T.I. Reunites With Man He Saved From Suicide

T.I. reunited with Joshua Starks, the man the rapper helped talk out of committing suicide, on the Ryan Cameron Show on Atlanta's V-103 yesterday. T.I. talked about his role in convincing Starks not to jump from a 22-story building, gave advice to fans who find themselves in a similar predicament, and how the public has responded to him after he was sentenced to an additional 11 months in prison following his drug-related arrest last month.

"The public would rather see you suffer than see you shine," T.I. said, alluding to rumors that his role in Starks' attempt was a publicity stunt. "Although my actions have been unacceptable, inexcusable, I don't see them as unforgivable." Even though T.I. will return to prison within in the next two weeks, he's remaining positive. "We all move forward and all of the things we go through in life, they just prepare us for the next battle," T.I. said.

Keep up with rock's hottest photos in Random Notes

Starks, meanwhile, revealed that he was going through his own problems — including legal difficulties, like T.I. — when he was contemplating suicide, but the rapper convinced him that jumping from the building wasn't the answer.

"What I realize is now I just need to put forth that extra effort that I thought wasn't there, that I now know is there," Starks said.

"Minimum injury, maximum lesson learned," T.I. said of Starks' situation. As for advice he'd give to his fans facing similar struggles, Tip said, "It gets better, if you're willing to put in the time, the effort, the energy into making it better, or if you're willing to lay back long enough to allow it to get better, it can and will get better. But if you interfere with that process by removing yourself permanently from the circumstance or the situation, then you don't allow it to get better. You got to be present to be blessed."

• 
  MUSIC Exclusive Live Chat With Linkin Park and Incubus
• 
  MOVIES & TV Peter Travers: 'The Avengers' Has it All
• 
  POLITICS Matt Taibbi: Jon Corzine Is the Original Zimmerman
• 
  VIDEOS Exclusive Premiere: Tenacious D's 'Tinnitus'

Song Stories

“Baby Got Back”

Sir Mix-a-Lot | 1992

While watching a Budweiser commercial during the Super Bowl, Sir Mix-a-Lot thought the skinny female models in the ad didn’t represent reality. So he wrote this ode to ample bottoms, featuring its famous to-the-point lyric: “I like big butts and I cannot lie.” MTV banished the video, featuring shaking booties and sexually suggestive fruit, to 9 p.m. or later. “I thought my career was over,” he told Rolling Stone. “Then I called Rick Rubin, and I told him the video was banned, and he was like, 'Great!' We sold another 2 million records.”

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter