T.I.'s Road to Redemtion

Everyone is aware of how poignant and popular reality shows are. I personally think 98% of the reality shows on cable television are nonsense and diminish brain cells (except for Jon & Kate Plus 8 and Making The Band on MTV! Lol) but of all the reality shows that I have flipped through on TV lately, T.I.’s Road To Redemption seems to be the most purposeful and honest. The MTV reality series follows hip-hop artist T.I., also known as Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr., as he mentors troubled teens before he faces formal sentencing on weapons charges on March 27.

After T.I. was arrested for firearms possession, the hip-hop artist agreed to complete 1000 hours of community service in exchange for a reduction in his potential 30-year prison sentence. So now the singer (who is currently out on bond and monitored at all times) offers tough love as he shows disobedient kids some of the very real negative -- and often fatal -- consequences of dealing drugs, joining gangs, and breaking the law. Meanwhile, T.I. offers his personal insights about his own life and the mistakes he's made as he counts down the days to his own incarceration.

T.I. has encountered a lot of negative publicity within the past year due to his run in with the law, and doing this reality show helps inform his public about the circumstances of his legal situation as well as possibly swaying the legal system into giving him less, or maybe no time in prison. Some spectators say they feel as if the show is just a publicity stunt intended only to score points with the legal system, but I disagree. Even if those are his main intentions (which I wouldn’t be mad at him for...because let’s be honest, who wants to go to prison?) behind the reality show, T.I. seems to have sincere intentions to help other young men and women avoid the same problems that he is currently facing. I’m sure the show is making a major difference in some young teenager’s lives, which hopefully in the long run, will prevent them from going to prison or getting killed like so many other young juvenile delinquents.

In the first episode of “T.I.’s Road to Redemption”, T.I. sits down in a room by himself with a camera and tells the camera exactly what happened that night he got caught with machine guns, along with other types of guns, and tells his side of the story. T.I.’s honesty and openness helps viewers understand his situation better while filtering out the media. From a public relations stand point, I think the TV show was a great idea as far as improving his self image with fans, haters and of course, the legal system.

The show portrays T.I.’s reality of his legal circumstances and shows that T.I. truly understands that he has done wrong, has changed his ways, and now is trying to help other young juveniles change their negative lifestyles. T.I. is taking the negative situation that he put himself into, and turning it into a positive situation by giving young troubled teens insight, wisdom and courage to change their lives for the better. The series shows that people who come from a life of crime can make their lives morally and legally “right” and change for the better.

Personal PR is all about conveying a message, and what better way to convey a message than through national television? Everyone watches TV and I personally think, besides the internet, it’s the best way to get a message out to a target public. T.I. should have done this show a long time ago. Any other celebrities that have “run-ins” with the law should talk to T.I. and take a few notes.

- Samantha Savory