Skip to main content

Pondering Our Realities Through T.I. and Tiny’s “Family Hustle”


by Biba Adams

Last night (December 6), I was honored to watch the debut of the VH1 reality series, “T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle,” with the stars and their families at Cinebistro in the Brookhaven area of Atlanta. Cinebistro, a movie theater/gourmet restaurant, graciously accommodated the 80-plus guests, which included T.I.’s and Tiny’s mothers, their children, and even Tip’s grandmother.
Upon his entry into the building, Tip lovingly hugged his family and friends, and his children were welcomed with hugs and words of congratulations. The first impression I got is that this is a very close and affectionate family. I observed Tip often standing near his mother-in-law with his arm around her. He is obviously very concerned about his family, and that includes more than his immediate family, but his extended family, and business associates as well.
As I watched the introduction, which explained the difficult process of Tip’s release from federal custody in recent months, I found it hard to watch. To see Tiny getting her hair and makeup done in preparation to see her husband outside of prison for the first time – then, to spend a few hours with him before he entered a halfway house and didn’t come back home for almost another month – I truly realized and appreciated Tiny as a long-suffering wife who has endured a lot for her relationship, yet it is evident how deeply she loves her husband. Unfortunately, stories like hers are all too common in these modern times.
As I watched the show premiere, one of my earliest thoughts was, “Well, they aren’t the Cosbys.” But, honestly, T.I. and Tiny are probably one of the better representations of African-American married life in today’s media. While they are a blended family – she has a daughter, and he has three children from previous relationships – the two of them are married and share two sons by blood. Both Tip and Tiny are successful in their own right, with interests in music, television, and films. In fact, Tip shared with me that, “it’s just an honor to be able to share success and create success with my family.” He added, “We’re together, we strong, and an example and representation of Black families in America.”
As divorce rates continue to rise in America, the age of first-time marrieds has risen, and over 40 percent of African-American women currently unmarried. Single parenthood has left scores of mothers with children from previous relationships, a fact that has recently influenced the scripted BET television series, “Reed Between the Lines,” and previously, shows like the Will Smith-produced “All Of Us.” Like it or not, blended families like Tip and Tiny’s are more of our norm in 2011 – if we are married at all.
The kids are the most compelling and interesting members of “T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle;” like their famous dad, they are funny and sincere by nature. The most talked about part of the show was when Tip was in route to rehearse for his BET Hip Hop Awards appearance, his first appearance since being released from prison. He had to choose between arriving on time and seeing his son, Domani, play in his football game. After a brief deliberation, Tip asked his driver to turn the car around. In the theater as we watched the scene unfold, his family burst into applause, and my first thought was, ‘I wonder how many times in the past he would have just kept going?’
“T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle” appears to be a great show that explores what one of the prevailing versions of what it means to be an African-American, modern family. The past few years have shown that they’re clearly not perfect, but in the midst of their imperfections, we just may learn something about keeping it real and keeping it all love.
“T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle” airs Mondays at 9pm on VH1. Follow T.I. at @Tip and Tiny at @TinyMajorMama. Follow AllHipHop.com senior contributing writer, Biba Adams, on Twitter at @BibatheDiva Chanzo ni mtandao wa allhiphop.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thousands of protesters clash with police in Chicago: Chaos in the Windy City as 45 activists arrested and one cop stabbed after demonstrators target NATO

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Thousands of demonstrators upset with the war in Afghanistan, climate change and the erosion of union rights have raised the intensity of a march in downtown Chicago on Sunday as world leaders assembled for a NATO summit. The protest, one of the city's largest in years, turned violent at the end of an anti-NATO march, where demonstrators confronted Chicago police, pushing against a line of officers several blocks from the lakefront convention center where President Obama hosted a gathering of world leaders. Authorities were seen making arrests one by one and leading individual demonstrators away in handcuffs. After a clash near McCormick Place, Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said at a news conference that the protests resulted in 45 people being arrested and four officers suffering injuries - one from a stab wound in the leg. Scroll down for video Clash: Demonstrators try to flee the police as they are move in on them ...
Post a Comment
Read more

MBINU ZA KUMFIKISHA MWANAMKE MWENYE MAKALIO MAKUBWA KILELENI KWA HARAKA

Kwa kawaida wanawake wanafikia kilele (mwisho wa utamu wa ngono) kati ya dakika ishirini na saa moja, yaani kwa kifupi inawachukua muda mrefu sana hali inayopelekea mpenzi mvivu kuchoka na ufanyaji wake utakuwa wa “ovyo” hali itakayo kufanya wewe kuishiwa na hamu ya kuendelea. Pamoja na kuchelewa huko ambako kunatokana na utofauti wetu kati ya mwanaume na mwanamke lakini nakumbuka hapo nyuma nilikutana na wanawake 2 waliokuwa ndani ya ndoa na wamezaa lakini hawajawahi kabisa kujua utamu wa tendo hilo alimaharufu kama “kufanya mapenzi”. Natambua kuwa ni ngumu au niseme si wanawake wote ambao wamejaaliwa kimaumbile kwamba wanafanikiwa kufika kileleni zaidi ya mara mbili kila wanapofanya mapenzi/ngono (kumbuka ni kati ya dakika 15 na saa moja hivyo Jibaba hapa awe na uwezo wa kujizuia kwa zaidi ya dk 45) na ikiwa jamaa ni “mzamiaji” basi unaweza ukaondoka na goli 3 ktk mzunguuko mmoja. Lakini kwa nini basi baadhi yao tu ndio wafike kileleni na wengine was...
Post a Comment
Read more

LEO NI BUNGE LA BAJETI

Waziri wa Fedha na Uchumi, Mustafa Mkulo. -WANANCHI WATAKA IPUNGUZE UKALI WA MAISHA MACHO na masikio ya mamilioni ya Watanzania na wadau wa nje, leo yanaelekezwa Dodoma ambako Bajeti ya Serikali kwa mwaka wa fedha 2011/12 itasomwa.Wananchi wengi wamekuwa na shauku ya kujua mwelekeo wa bajeti hiyo hasa katika kipindi hiki ambacho wanakabiliwa na hali ngumu ya maisha iliyotokana na kupanda kwa bei vyakula na bidhaa za mafuta. Kwa takriban wiki nzima iliyopita, baadhi ya wananchi wamekuwa wakituma ujumbe mfupi wa maandishi kwa simu katika vyombo vya habari, wakiisihi serikali kuhakikisha kuwa bajeti ya mwaka huu inawaondoa katika hali ngumu ya maisha. Bajeti hiyo itakayosomwa bungeni na Waziri wa Fedha na Uchumi, Mustafa Mkulo itatangazwa kwa wakati mmoja na bajeti za serikali za nchi zote za Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki (EAC), katika mtazamo wa kuimarisha mshimakano na umoja wa nchi hizo. Kwa kawaida na mazoea ya muda mrefu, baj...
Post a Comment
Read more