In addition to being a family man, T.I. embraces and gives back to his community. Over Christmas, he visited local Walmarts in Atlanta with a big knot and bought presents for singles mothers in need. T.I. was understandably bothered, then, when he came across a story that presented him as far less then generous or compassionate, instead requesting $40,000 in return for attending a slain boy's funeral. He immediately refuted the story in an Instagram post on Monday (April 18).

"#LIES ain't nobody contacted me for no such thing," he wrote. "Let alone me charge someone to attend a funeral. What people should do is be aware of who they're contacting & not blieve Tom Dick & Hank who says they're connected. BUT I'd appreciate it if y'all could quit wit da [shit]... I been in dis game too long...Charging 40k to attend a funeral ain't even in my repertoire.... KnockItOff."

The issue here, as T.I. points out, and with celebrity journalism in general, is taking a single account as truth. The story he references above includes a screengrab of a Facebook comment that alleges he requested the cash sum, but doesn't offer any comment from the rapper or evidence that he made this request. It amounts to hearsay then, and T.I. states for the record above that he made no such request and never would.

The story of a gunned down 12-year-old in Tennessee is tragic, and as the report details, the boy's nickname was TIP because he was a huge T.I. fan. Read T.I.'s response to the headline above or on Instagram, where his followers are backing T.I. up with their own stories of his community service and generosity.