T.I. Talks House Arrest, Lessons Learned & Getting Back To Work

Atlanta rapper T.I. broke his silence yesterday (April 10), giving his first sit-down interview since pleading guilty to weapons charges last month.

As previously reported, as part of his plea deal, Tip (Born Clifford Harris, Jr.) was ordered to perform 1,500 hours of community service, a year in jail, another year in a home confinement program and a $100,000 fine for attempting to buy firearms from an undercover informant in a drug store parking lot of his hometown Atlanta, Georgia.

Though questions about exactly what happened on Oct. 13 with those guns were off limits, the self proclaimed "King of the South" was candid about the lessons he's learned, the importance of patience and getting back to work.

T.I. told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that what he'd missed most while under house arrest, were the little things.

"I mean just the ability to do me," he explained. "Whether it was going to eat with my family. Whether it was having my family to be able to come eat with me. Whether it was going to the grocery store for myself. Picking my kids up from school ... Whatever doing me was."

He also opened up about what he learned while under house arrest.

"Patience," he revealed. "Just a lot of patience. If I can sit at home all day and wait on people to bring me what I need. Wait on getting permission to be able to do this and do that it's not as serious as I used to make it sometimes. Sometimes it was like, 'If I don't get this right now I'm just going to lose it'...When you're going 350 mph it tends to be that way."

But since the trial wrapped, the rapper has been back at 350 with all kinds of projects in the works.

His new album Paper Trail is slated to drop in September and it's gonna be a little different from what fans are used to.

"There are elements that are still there and then there are new elements... but right now I think I'm about to do something with Amy Winehouse - I don't know if it's for [my CD] or hers, but I'm definitely excited," he said.

His new clothing line is coming this year.

"Akoo Clothing will launch the holidays of this year," Tip boasted. "Of course we're premiering Big Kuntry's album [in August] and Young Dro. Also we have a Young Dro reality show. You follow this guy around long enough you're bound to be entertained, at the least."

And he's in production talks with MTV to spread his message of staying in school and out of trouble to kids everywhere.

"They'll sit in front of the TV - even if I can't make it to their school," Tip said.

T.I. is engaged to his long time on-again-off-again girlfriend Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, who is pregnant with his son and is due on May 25.

"I feel blessed," he said. "Lucky ain't the word. It's by the grace of God that I'm here."

T.I. is set to drop a new single off Paper Trail in the next two weeks.