Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

TI addresses sexual assault claims in ‘What It’s Come To’ music video

Rapper and wife have been accused of sexual abuse and kidnapping by multiple women

Ellie Harrison
Wednesday 09 June 2021 06:18 EDT
Tiny and TI
Tiny and TI (Earl Gibson III/Shutterstock)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

TI has addressed the sexual assault allegations made against him in a new music video.

The video for “What It’s Come To”, released on Monday (7 June), visually references news stories reporting on the recent accusations against the rapper – real name is Clifford Harris – and his wife, former Xscape member Tameka “Tiny” Harris.

TI and Tiny had been accused of sexual abuse and kidnapping by multiple women, claims that the couple deny.

The clip depicts the accusations against TI as a conspiracy conceived by one accuser, whom he labels “The Parasite”. Over the course of the video, the accuser works on an evidence board targeting the couple, before encouraging other women and a lawyer to bring claims against the couple.

TI and Tiny both appear in the video for the song, which includes the lyrics: “And they say hell have no fury like a woman’s scorn / F*** that, I’m crankin’ up the jury, who you lyin’ on shawty? / Extortion, is that what you got your mind on, shawty?”

The video also quotes marriage and family therapist Syreeta Butler saying: “A toxic person will create drama and then portray themself as a victim.”

In March, a New York Times report cited a letter from lawyer Tyrone A Blackburn, who is representing 11 alleged victims of “sexual abuse, forced ingestion of illegal narcotics, kidnapping, terroristic threats and false imprisonment”.

The abuse is said to have taken place between 2005 to 2018, according to the article. Five of the women claimed they were raped or sexually assaulted by TI and Tiny.

Production was halted on the fourth season of the couple’s VH1 reality show – TI and Tiny: Friends and Family Hustle – in February after their former friend Sabrina Peterson accused TI on Instagram of holding a gun to her head.

She then used her social media account to share allegations of sexual abuse against the couple by anonymous women.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in