“You’ve got to be her first love, her first everything so when she runs into nonsense in the street she’ll know, ‘Nah, my daddy would never do it like that,” says southern rapper T.I. as he gives fathering advice to fellow hip-hop superstar Jay-Z.
In an interview with Fuse magazine, T.I. willingly coached Jay-Z on the ins and outs of parenting. T.I. should know, as the father of six.
The Atlanta-born performer has demonstrated how to combine parenting with his booming career, all on public display on T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle, a hit reality television show dedicated to capturing T.I.’s professional and private life.
The show began with T.I. returning from a twelve-month prison sentence and reuniting with wife Tameka “Tiny” Cottle. The southern rapper faced numerous household changes, including the rambunctious behavior of three boys and three girls.
Excelling as a dad, T.I. told Jay-Z, father of Blue Ivy, means to “enjoy the moments because once they’re gone, they’re gone.”
T.I. also suggested that Jay-Z set the bar high for his daughter by providing a good example. “Little girls are going to judge men they meet in the future based off how their father treated them,” says T.I., explaining that Jay’s behavior will give his daughter a good sense of what not to tolerate when she begins dating. T.I. pushed the issue of Blue Ivy understanding what is “worth [her] time or attention.”
Jay-Z, who is currently in Europe for the Watch the Throne tour with Kanye West, has announced that he will be taking a sabbatical, breaking from music to spend more time with wife Beyonce and baby Blue.
