T.I. to Retire from Rapping Before 40

Jay-Z may be having one of the biggest years of his career at the age of 40, but despite his success, T.I. is not looking to follow in his peer’s footsteps. The King of the South has plans to settle down before 40.

“I’m not going to be the 40-year-old rapper. I would not,” Tip told CNN in a recent interview. “That’s Jay. He’s doing it very well. Hats off, but I just don’t see that for me.”

Tip, who will release his new album King Uncaged on August 17, prefers to take the path of another super-successful rapper. “If I had the option to [be] Jay-Z [or] Will Smith, I think I’d go with Will,” he revealed. “I’m a Jay-Z fan. I have a lot of admiration and respect for Jay and his legacy. But I feel like Will, he gets to spend more time with his family. He gets to be home more and actually raise his kids. I feel like he has more of a home life…and the money don’t hurt. Twenty million dollars a flick ain’t bad.”

The star of the upcoming film Takers plans to turn his attention toward movies because of the less demanding schedule. “You’re on set 12 hours, you go home. Music, it ain’t got no hours,” he explained.

Although his rapping days may be numbered, he will still remain behind the scenes. “I will still definitely have my hands in music ’cause I have a passion for music. I still will produce music, I still will write music, I still will executive produce music, I still will put artists out through my label, create opportunities and cultivate careers.”