By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Oct 19th 2010 6:00PM
TMZ is reporting that the rapper T.I., who was recently sent back to prison, is going to be cut from his endorsement deal with Axe Body Spray. A representative for Axe stated that, "We will no longer feature T.I. in our promotional campaign."
It's no surprise that T.I. lost his deal with Axe. He is probably in the midst of having several film and recording projects derailed, and won't be a usable commodity for quite some time. While it might seem that a man of such tremendous talent would be able to easily recapture his spot at the top of the world, we can't make that assumption so quickly.
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Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Through an interactive readers survey, Blackvoices.com polled our audience to find out who was sexiest hip-hop stars of all time. Check out who made the list -- and who's #1.
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BlackVoices.com
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Through an interactive readers survey, Blackvoices.com polled our audience to find out who was sexiest hip-hop stars of all time. Check out who made the list -- and who's #1.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Will Smith
When Will Smith arrived on the music scene with songs like 'Parents Just Don't Understand' and 'Summertime,' he was an awkward, skinny Philly teen. But the Grammy Award-winning rapper successfully transitioned into one of the most successful black Hollywood stars with roles in action flicks such as 'Independence Day' and 'Bad Boys.' Now, he's one of the sexiest rapper-turned-actors around. And it's not only because of his big bank, either.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Andre 3000
Like Prince, Jimi Hendrix and Bootsy Collins, OutKast rapper Andre 3000's fashion style is anything but safe. At the height of his career, he was rocking loud colors, kilts and long, blond wigs, but even then he managed to pull R&B sensation Erykah Badu as his girlfriend and the two had a beautiful son, Seven. The 'Hey Ya' rapper opened up his heart on the breakthrough album 'The Love Below' and he continues to tug the heart strings of hip-hop lovers and beyond.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
YoYo
She might have been affiliated with Ice Cube and the West Coast gangsta rap movement, but with YoYo's light-brown eyes and caramel complexion, there's no second-guessing that she's a true lady. The Los Angeles native was known for songs about female empowerment and making a case against sexism, but her beauty cast her in a league of her own among so many of her female rap counterparts of the '90s, who preferred a rough and tumble image.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Drake
Sure, he might have gotten his start as an awkward teen on the Nickelodeon show 'Degrassi: The Next Generation,' but Drake, born Aubrey Graham, is the new hot rapper to watch. With his lovable smile and songs like 'Best I Ever Had' and 'Every Girl,' this half-Jewish pretty boy is sure to continue winning the hearts of America.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Common
Common won the hearts of women everywhere when he showed his vulnerable side on 'The Light' with then-girlfriend Erykah Badu. Then, he teamed up with her on 'Love of My Life,' cementing this Chi-town native as an introspective and talented MC. Also notable is his recent acting role as a buff NBA player in the film 'Just Wright,' in which one bare-chest push up scene surely didn't cause him to lose any fans.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Darryl McDaniel
As a member of hip-hop's pioneering group, Run-DMC, Darryl "DMC" McDaniel might have been a devastating microphone controller, but he was a cutie back in the day. Always rocking his sparkly clean Adidas, gold chain and signature black hat, with tight Lee jeans, DMC was a superfresh rapper who still made time to raise a little hell and hold down arena stages with the biggest rock stars of the '80s, most notably Aerosmith.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Bow Wow
He may still be referred to as Lil' Bow Wow by many, but Bow Wow has always been a teen heartthrob. Some of his superstar girlfriends have included Angela Simmons and Ciara, as well as countless video vixens. He may not have grown much, but Snoop Dogg's protégé is one of the younger generations' big-name rappers.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Honorable Mention: Kool Moe Dee
Though he had a penchant for peculiarly colored leather outfits (and matching pillbox hats) during his 1980s heyday, the tough-talking rapper -- legally known as Mohandas Dewes -- wore it all so well. With 'How You Like Me Now,' he brought sophisticated grace to the Afrocentric vibe that was commonplace in the burgeoning Harlem hip-hop scene in 1987.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
Nas
Always reflective and intellectually sound, Nas' sex appeal is his pensive attitude and thoughtful lyrics. The Queensbridge rapper has never veered away from showing his soft-spoken self, but he always knows when to bring out the ammunition.
Top 30 Sexiest Rappers Ever
As I mentioned in the
article about Kanye West yesterday, corporations are not into risk-taking. By proving himself to be an unreliable celebrity spokesperson, T.I. is going to be considered toxic on Madison Avenue. Millions of dollars are on the line when corporations sign celebrity brands, and managing those brands requires careful and responsible behavior at all times.
One of the reasons that Tiger Woods was such a hot commodity in the marketing world at one point was because he was the perfect combination of talent and consistency. You rarely saw Woods in the middle of a major controversy. He didn't have babies' mamas taking him to child support court. He was never recorded leaving night clubs in a drunken stupor. He didn't get arrested or say the wrong thing to the media. He seemed perfect. After the sex scandal, Tiger's economic value as a marketing spokesperson all but disappeared. T.I., who already had a less-than-perfect image, has done everything in his power to destroy what he had in place.
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T.I. may be able to save his corporate image, but I just don't see how. He's made one promise after another about redeeming himself and getting things right, with all of those promises disappearing in the wind. Sure, his release from prison will be highly anticipated, and his next album will surely be "the bomb." But I doubt that corporate America will ever trust him again, and it doesn't matter much if Boyce Watkins is buying his records, since the corporate world doesn't like me either.
One point that must also be made on the side, however, is the one that
I shared the other day with Rev. Al Sharpton. I wondered why it's the case that T.I. gets several months in prison for drug possession, while Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan have never seen the inside of a prison cell for more than a few days? Both of these women have been caught with drugs more times than I can count, but like the Road Runner being chased by the coyote, they always seem to find an escape.
It's hard to disconnect the disparate sentencing between T.I., Lindsay and Paris from the disparities in sentencing between black males and white females. Black men are many times more likely than white women to be sent to prison, even when they commit the same crimes. In fact, if police had the courage to raid private university campuses on a Friday night, they'd find a whole lot more than codeine in the possession of some of the students. The amount of leeway they give a young, rich college student is hardly shared when dealing with brothers in the hood.
With all that said, I still think that T.I. needs to grow up and realize he has a family. He can't continue to live this way, for his kids are depending on him to be a free man. I am very disappointed in my favorite rapper, and it saddens me that he's letting it all just slip away.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
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Comments: (19)
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By: Greg on 10/19/2010 6:25PM
When will a black men realize that they are not like others, that they are given opportunities that make corporate money and when they no longer can do they are kicked to the curb. Stop comparing what Paris and Lindsey get away with. While I don't condone drugs usage (being a former user and seller) their comes a time where you stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about your family. Hopefully these next couple of months will make him realize that opportunities have a window and if you miss it you may never get another chance.
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By: Charles Hill on 10/19/2010 9:11PM
I am so downhearted that TI failed to see the trap that the system sets for people of color. When you get out of the system on paper then you have to be extra cautions especially if you are a young Black Rich Man, you have got people that went to college and got some degrees and would like nothing better than to be the cause of you going back into the system. Wake up Black Men Stop playing into their hands.
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By: Uriah Jordan on 10/21/2010 12:18PM
With all due respect; T.I. is a criminal. His list of crimes hurt our community. I've never read anywhere that he was forced by some unknown White conspiritors to dispence drugs within our neighborhoods. His attempt to buy weapons was not forced on him either. This isn't a case of a man who was stopped for alleged speeding and received a beating at the hads of LAPD, nor is a case of a 67 year old woman getting shot twice by an NYPD officer during a routine eviction. This is the case of an ignorant Nigro who willfully breaks the law and in doing so endangers those of us who are trying to just live our lives. I personally think that he shouldn't see the light of day, but that's just me. Our System allows Nigros to come out early so that they can come out and kill innocent black folk. They allow this until they cross the (color)line and kill a popular white college student and then they are thrown into the abyss.
No Mr. Hill, every black man should be taught to respect his brother's life like he respects his own. That respect would then branch further out to the rest of the community. Brothers like T.I. are nothing more than cancers spreading within us and they need to be removed. Mr. Hill T.I. is not a victim of the 'system' he is a tool of the 'system'.
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By: No Race Issue Here on 10/20/2010 10:51AM
As a black man I feel compelled to state that the interjections of race into the conversation of T.I's sentence are misplaced.
The difference between T.I. and Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton is that Clifford Harris is a multiple FELON who was on FEDERAL FELONY SUPERVISION when he committed this most recent drug possession offense. Don't forget that T.I. had been convicted for felony drug possession with intent to distribute, and was on FELONY parole when he pleaded guilty to the underlying crime of possession/purchase of firearms. Also, let us not forget that T.I. received a pretty favorable deal a year and a half ago when he went before the judge, as he was facing 10 years for the violation of parole / firearms charge. Rather than the judge throwing the book at him, the judge gave him community service and 1 year (9 in federal lockup, 3 in Halfway House). Even then, the judge warned him that he'd be going back to prison for longer if he violated his supervision again. So, in hindsight, 11 more months looks like a better deal than what he could have received.
As for Lohan and Hilton, each were dealing with municipal agencies (Los Angeles County and Las Vegas/Clark County) and have never been convicted of a felony. Neither have been arrested for purchasing firearms. . . While on probation for a felony, no doubt.
People need to learn the difference between misdemeanors and felonies, probation and parole, and most importantly. . .Municipal charges, State Charges, and FEDERAL charges. The Feds don't play!
I'm a big fan of T.I's music. I own all of his recordings, and will probably buy his next album. But anything that's happening to T.I. now was brought on by himself, and he totally deserves it. There's NO race issue here. Deal With It!
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By: Verie on 10/21/2010 10:23AM
Thankyou no race issue here..................HE IS A F.....G CRIMINAL PERIOD.
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By: clifton ford on 10/21/2010 12:23PM
What you fail to realize, is if either of those skanks was black, they would already have felony records for the charges these two continue to get misdemeanor convictions for!!!
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By: JoDee on 10/20/2010 6:48AM
@No Race Issue Here
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I am so tired of people playing the race card. This man served 9 months in prison as a 7-time convicted felon for purchasing silencers, automatics, semi-automatics etc. And as you mentioned HE WAS ALREADY ON FEDERAL PAROLE WHEN HE DID THAT CRIME. Got out VIOLATED in less than a year and IS ONLY SERVING 11 months. 11 MONTHS!!! And this is mistreatment?!?!?!? Racial injustice?!? He was facing 6 years for his violation. This is going to be his 5th or 6th stint in jail. And he's still only serving months. I consider him a VERY LUCKY MAN! Maybe you can compare the plight of other African American men with Ms. Lohan or Paris; but T.I. is definitely in my top 5 list of lucky black men when it comes to the judicial system. Please stop the madness people
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By: Ab Nefer on 10/20/2010 10:31AM
JoDee, you are so right. I don't know why everybody act like they are being hard on him, with all those damn felonies this dude got, he better be glad they didn't give his ass life like they was suppose too. TI better wake the f@#$K up...
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By: Hattie Irving on 10/20/2010 10:10AM
they need to kick his behind to the curb, and let him be the hood rat he is. He is not example for our youth
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By: Ashli on 10/20/2010 4:31PM
I think he needs to be in jail. I think he didnt learn from his previous mistake. I think they need to make an example out of him. So many of our young black boys and men look up to him. I fear that they will only follow in his footsteps. God I pray that you protect him through these trials but also give him understanding and courage to become a better man and a positive role model!
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