MTV’s Hottest MCs - TI Named #10

Why He’s Hot
Hold up. Just last year, T.I. was up for debate to be #1, and now he slips to #10? What happened? First of all, let’s be clear: Tip’s decline in ranking has nothing to do with his skills. We all know that he is still one of the best in the business and his popularity is still intact. Unfortunately, since almost topping the last list, Tip had to take an unforeseen, unwelcome hiatus when he was arrested in November on a slew of gun charges, leading to more than six months of house arrest. Promotions for his platinum T.I. vs. T.I.P. came to an end. The kibosh was put on the single "Hurt" and its video. Any chance of dropping another LP at the top of ‘08 was thwarted quick. Movies, endorsements — everything shut down. He says his arrest probably cost him between $10 million and $12 million. Musically, he was inactive for months while many of his peers continued to put out sterling material.