‘Laugh to Keep from Crying’: T.I. Laughs About Son King’s Arrest While Doing a Boosie Impersonation During Recent Stand-Up Routine
Rapper-turned-comedian Clifford “T.I.” Harris Jr. recently addressed his son’s arrest this month; while serious, the Atlanta artist was able to crack a few jokes regarding the incident while recalling a conversation he held with fellow emcee Boosie Badazz. T.I.’s impersonation of the Louisiana native left fans in tears, garnering the nickname Tip Chappelle, referencing controversial comedian Dave Chappelle.
At what appeared to be a recent show at the Whole World Improv Theatre Co in Atlanta, the 41-year-old spoke about initially hearing about his son King’s arrest from the “Wipe Me Down” emcee.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 09: T.I. performs during Rip Micheals’ April Fools Comedy Jam at Barclays Center on April 09, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
“My n–ga say,” he began before speaking in a high-pitched nasally tone, stating, “‘They done got King and Tootie, mane. They got them on the side of the road, mane.”
T.I. continued, “I said what the f–k did they do,” to which Boosie reportedly answered, “They say this thing ain’t looking good, mane.” Audience members burst out laughing in the clip captured by TikTok user @tbyrd1982. In the video’s caption, the viewer wrote, “Went to see T.I. at Improv. Listen how it went down when King got arrested.” The person recording could be heard chuckling in the background.
The clip made the rounds on social media, where many agreed that the industry veteran was quite comedic. Mentions of Tip Chappelle peppered the comments section. One Instagram user wrote, “I knew who he was talking about before I stopped to read the screen. Boosie funny asf.”
Another person commented, “I am SCREAMING. Though it’s actually sad and really not funny, Tip did bring some humor to the situation. He’s like the OG cool unc in the fam.” A third person wrote, “As a parent of young adult laugh to keep from crying…behind the scenes it’s serious talks.”
As previously reported, King was taken into custody for an unknown reason earlier this month following a string of public outbursts. T.I. later hopped on Instagram Live, where he spoke on his son’s behavior, echoing what many critics wrote online, stating that If he godd–n keep that s–t up, he’s going to prison. Ain’t no way around it, ain’t nothing I’ll be able to do about it.”
The “Live Your Life” emcee continued, “‘Cause I know that energy. I was that energy. I know exactly how it’s going to turn out. The veteran emcee noted that he would always remain supportive of the aspiring rapper and would have to “learn his lessons.”
He added, “Life is going to teach him all the lessons that he needs to know. That’s the best that we can do.”