At the 2026 ASCAP Grammy Brunch in Beverly Hills, rapper and actor T.I. made a rare public appearance with his family. He talked about a recent personal change that has gotten a lot of attention. The veteran artist, who has been in hip-hop for a long time, talked about why he got rid of his famous braids and what the change means for him as he starts a new phase in his career.
The Four Seasons hotel hosted the event on January 30, which drew many famous people from the music industry. Rapsody, Kamasi Washington, Jon Batiste, and T.I. were all there. T.I. came with his wife, Tiny, and their son, Domani.
AllHipHop says that T.I.'s hair was so different that it caught people's attention right away. When asked how many times he had been asked about the change that day, he made a joke. He said, "You will be the third," in a conversation with the outlet.
T.I. went on to talk about where his old look came from and why he decided to grow his hair out in the first place. He said, ""During the pandemic, we were all sheltering in place. My hair was growing like a little afro and I had hair on my face. I was out at Target or some store. A lady walked up and said, 'Hey!' And then she said, 'You know what? Nevermind. I thought you were T.I.'"
That meeting made me think about how important anonymity is. T.I. said, "I thought, 'Ah.' I figured I could camouflage myself and not be so recognizable. I just felt like fading to the back a little bit."
READ MORE: T.I. to Retire From Performing, Says He Doesn't Want to 'Sweat for Entertainment Anymore'
The artist said that the choice to cut his hair now shows that his priorities have changed. He said that staying out of the spotlight is no longer an option as he gets ready to return to the spotlight with new music. "But now I'm introducing new music and I'm about to put out a new album. I can't hide no more."
T.I. also talked about his new music that will be coming out. He told AllHipHop that his new single, "Let Them Know," is out now and that the album will come out later this year, probably in the second, second, or third quarter.
T.I. showed off the change on Instagram earlier this month by posting a black-and-white video of himself getting his braids cut in a barber's chair. He said in the video, "Get ready." Time has come.
"Kill the King," his next project, is being billed as his last solo studio album. This is a big deal for someone who has been in the business for more than 20 years.
In other news, T.I. announced he will retire from performing after his December 19 Jingle Ball show in Atlanta, saying he "does not want people to pay me to hop around and sweat for their entertainment anymore," though future performances may happen on his own terms, according to Billboard.
READ MORE: T.I. Claps Back Hard at Sabrina Peterson's Shocking Sex Trafficking Claims With Bold Message
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