T.I. took the baton passed from the late Nipsey Hussle to discuss investing in low-income Black communities in Washington, last week and he explained why.
The Atlanta-based rapper explained to TMZ that the Wednesday, May 22, chat with the Congressional Black Caucus surrounded “community revitalization and how to make the best use of the opportunities on legislation.”
“I’m looking to download myself with the information so I can use it to my advantage with my counterparts,” he says. “But this is ironically an event that Nipsey actually invited me to … I’m here on his behalf and my own because I also have interest in Atlanta as he does in South Central [Los Angeles] on Crenshaw.”
He added that he and others in attendance, like radio personality
Charlamagne Tha God, were there to discuss legislation that could benefit “underserved areas of the community where we come from.”
Tip, whose real name is Clifford Harris, spoke at a Congressional Black Caucus press conference alongside Democratic Rep. Antonio Delgado of New York and Democrat Steven Horsford of Nevada. According to The Hill, the entertainers and lawmakers lauded efforts to create opportunity zones — a minor component of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 —
by providing incentives to invest in low-income communities. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was the Republican-championed sweeping overhaul of the tax code that drastically cut taxes for corporations and the wealthiest Americans.
“We have to make sure, as has already been said, that the community impact and those that are in the communities, that these developments are seeking to benefit, that they’re really at the forefront,” Horsford said at the news conference. “And that’s what our congressional hearings on the Ways and Means Committee will focus on.”
When Tip spoke at the news conference, he highlighted the ways in which Nipsey headed the efforts for creating opportunity zones to rebuild needy communities. It’s also important to T.I. that he is able to carry out Nipsey’s mission.
“Everybody knows that Nipsey was pretty much the founder of the idea to bring everyone together who, you know, may individually be able to do great things and make a significant impact on their own in their communities,” he said. “But for us to come together, we can impact so, so many more communities and spread our efforts so much wider.”
Nipsey was shot and killed in South L.A. in March by suspected gunman
Eric Holder. The rapper was fatally wounded outside Marathon Clothing, a store he established to employ formerly imprisoned workers who typically have difficulty obtaining work.
