T.I. is retiring from performing live.
The 44-year-old rapper – whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr. – will no longer be going out on stage because he doesn’t “need the money” and his last gig will be on 19 December at the 93.1 The Beat’s Jingle Ball show in Atlanta.
Appearing on 96.1 The Beat’s ‘Rari at 2’ show, he said: “I appreciate y’all for offering me my last working gig because I do not need the money anymore and I will not be performing.
“I don’t want to do it anymore. … I don’t want people to pay me to hop around and sweat for their entertainment anymore.”
Asked if he would pick up the phone for other upcoming gigs, He added: “Of course, I’m going to answer the phone to tell them that I will not be performing.”
However, he did note that he will perform again, but only his own terms.
93.1 The Beat’s Jingle Ball show will also feature performances from Tinashe, Sexyy Red, T-Pain, Saweetie, Khalid and The Kid LAROI.
One reason why T.I. doesn’t need the money from gigs anymore is that he and wife Tiny were recently awarded $71 million in damages after winning their lawsuit against toy company MGA Entertainment, who they had accused of violating their OMG Girlz music group’s intellectual property rights with their L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls.
After the verdict was announced, the couple said they were delighted to see “justice has been served”.
The ‘Live Your Life’ rapper told Rolling Stone magazine: “I think justice was served. I think it’s a testament to the relentlessness and resilience of my wife, daughter and nieces. We’re just happy we were able to come out on top and fight for creatives and our intellectual property that large corporations seem to think is just public domain and free for all to come and grab and use.”
Jurors awarded the couple $17.9 million in real damages and $53.6 million in punitive damages and Tiny, 49, admitted they weren’t expecting such a settlement.
She said: “I mean, wow. They did more than I thought they would.
“I would have been happy with whatever. They blessed us more than beyond.”
Following the three-week trial in California, jurors found 13 L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls had “infringed on the trade dress and misappropriated the name, image, and likeness” of T.I. and Tiny’s OMG Girlz band.
The couple had started OMG Girlz – which included Tiny’s daughter Zonnique ‘Star’ Pullins, Bahja ‘Beauty’ Rodriguez and Breaunna ‘Babydoll’ Womack – in 2009 and alleged seven of the L.O.L. Surprise! dolls had copied the group’s looks at “very specific public events or in publicised photos”.
MGA’s founder, Isaac Larian, had branded the pair “extortionists” and insisted OMG Girlz had played no role in the appearance of their dolls.
