31. Here's the thing. You would think that once a rapper was wealthy, the shady activities would cease. HOWEVER, because of the street-born, shady nature of the people with these criminal activity and violence laced true life stories to tell, even when they're "clean" or "straight" the ugly elements are right behind them. These are people who've learned the hard and real way that the system cannot be trusted to serve their best interest, so if they're lives are threatened, they don't want to have to explain to a courtroom why it was self defense when it clearly was and risk their hard-won careers and newfound wealth. If a psycho pulls a gun on them to steal their "bling" they want to be able to return fire and get the hell out of there before the cops come to take EVERYONE away no questions asked. It's not the RIGHT thing, it's just the post-traumatic stress way of doing things when you've grown up Black and in the crosshairs of the system. AGAIN...NOT RIGHT...BUT UNDERSTOOD.

Posted at 2:02PM on Mar 27th 2008 by Keyser Soze

32. This is all just stupid it is no way shape or form about race. That has nothing to do with it. He could have been a white boy busted for trying to buy a gun but instead he was black so now all black people are drug dealers and carry guns?!?!?! How ridiculous!! I am a white/hawaiin female and I have lived in the city of St. Louis and believe it or not the black people treated me better there than half of the white people that lived there. In the city of St. Louis there are black drug dealers, white drug dealers, and most of the people doing drugs in the city are white and not black. The prostitutes are mostly white. I was actually approached a few times by white men in business suits just because I was a white female and I was living in the city. The point here is it doesn't matter what color you are. BLACK, WHITE, PURPLE, BLUE, ORANGE, GREY WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES AND HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.....Look @ Britney Spears I don't know about all you other "white" people but because of Britney I don't want to be know as a nut case who doesn't take care of their kids.....HELLO IF YOU ARE RACIST YOU JUST NEED TO JUMP OFF THE BRIDGE IT WOULD SAVE US TIME

Posted at 2:41PM on Mar 27th 2008 by Jessica

33. Fedup, you hit the nail on the head with huge hammer. Just look around and truth is looking you right in the face. Black leaders have done more damage than the KKK could have ever dreamed of. Rev Wright is the perfect example, did he ever during all the hate that he preached talk about blackmen father children out-of wedlock? No. Didn't ever talk about how important education is? Maybe, but not as much as he talked about how whites have forced black families into the streets. The sad thing is black vote 95% democrat and the democrat party hasn't done a dam thing for blacks. They just tell blacks vote for us and we'll tell you that the republicans are racist and you'll believe it and here's some handouts. The black community needs a fresh look and a deep self-examination of why things going so bad for them. Look in the mirror, it's not the whites, it's mostly yourselves and how you treat each other and the leadership you elect. One example, is Marion Barry in DC, this tell you that after all terrible some he did you re-elected him back again as mayor. Also, the mayor of Detroit, you should be asking for him to resign and not belittle you and your city. Just look at the Asian, the Jew community, and others they are discriminated against, but they just take of their families and don't complain just get the education and don't commit crimes and blame on the whiteman!!!

Posted at 2:52PM on Mar 27th 2008 by Lenn K.

34. Another star gets special treatment. Just another day in stardom land. Amazing. Just another example of how much money talks.

Posted at 3:03PM on Mar 27th 2008 by What a Idiot!

35. Everyone makes mistakes, we are no one to judge!

Posted at 4:33PM on Mar 27th 2008 by m.s.

36. Let's be a little realistic people i am not saying what he did was not right but if you want to bring up the temptations or some of the other older stars lets see...... one of the temptaion dies of a overdose, one commited suicide beacause of alcohol. Ray Charles put needles in his arm must i go on because i can the point of the story we all make mistakes its just that when you are a star more people pay attention and instead of talking about him i know someone who has done things that no one knows about want to know who (LOOK IN THE MIRROR)

Posted at 9:44PM on Mar 27th 2008 by kim a

37. Are you guys serious? I dont know if you remember anything about the "good old days" of music, but around the days of Smokie & the Temptations, drugs plagued a lot of these musicians. I dont know if you also recall, but many of the men that you looked up to were physically abusing women (Ex. David Ruffin & Tammy Terrell), suicide rates were high, & lots of these men & women OVERCAME issues to become well respected. History has a habit of repeating itself & just like many older people dont approve of the music that we listen to or like the influences that we have - your parents felt the same about your music. Every generation is plagued by idiots - you see that in ours, however remember yours was no different. Before you continue to condemn the problem; why dont you stop wasting time talking about it & do something about it? Its amazing how people get self-righteous the older they get...

Posted at 10:44PM on Mar 27th 2008 by Michele

38. TO PHILLIP MAXWELL--------It's comments like that which keep this country in the dark ages. TI made a conscious decision to purchase weapons illegally, I hardly think the entire black race should be condemned.

Ignorance is toxic. It has to stop somewhere. Maybe it could stop with you and comments like that.

Posted at 8:13AM on Mar 28th 2008 by Trish

39. We all make mistakes some worse than others, but we are no one to judge!

Posted at 4:08PM on Mar 28th 2008 by m.s.

40. god i love machine guns, he picked out some very nice ones i hear.

Posted at 10:58PM on Mar 28th 2008 by bertoC

41. OH! something new and different a rapper thug charged with possession of a gun!?!?!? now THAT Is newsworthy...

Posted at 12:26AM on Mar 29th 2008 by k.d.

42. Trish - pass those pliers over to Swisher - he's gonna need them too.

Posted at 10:55PM on Apr 1st 2008 by Gullible

43. Trish, Trish, Trish.

Want to borrow my pliers to get that hook out of your mouth? You swallowed that pretty deep!

Posted at 10:55PM on Apr 1st 2008 by Gullible