T.I. Sentenced to 11 Months in Prison

T.I. was sentenced to 11 months in prison today after a judge revoked the rapper's probation following his arrest on drug charges in Los Angeles last month, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. T.I., who was released from prison just eight months ago, after serving nearly a year behind bars on federal weapons charges, was on three years' probation as part of his initial plea bargain. Two days ago, T.I. helped police in convincing a suicidal man not to jump from a 22-floor Atlanta building, but the rapper's rescue, and the police's gratitude toward T.I. for assisting in the situation (one of the officers reportedly spoke at today's hearing), apparently did not factor into the judge's decision. T.I. was given two weeks to turn himself into authorities.

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T.I. and his wife Tamika "Tiny" Cottle were arrested on September 1st after their Maybach was pulled over in Los Angeles. Police smelled pot coming from the vehicle, and a search of the car turned up multiple controlled substances. The rapper was charged with possessing ecstasy, testing positive for opiates and associating with a convicted felon.

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T.I. has had his share of drug-related troubles in the past, including a 1998 arrest for breaking Georgia's controlled substance law and another probation violation over possession of marijuana. Yesterday he promised fans that his latest arrest would be his final misstep, telling CNN, "I'm tired, I'm wore out. I don't have the age, the energy, or just the attitude to move forward and continuing in this cycle in this ongoing process of destruction and disparity in my life. I've got too many depending on me and counting on me." T.I. was at work on his new album King Uncaged at the time of his arrest.

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Song Stories

“Tonight's the Night”

The Shirelles | 1960

The lead cut and title track from this girl group's debut album, "Tonight's the Night" was written by 19-year-old bandmember Shirley Owens, who sings lead, and producer Luther Dixon. The band from Passaic, New Jersey met in high school, first calling themselves the Pequellos. The song's frank thoughts about sexual and emotional surrender was racy for the time, but that didn't stop the Chiffons from cutting a similar version immediately after the original came out. "We were the first female group to write some of our own material," band member Beverly Lee recalls. "We did have some say-so in our writing."

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