T.I.s the season

Words and Photos by C. Daniel

Is T.I. leaving more successful paper trails this year? With gift wrap, ribbons, and bows; the million-selling artist is doing it all for the love of the kids.

King greets and smiles for the camera with youth

Reserving out Cascade Family Skating Rink, the artist/mogul/humanitarian, through his own K.I.N.G. Foundation along with AG Entertainment’s Alex Gidewon and The Gidewon Foundation, gives out of his heart and pocket for the holiday season to over 300+ young people. The kids all range from various area schools, community outreach programs, and youth advocacy groups.

Both committed to serving various Atlanta communities and enhancing the morale of underprivileged children and families, The K.I.N.G. Foundation and the Gidewon Foundation create a day of excitement. Over the course of two and a half hours on December 22, the non-profit organizations come together to create a safe space for the kids have a ball. The kids all crowd around a vintage red and gold cart dispensing popcorn. They roller skate around the entire rink. Happy as ever, the kids remain with a smile and cheer even as many of them fall with their skates on. This clearly doesn’t phase the ‘youngstas.

On the opposite side of the rink is a miniature arcade and fun park. The kids all abandon the large game portals and fluorescent, ticket-dispensing machines. Instead, the young men all switch between the two plasma screens, a PlayStation 3 with Madden and a XBOX 360 with NBA 2K9, courtesy of Konsole Kingz. Next to the screens is a rainbow-colored, inflated trampoline that actually sits on the skating rink. Before long, the kids, parents, and chaperones are served numerous trays of hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken strips, potato chips, and fruit punch.

The afternoon runs smooth as everyone questions and anticipates T.I.’s arrival over the course of the party’s initial two and a half hours.

In the meantime, everyone’s favorite Santa has a little help from his Grand Hustle friends. Labelmates Young Dro, Yung LA, and Big Kuntry King all stop by to take pictures with the children and show support.

Then, minor chaos erupts.

T.I., with his son Major, trying to move through the crowd

As T.I. enters around 5:30 p.m., the kids and parents make their way to the front. The last hour at the rink is crazy. Suddenly, he is surrounded and swarmed to the point where his personnel has to hold him in the prize booth while everyone cools down. Cameras flash. Children scream. One lady next to me proceeds to put T.I. on her BlackBerry to talk to whoever is on the other line. Strangely enough, the Grammy Award winner (and upcoming nominee) smiles and talks on the phone. Somewhere between leaving the prize booth (I don’t know because it is sort of a blur considering it’s only 300 children), T.I. hits the DJ booth and on to the two tables to hand out presents to the kids. No doubt that everywhere he goes, T.I. creates mass hysteria.

The kids have mixed emotions. They cry. They thank T.I. A few of the girls even cut in line just to get closer to get gifts and take pictures. Then, the unthinkable happens. There are no more t-shirts. The parents even catcall and beg T.I. to look out for their children. It is quite amazing.

T.I.’s family and personnel try to take matters into their own hands. There is a request for a single file line, but the kids don’t budge at all. T.I. gets on the mic and asks them to calm down. He even pulls out a list to call everyone by name. Granted, T.I. definitely looks out for the children with his presents: MP3 players, basketballs, video games, dolls, tea sets, and even commemorative graphic t-shirts in three different designs.

T.I.s his season!

Thanks 2 the publicity staff @ Atlantic Records (Catherine, Ashley, Sydney, and Brian). U guys R all great! Brother Shannon McCollum 4 kickin’ it wit me the entire day and shootin’ some dope images. Keep Ur vision and lens in tact always! And Toure, U are cool! Thanks 4 the conversation and the power of Ur pen. Stay tuned 4 more…