. It's not enough to have limited progress and allow our expectations and sense of purpose to evaporate. So, if that means we must sacrifice some nights at the club and give up buying the latest designer handbags and sneakers... well then damn, so be it.

We've somehow allowed ourselves to think it's okay to neglect and abandon our responsibility to ourselves and to our community. Everything cannot be blamed on the system.

(I'm) much more ... standoffish and hot headed, more intense (than Rashad). Not so dead set on doing the right thing more so than the right now thing; at that age anyway.

We cannot continue to get caught up in having material abundance and yet be fundamentally and spiritually broke.

The one thing we all have in common is that we're human. Why pay more attention to the things that make us different over the things that bring us together?

Nobody is gonna love you like you.

I'm not as serious of a person as people make me out to be. Most people would think that I would be less successful in comedy, but I can crack a joke as well as anyone else.

Adversity builds character and character takes you places money can't.

If you want to take what I've learned and use it to your advantage, just listen and you won't have to go through it.

I know what it's like to feel hopeless and to feel like you're not good enough just because of where you're from. I know what it's like to be profiled and to be abused by the police. I know what it's like to be racially profiled, treated unjustly and abused by the police just because of how you look.

All you can do is handle it, worst thing you can do is panic. Use it to your advantage, avoid insanity, manage to conquer ever obstacle, make impossible possible. Even when winning's illogical, losing is still far from optional.

Im going to always rise above the doubt that may exist about me.

I know what it's like to not know where you're going or how to get there. I know what it's like to have no one around you who can teach you how to be what you hope to become.

The possibilities of success are limitless, as long as you're willing to put the work in.

Never mind what haters say, ignore them 'til they fade away.

If you are a true fan, you're a fan for one of two reasons. You either support what I do or you support me as a person. If you support what I do, the quality of work speaks for itself. If you support me as a person, my personal and political views won't alienate you. If you find a way to be turned off, that means you were never a fan in the first place. You were just riding the wave.

I think we need to find more reasons to unify rather than divide each other.

We are the benefactors of too much sacrifice and blood, sweat and tears to allow petty differences and trivial discrepancies to continue to separate and divide US, while we are being used, exploited and conquered.

Every one of us must do something to contribute to transforming our community for the better.

Even when winnin's illogical, losin's still far from optional

People put me on a box, and I love when people think they know what I am capable of or not capable of. I thrive off of that.

I've learned that one thing about my life that is certain is trouble.

Life can change your directions, even when you ain't planned it. All you can do is handle it, worst thing you can do is panic.

We can't fix what we do not address.

People are motivated when they see somebody else doing something.

I can't really see myself as an artist.

We must keep ourselves busy with finding ways to generate wealth for generations to come and work to pass down things to our children for them to pass down to their children.

Refuse to give up, your mistakes don't define you. They don't dictate where you're headed, they remind you.

I think that at the end of the day, when people understand the circumstances that led to the circumstances, they begin to sway their views.

I could see myself in the fur coats, turtleneck sweaters, with the Kangol hats like Slick Rick and Dana Dane. But I could also see myself in a leather Troop suit like LL Cool J.

Some of us were born to hate and some of us were born to be great.

If we don't acknowledge and accept where we are failing, then we'll never do the work that it takes to make it right for US.

I'm beating down the Internet as we speak.

Everyone has something to sell. The greatest thing you can ever sell is an idea or talent.

If I'm not in the mood to deal with you, then I just don't deal with you. I look at it like, me not dealing with you could save me a lot of trouble - me forcing myself to deal with you could bring me a lot of trouble. So I just play it by ear.

I give the niggaz what they came to see, a reflection of one self where they aim to be.

It's so many different elements to a film. Just learning the ins and outs and how the machine works.

There's a wide variety of demographics for fans of T.I. now, that you have to do something to satisfy everyone.

Man, I'm a conspiracy theorist by nature. You can't experience the federal penal system and not be somewhat skeptical.

I think you have to drop an album to truly see the effects of your following.

Whatever column you fall in - Christian, gay, straight, Black, White - there is no world where people exist that are exactly like you. No one group of people can righteously rule the world. There will be people who differ in opinion, and even in that difference of opinion, we must respect each other.

People hate it when you're better than them. They ain't hating, start worrying then.

It is a lot of responsibility. But I enjoy being a father. Thats one of the best parts of my life. I feel like, man, thats one of the greatest things Ive got going on, being a father.

As long as you focus on your strengths and remain natural, then you come off natural [in your work].

I aint dead, I aint done, I ain't scared, I aint run, no matter what, no matter what, Still I stand

This is a time where fashion and style go against what I would rather do myself. So I have to pick and choose from people that share my enthusiasm when it comes to certain things.

We must work to reshape the need for our children to want to live so fast even if it means dying too young.

Producing a film is more unfamiliar territory. Although producing an album and overseeing artists is a task within itself. But film is unfamiliar territory so, here and now, that's more difficult.

You can't go through the kinds of things I've gone through, as much as I have, without re-evaluating yourself and making adjustments. And you can't endure these horrendous circumstances without developing a certain level of strength and wisdom.

I always knew that there were huge opportunities for me, and that I had a lot of potential to do a lot of different things, but I also knew it was about my execution and my application of skills.

If I think of something, half-way into it, I can throw it in there and it won't be so far down the line that it would be insignificant. However, I also like to completely focus on something for a certain period of time, and then be able to move on to something else.

I promote peace and positivity.

My fist so rocky and and wrist so icy, Might be, thrown off my rocker just slightly, Feisty, claimin' hot temper don't ignite me, I'm only gonna ask ya find the exit once politely

A responsibility to be a role model as a father yes, as a man, as a public figure, yes. That responsibility just leads me to do what I feel is right and to conduct myself with the moral standards, principles, and integrity that were instilled in me by my family.

When you ask me who I look up to and who I can admire for their style right now, I have to choose from people that represent what I represent stylistically.

I want to do things that shock people. I think that persona attributes more to the roles that other people may consider me for, rather than the ones I consider for myself.

Let the losers worry about losin.

As long as there's a demand for gangsta rap, it will be supplied.

God will take you through hell, just to get you to heaven.

I got most of my style from people around me who I knew personally.

You ain't gotta be a dope boy to have money.

Don't let your emotions overpower your intelligence.

I'm not going to do red jeans. No green jeans. I don't do Vans and that's the style right now. I don't want to show my socks when I'm wearing jeans.

We should not live one more day ignoring the sh** that suffocates and strangles US keeping US imprisoned in our own communities.

If you don't respect nothin' else, you will respect this hustle.

Stop lookin' at what you ain't got, and start being thankful for what you do got.

It has to be understood that the world doesn't exist with people who are exactly like us.

As far as from a standpoint of success, the only person who is in a position to make a claim like that sort [for the 'King Of The South' title] would be Lil Wayne - as far as success from a numbers standpoint. As far as longevity and success, that's the only person I feel like can say that.

If we continue to devalue ourselves we cannot realistically expect respect from others.

I regret my lack of options. I regret being painted into a corner and having that be the only instrument to get me from point A to point B.

While there's currently great turmoil, there is even greater opportunity for US to work together to transform our community. Far too many of our children are fatherless, far too many of our mothers are standing in the prison waiting rooms and far too many of our young people feel hopeless.

I wasn't nervous at all. I applied the same amount of efforts to the love scenes as I did to the skating and the acting and everything else.

Before you get to the strip club, you've got to go through the skating rinks.

You're gonna be your best salesman. If you don't sell yourself, nobody else is gonna have a better time with it than you. You've gotta get up for it, every day.

People see me doing something so all of the guys from my walk of life feel like if he can do it, I can do it. That just keeps spreading and spreading and spreading.

I know what it's like to be told by your teacher that you'll never amount to anything.

You are not defined by your environment unless you allow yourself to be.

They’re like,‘If you have an opinion against us, we’re gonna shut you down.' That’s not American. If you’re gay you should have the right to be gay in peace, and if you’re against it you should have the right to be against it in peace.

It is imperative for US to parent our children and educate them outside of the school systems, as our education system was not designed to lift US out of oppression.

I'm by no means a perfect human being. I experience more than half of my life perpetuating darkness. That was because I was dropped in a place of darkness and expected to find a way out.

Life experience makes the best music. That's the thing that nobody else can offer. Nobody else can offer my life. I have a life that is fit for movies, music, and so forth. Nobody else can give that.

I always want to execute and maximize off of potential, and this is a natural progression. Coming up as a youngster, I always wanted to be a rapper, but I knew that if I did everything right as a rapper, I'd end up as an actor, following the models of Ice Cube, Tupac [Shakur] and Will Smith.

I can only hope that one day soon we'll understand our true economic buying power by investing in our own communities and putting our money into businesses that keep our dollars in our community.

Some of y'all are not where you want to be in life, yet you party every weekend. What is it that you’re celebrating?

We cannot afford to not stick and work together for the betterment of our community.

All the hatin just fuels to my fire.

Danger is ever-present in life, more for some than others.

You see somewhere along the way, we've allowed the pursuit of fame and things to blind us to the issues that prevent us from moving upward.

I think, in comedy, timing is everything. You and I could tell the same joke, but if one of our timing is off, it won't be as funny. You've gotta know when to deliver your punch-lines.