Atlanta recently showed T.I. how much it appreciates his philanthropic work. According to HipHopDX, the rapper was awarded the city’s ‘highest honor’ in a ceremony on Dec. 29.
Support for T.I. was in full force at the award presentation ceremony. Both the current Mayor, Andrew Dickens, and former mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, presented him with the Phoenix Award. Senator Raphael Warnock and Phillana Williams joined them.
In addition to his contributions to putting Atlanta trap music on the map, T.I. has also serviced his hometown in other impactful ways.
In November, T.I. and Tiny hosted a ceremony for their first affordable housing complex. They first announced the project in October 2021. The complex offers 143 living spaces and an additional 25 units for unhoused youth.
Tip exclusively spoke with HipHopDX about receiving the honor. He reportedly said:
“Humbly honored for us to have received this highest honor by Mayor Andre Dickens and the City of Atlanta. Dis is for Trap Muzik, 20 years later. Happy to have shared this illustrious moment wit my wife and the rest of my family, along wit da people in da City.”
The award came after T.I. wrapped his second concert at the Atlanta Symphony Hall. The special event was an ode to the 20th anniversary of his album, ‘Trap Muzik.’
Watch the moment below.
However, the honor also came days before news of T.I. and his wife Tiny being sued for sexual battery and assault. A Jane Doe claims the couple assaulted her “in or around 2005” and further alleges negligence and false imprisonment.
The couple denied all the allegations in a joint statement, saying the plaintiff has threatened to sue them for the last three years while they’ve maintained their innocence.