T.I. Thinks the Gay Community Is Bullying Rappers
T.I. has added more legs to the conversation sparked by DaBaby's homophobic comments made during the North Carolina rapper's Rolling Loud Festival performance in Miami this past weekend.
On Wednesday (July 28), Tip went on Instagram Live to explain that he feels the gay community is bullying rappers and prohibiting his peers from speaking freely at their shows, which he feels should be a "safe space."
"Everyone up in arms and upset about what DaBaby said," the rapper-reality TV star began. "Now, I understand people saying that they feel it's insensitive. I think you guys have to understand that onstage is not the place that rappers go to be sensitive and soothe everybody's feelings."
He continued: "It's a place to go to have a good time. I thought we kind of let our hair down and disqualified the BS because if we ’posed to not trip if we see White people saying nigga singing along with the song, how is we held to such a high standard of morality?."
Tip then spoke on his belief that rappers' freedom of speech while performing appears to have been taken away.
"Just to be honest," he expressed. "So, it seemed like it was a safe place and it's all done in fun. That's what I thought. If that is the case, why do words cause such a visceral reaction that will lead to someone trying to attack, villainize, demonize, crucify, condemn."
T.I. added: "That shit is...Now you bullying. We all stood up on behalf of gays and lesbians and people in the gay community because we thought it was some bullshit for y'all to have to be bullied. But I don't think any of us did that to feel like you would now have the authority to come and bully us."
Tip and Boosie BadAzz have both been social media trending topics this week after defending DaBaby, who made comments on the RL stage on July 25, offending people with HIV, AIDS, gay men and also women.
T.I. initially only saw a need for equal treatment of DaBaby while bringing Lil Nas X into the conversation. The Atlanta rhymer suggested that if the actions of Nas X, who has proudly displayed his homosexuality in his music videos and award show performances, can be openly embraced, so should Baby's.
On July 25, DaBaby made these controversial remarks during his Rolling Loud performance: "If you didn't show up today with HIV, AIDS, any of them deadly sexual transmitted diseases that'll make you die in two to three weeks, put your cell phone light in the air. Ladies, if your pussy smells like water, put a cell phone light in the air. Fellas, if you ain't suckin' dick in the parking lot, put your cell phone lights in the air."
DaBaby has since apologized via Twitter and dropped a new video for his song "Giving What It's Supposed to Give," which he claims in an IG post "coincidentally" addresses the controversial topics he's been linked to over the last week.
Check out T.I.'s livestream, in which he said rappers are being bullied by the gay community, below.