US rapper TI, whose personal assistant Philant Johnson was shot and killed in that previously reported shootout in Cincinnati last week, has spoken to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the incident, implying that the death of his friend may force him to re-evaluate his life and career, saying "I'm kind of like watching my life change right before my eyes. I'm figuring out whether or not I even want to keep doing this stuff right now. I don't know."
The rapper, real name Clifford Joseph Harris Jr, also described Johnson's last moments. "I told him that I had him and it was going to be all right. That was what I said. And he said, 'All right.' "
TI, who spoke at Johnson's funeral on Monday in Atlanta, explained to the publication that Johnson had been his life long friend. "It just seems like as long as I can remember, he was there," he said. "As long as I can remember, his mama and my mama were partners. His cousin and my uncle were partners. His auntie and my grandmama stayed up the street from one another. And we just always knew each other, and it was cool."
Harris added that he wasn't sure what had provoked the disagreement that led to Johnson's death but expressed his disappointment at what had happened. "Man, we kind of thought we didn't have to live like that no more. We thought that [stuff] was over for us. I'm not ever going to be the same. Success isn't measured in money. It's measured in happiness. Peace. And I ain't at peace right now. And I ain't happy. My partner's gone."
Yesterday's reports suggested that TI would return to tour duties immediately, but in the interview, which he gave on Friday, he had implied that he was by no means ready to continue with his series of live sets, saying: "I don't know if I'm going to be in New Orleans Tuesday. It's hard to say. Because there are so many things that Philant would be doing that ain't going to be able to be done now. I mean, Phil handled everything. He made sure the only thing I had to worry about was performing and handling the business. One of the worst parts is, at the end of the day, I'm responsible for everybody. Everybody entrusts their husbands, their sons, their daughters, their brothers, cousins, their best friends - everybody entrusts them to me. And it is my responsibility to ensure their safety and their safe return. And this is one time that I could not do that."