T.I. Calls Candace Owens’ Rhetoric ‘Dangerous’ While Explaining Their Revolt Summit Debate

After an intense debate at Diddy’s Revolt Summit, T.I. clarified his position about fellow participant Candace Owens, with whom he shared a particularly contentious exchange, during an interview with Big Boy’s Neighborhood. He used the opportunity to reestablish that while he doesn’t dislike Owens, but can’t remain silent about the dangers he feels her platform poses to the wider discourse.

T.I., who’s become something of an outspoken advocate for social justice in recent years, speaking out on behalf of causes like prison reform and criticizing his fellow artists and celebrities when he feels their actions pose a detrimental precedent to equal treatment of Black people, such as when he called out Kanye for visiting the White House.

At the Revolt Summit, T.I., Owens, and Killer Mike were invited to speak on some of those subjects, and when the discussion turned to Trump’s infamous and divisive slogan, T.I. lit into Owens for defending it. “Please answer this,” he said. “When you say ‘make America great again,’ which period are we talking about? The period when women couldn’t vote, the period when we were hanging from trees, or the crack era? Which period in America are you trying to make America like again?”

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He gave more context during his Big Boy interview, saying “Let me start off saying she’s a sister and I support her brilliance — understanding that she’s a sister that happens to be using her brilliance adversely. I’m not necessarily against her personally but a lot of views and a lot of the rhetoric that she spews is dangerous.”

He elaborates on his larger view, that while not “every black person has to be a Democrat,” there are certain principles that should preclude political affiliations. “There’s just certain things that you have to understand you can’t say… I don’t want it to come off in any way disrespectful or it’s a ‘me against her’ thing. It’s a’ me against what she’s saying’ thing — a ‘me against what I feel she’s representing’ type thing.”

He said that he feels that when Black people support and defend Donald Trump, “it’s a bit self-serving. I think they see what they can gain from the administration..” While he’s not against seeing folks make money, he does see a problem when it comes at the expense of the wider population, saying, “If I ever had a decision to make where you can keep these perks if these people stay in office or you may lose the perks, but you’ll have fair representation for the greater good of all, then I’ma go with the fair representation for the greater good of all.”

When asked about how that philosophy has affected his relationship with friend and collaborator Kanye, he joked, “He ain’t talk to me ’bout nobody but Jesus.”

T.I.’s next endeavors include promoting his trap music museum and hosting Netflix’s rap competition show, Rhythm + Flow.