T.I. has explained why he will never tolerate any Outkast slander or negative rhetoric about his fellow Atlanta rappers, such as Young Thug, 21 Savage, and more, when it comes to discussing the top rappers from the Southern Hip-Hop mecca.
During a live and on-campus episode of First Take on ESPN, T.I. joined former NFL players Cam Newton and Shannon Sharpe, along with sports analysts Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim, to discuss a recent list ranking the top rappers from Atlanta.
The list ranked André 3000, Future, T.I., Gucci Mane, and Jeezy as Atlanta’s finest — seeding the “Whateva You Like” lyricist at the No. 3 spot. While T.I. expressed gratitude for his inclusion, the conversation sparked an engaging debate about each artist’s contribution to Atlanta’s music culture.
Newton responded with curiosity about the full list, acknowledging the diversity in influence across each artist.
“Guys like T.I., guys like Gucci [Gucci Mane], guys like Jeezy, they curated a sound that we see the Future’s talking about,” Newton said. “You see what I’m saying? That wordplay, that word flow.”
According to Newton, each artist’s unique impact on Atlanta’s sound remains undeniable, but he argued Future has carved out “a league of his own.”
Shannon Sharpe interjected and emphasized T.I.’s central role in pioneering trap music, especially as it has shaped Atlanta’s reputation in Hip-Hop.
“If you think about trap music, you can’t get no farther than the T without having T.I. in it,” Sharpe said. In Sharpe’s view, T.I. is foundational to the trap sound, and his contribution to the genre’s growth places him as one of Atlanta’s most significant figures.
Adding his voice to the discussion, Stephen A. Smith piggybacked off of Sharpe’s remarks by revealing he was perplexed by T.I.’s third-place ranking.
“I don’t understand how he couldn’t be number one,” Smith declared, expressing how T.I.’s influence had resonated not only within Atlanta but across the national Hip-Hop scene.
However, when T.I. finally addressed the list, he offered a balanced perspective, showing humility and deep respect for Atlanta’s Hip-Hop history by shouting out multiple generations of artists before even mentioning his own luminary career. He started off by literally staining Outkast, who he believes are the city of Atlanta’s paramount figures in rap.
“Nobody steps on Outkast’s toes when we talking, you know, any kind of Atlanta legacy,” T.I. said. “You go straight to Outkast first.”
He went on to praise newer talents like Young Thug, 21 Savage, and Lil Baby, recognizing their contributions to the current generation.
“I’m just happy to be on the list and among people who have been the greatest and who are to be the greatest in this thing,” he said.
The conversation underscored Atlanta’s multi-generational influence on Hip-Hop, highlighting how artists like T.I., Outkast, and Future each left indelible marks in distinct eras. T.I.’s career is marked by multiple Billboard chart-topping albums, including Paper Trail and King, and he boasts three Grammy Awards along with several multi-Platinum singles. Comparatively, Outkast, as a duo, has set remarkable standards in Hip-Hop, with Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and Stankonia achieving RIAA Diamond and multi-Platinum certifications. They’ve earned six Grammy Awards, solidifying their impact not only within Atlanta but across the entire music industry.
Check out the full clip above.
