T.I. usually moves fans with his high-priced music videos, but on Wednesday, a grainy cell phone clip of the rapper relaying a message to a suicidal would-be jumper proved to be just as successful as a Chris Robinson visual.
The Atlanta native (born Clifford Harris) made headlines when it was reported that he assisted authorities in talking a man down from a high-pressure situation.
T.I. said he wasn't sure what he could do, but once he was alerted, he felt compelled to act.
He spoke to MTV News late last night to explain the scene upon his arrival.
"The negotiator spoke to me, and asked me what I was willing to do," Tip said. "I asked them, 'What do you think I should do?' And they didn't just relay the message that I wanted to speak to him. I was willing to help in any way that I could to help fix the situation and try to see if we could get this situation back to where it was before [the emergency].
"Then they came up with the idea of shooting a video message on the phone. So, the policeman shot a video of me on the phone. I sent a video message to [the man] telling him, basically, just that [I wanted to help]. Once they sent it to him, about 20 minutes later, he decided to come down."
The rapper's heroics came during the late afternoon, after he'd heard about the incident on Atlanta radio station V-103. The station is housed in the same building off which the man was threatening to jump from the 22nd floor. The man was not charged, and was taken to a hospital afterward, according to NBC affiliate 11Alive News.
T.I., who shines with confidence as an MC, revealed that throughout the ordeal, he was unsure what his help could provide.
Fortunately for all involved, however, the rapper proved to be a calming force amid the chaos.
"I didn't know for sure what I could do," T.I. told MTV News. "Something inside me just felt compelled to try."
Is T.I. a hero? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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