T.I. in ‘Drumline?’ Rapper Ribs Nick Cannon About Beating Him for Lead Role in Popular Film

Could you imagine T.I. playing the role of Devon Miles in the 2002 film “Drumline” instead of Nick Cannon?

That could’ve been the case, because Tip auditioned for the lead role but it went to Cannon instead, which shot him into the stratosphere of fame and celebrity.

The “Paper Trail” rapper stopped by the station Power 106 earlier this week to be a guest on Cannon’s morning program “Close Conversation.” Last month it was revealed that Cannon took the new radio gig after Big Boy from 92.3 spilled the beans.

“You want to talk about the fun time you beat me, huh, n—a?” said T.I. to Cannon about the “Drumline” role. “But you were much better. You actually learned how to play the drums. I didn’t plan on doing that. I had to get ‘ATL.’ My movie was better than yours.”

The two celebs also talked about how long they’ve known each other, and T.I. said he admires the “Wild ‘n Out” host for staying true to himself. The rapper also admitted that he was initially surprised at Cannon’s success.

“I f–k with Nick. I love him. He’s truly one of the most respected brothers in the game for being completely square,” he stated.

After the interview was shared online, some debated about which movie was better, “ATL,” which T.I. starred in with Lauren London, or “Drumline.”

“Man that’s a tough question atl or drumline,” someone wrote on YouTube. “Slight edge to atl but man it’s close af.”

“ATL hands DOWN!!! S/o to Drumline,” wrote another.

“Drumline vs ATL idk which one I got, grew up on both of em!!” a third person commented.

There were also people who said they can’t picture Tip being in “Drumline” instead of Cannon.

“T.I leading role in drumline 😂😂😂 can’t see it,” one person wrote.

“Ti in drumline doesnt seem right lol,” wrote another.

Still independent.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top