We, like many others, were very shocked and surprised at the turn of events that surrounded the release of rap superstar, Clifford “TI” Harris, since the very first announcement by MTV News that the rapper would be released early and sent to a Halfway House. Within the last 24 hours, what appeared to be a closing chapter on the rapper’s incarceration for violation of probation, has now turned into a media circus and reality show nightmare.
Apparently, the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the US Attorney’s office was not too happy with the VH1 reality show documenting his journey to freedom, and they expressed it in the worst possible way, by remanding him into custody and potentially keeping him in an Atlanta prison until September 29th, which was his originally scheduled release date. To make matters worse, the halfway house that Mr. Harris was to report to once he left the prison apparently brokered a deal with the cable network to videotape his time there, which was definitely not something the government would have approved; because filming someone still under federal custody would send the wrong message to the public and would not be in the best interest of justice according to our sources close to the case.
You would think with all the lawyers Mr. Harris has at his disposal, someone would have known that this would happen. Didn’t anyone say to him “maybe we shouldn’t thumb our nose at the government just yet and keep a low profile until your sentence is completed?” Apparently not as it looks like our favorite rapper will be cooling his heels in prison for almost another month wondering how all this happened to him.
Is money more important than a man’s freedom? It may be to some of the people around him, but Mr. Harris should start thinking about what is best for him right now.
According to the Bureau of Prison’s online inmate locator, T.I. was being held in the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta on Friday morning, and the website has September 29th listed as his release date. We’ll keep you posted on any updates.
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