(Photo by Scott Gries/Invision for MTV/AP Images)

Industry observers scoffed when T.I. announced he wanted a new $75 million recording contract at the demand. As we reported,T.I.’s 10-year contract with Atlantic Records had just wrapped up when declared his new going rate. Well, T.I. is now talking a $200 million record deal.

“I am a free agent. I’m operating as an independent label. I do not have corporate sponsors. I don’t have no corporate backing. I don’t have no major distribution. We Master-P-ing this Isht right now… I’m proving I’m worth $200 million,” T.I.  told Billboard.

By proving it, he means delivering hits through his Grand Hustle label, which launched in 2003. But as the magazine points out it has been an uphill battle. The label struggled when T.I. was in prison for most of 2009 through 2011. There had been some  bright lights, such as B.o.B. and Yung L.A., who released a platinum-selling hit “Aint’ I” in 2008 but they all petered out. And Meek Mill, who signed with T.I. in 2008, jumped to Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group before releasing a record.

Grand Hustle finally had new signings like British rapper Chip, and Houston vet Trae Tha Truth. T.I.’s first post-prison album, “Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head,” hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Last week, he released “G.D.O.D.,” the debut mixtape from Hustle Gang, a new moniker for the label, notes Billboard. The project was preceded by a single from T.I. and B.o.B., “Memories Back Then,” featuring Kendrick Lamar and Hustle Gang singer Kris Stephens. The song broke through the Hot 100 at No. 88—without a major-label push.

“That dark period is over, and the celebration shall begin. But before the celebration we got to put in the work. And this work is a part of it,” T.I. told Billboard about Grand Hustle.

Grand Hustle now has 30 members and T.I. says he knows his company’s worth—and wants to be paid it. “Right now, I’m proving I’m worth $200 million. I done sat with all the people; everybody says they’re interested, but they don’t want to cut that check. Alright — we’re going to motivate them to cut that check,” he said.

We’ll ask again: Will T.I. get what he’s asking for? Or is he over-reaching?

We try not to judge what celebrities do behind closed doors, but some stars like to invite the limelight between the sheets — unfortunately. Here are a few of the dirty celebrity sex secrets that we wish our eyes and ears could forget.

Image Source: Twitter.com

AP. 9′s Freaky Photos of CoCo

We all already know that CoCo is hot to trot. We don’t need any more pictures of her cakes or her business courtesy of AP. 9. Someone needs to find this Canadian rapper another way to extend his 15 minutes of fame — besides his weak, 90s era rhymes.

If you were curious why “TMZ Reports” was trending on Twitter yesterday with the most hilarious rap lyrics ever, it was because the “you heard it here first” gossip site published a story with the headline “Dead Bombing Suspect Heavy Into Rap.” Almost immediately, the site was side-eyed for reporting that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the 26-year-old suspect believed to be responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing who was killed yesterday, had an email associated with the website, Real-hiphop.com, insinuating rap’s “violent” lyrics could have influenced his act of homegrown terrorism.

As much as people dismissed that overzealous — and inappropriate — attempt to identify a cause for Tamerlan and his brother Dzhokhar’s actions, nobody was not having that explanation more than T.I. See on top of being a rapper, the King of the South’s image was used in a promo screen grab related to the soon-to-be developed website, connecting him not so indirectly with this heinous occurrence.  And that’s why he sought to clear his name, and rap’s, telling TMZ not only does he not know anything about this real hip hop site, he knows for sure rap has nothing to do with what these brothers did.

“Hip hop narrates the activity and conditions of our culture, it doesn’t create them,” he said. ”Hip hop ain’t never been about hurting innocent people.”

As far as Boston goes, he said the event last week “was a horrible tragedy and my prayers go out to the families involved.”

Set ‘em straight T.I.P.

Being a celebrity doesn’t necessarily mean skirting the law and getting away with it. However, these 15 stars somehow managed to escape the long hand of the law after an arrest.

Source: WENN

Lindsay Lohan is no stranger to a jail cell or a courtroom because trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes. During a night out at a club in New York last summer, the Liz & package actress allegedly got into an altercation with a psychic. Tiffany Mitchell claimed Lohan punched her and as a result she was injured. However, video surveillance outside of the club showed Mitchell falling and sustaining the same injuries she claimed Lohan caused. As a result, charges against the New York native were dropped. Lohan was recently sentenced to 90 days in rehab in yet another legal case.

Playing a character who rushes in to save the day on the big screen is one thing, but these 15 celebrities became real-life heroes by leaping forward to save the lives of ordinary people.

WENN

Rapper T.I. has been on a mission to rehabilitate his image since  he was released from prison after those gun possession charges, and having “hero” on his resume certainly helps. While on his way to an Atlanta radio station for an interview, the reality show star heard a news report about someone at a 22-story building ready to jump. T.I. recorded a video of himself pleading with the man to come and talk to him. The police played the video to the distressed man who agreed to come down and T.I. and the unidentified man shared a brief conversation before the cops took him to the hospital to be treated for depression.

Justin Timberlake better watch out because it’s about to be a battle of the blond haired, blue eyed soul singers if Robin Thicke has his way. The “Real Househusband” who brought us tracks like “Sex Therapy” and “Wanna Love You Girl” is back stronger than ever with the help of two equally charming heavy hitters in the game, T.I. and Pharrell.

The trio’s new track “Blurred Lines” is everything you need in a spring jam and a refreshing break from popped a molly music. And let’s be serious, who doesn’t love T.I. in a suit doing the Bill Cosby? Thank you Robin #Thicke for this.

Check out the video and let us know what you think. Pass or Play?

If you’re already bored with La La’s Full Court Life and don’t have the stomach for the ratchet behavior of Basketball Wives, which is coming back soon, we’ve got the perfect programming for you. The first family of VH1 is back!

Just when you thought you couldn’t get enough of T.I., Tiny and the rest of the humongous pack, the hustling family will be back for another season of T.I. And Tiny’s Family Hustle on VH1 come April. After stalling, VH1 finally decided to pick the show back up for a third season, which is a great idea since the series has helped to make Mondays a ratings winner for the channel and was well-received by viewers for its positivity and humor (who knew T.I. was so funny!?). In the upcoming season, we’ll see the rapper happily getting back into the spotlight after the release of his successful album, Troubleman: Heavy is the Head and his role in Identity Thief, and Tiny staying busy trying to create a new girl group, French Kiss, while still trying to keep the OMG Girlz afloat. Per the usual, with all their business endeavors, and their larger than life family, the rapper and his lady do their best to balance their busy careers and keep their biggest focus on their family at the same time. It’s not easy! Expect big laughs and a bit of fun foolery from the show’s biggest star…King. Don’t front, you know you love that child with his bad behind.

If you’re still down for the fam, be sure to check out season three of T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle when it premieres on Monday, April 8 10PM ET/PT on VH1.

T.I. and Tiny at the premiere of the movie “Gangster Squad.” Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP

T.I.’s 10-year contract with Atlantic wrapped up a month ago. Now he’s ready for a new contract. A $75 million contract. Oh, I beg your pardon?

T.I. says he’s seeking a company willing to sign on the dotted line for a $75 million deal that will include (according to TMZ) three albums; between 10 and 20 percent of the rights for TV, film, and other projects; endorsement deals; and exclusive rights to sign his Grand Hustle artists.

TMZ says there are people who sound like they’re willing to agree to these terms. Of course, T.I. does have a lot going on, so it might be worth it. Besides the VH1 program T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle, he’s out promoting his new album “Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head,” which is topping the charts. And he has an upcoming movie, Identity Thief. Building an empire!

Do you think he’s going to get that $75 million?

FayesVision/WENN.com

It used to be that when your career was nearing its end, there wasn’t a whole lot that could help resuscitate it. Then came reality television. Now many a has-been celebrity have found new life (and bigger paychecks) by jumping on the reality bandwagon. Whether they’ve taken a spin around the “Dancing with the Stars” ballroom or honed their business chops on “Celebrity Apprentice,” these celebrities have found fame in unexpected places. Madame Noire lists its 15 celebs that have benefited most from a little reality action.

Source: RollingOut.com

Whatever you might think about T.I., the choices he’s made and the situations he’s found himself in over the past five years, you must admit that when he finally sits down to speak on all of it, there’s a level of honesty we can’t help but respect. Recently, in promotion of his new album “Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head,” T.I. has had to answer a lot of questions regarding the time he spent in jail and, in stark contrast, the relationship we see him share with his wife and children.

In an interview with ROLLING OUT, the interviewer asked T.I. whether or not he felt people in the hood have more respect for people who go to prison rather than those who go to college. See what he had to say about the subject.

That’s a misconception. I think white folks put that out there because they want us to feed off that. I grew up in Bankhead, been around Campbellton Road, Simpson Road, West End and every ghetto in Atlanta. And I never thought it was cooler to go to jail than to go to college. I knew college wasn’t for me, but I knew jail wasn’t for me, either. If you give me the option between jail and college, I’m taking college. They have women in college, ain’t no women in jail. I’ve never thought that. And no one I ever spoke to said, ”Man, something in me wants to see what it’s like to go to jail.” On the other hand, we knew that we were doing things that could land us in jail. But we never thought it was cool. That’s a misconception. If you’re a teenager, or whatever, don’t believe that going to jail is cool. I’ve been in there with people who are doing 20-year bids and life sentences. Those folks never feel like it was cool.

And since T.I. has had personal experience in this area, he explains how being in prison affected him.

When I went to prison in 2009, I had so much resentment for the system. When you’re in a certain element, you can exercise certain strengths. But when you place me in a jungle and it’s all about survival, I’m going to have tp posture myself in a way I’m fit to survive. By the time I came out of prison, my mind-set was different from when I went in. Prison did me no good. But personally, I regressed completely.

And  in an interesting interview with the Breakfast Club, T.I. explained how that regression from the first prison bid, contributed to him going back the second time.

With me going on the campaign trail and speaking to kids, I actually had developed new policies and procedures. My character had changed for real. And when your character changes you become a more positive thinking, a more law abiding, just a more even spirited person. And now you take all of these character progressions and you now say I got to go to prison?! Well wait a minute, these policies and procedures don’t apply here in this environment that you’re sending me to, so now I can’t use what I’ve learned. So now I’m going to adopt new policies and procedures to accompany my environment, because now it’s about survival.

So now I’m back on my square. I’m back like I’m trapping. Because I’m in general population… So now, by the time I get out, these new policies and procedures…what I’m just supposed to hit a button and go back to the way I was before I went in. No! No! So now, these policies and procedures that I had adopted from being in prison… I did more drugs in prison than I did all throughout “Paper Trail.” I was doing things that I hadn’t even considered doing in the free world in a long time, in prison, which tells you that my mentality had changed so much that when I came home, I was like ‘Hell man, whatever man, let’s get back to the get back.’ So now, that’s what put me in the mindset to where I could make that kind of slip up and mistake that I would have never made while I was on the “Paper Trail” run. But see nobody ever thought about that. They were like ‘T.I. man, he just dumb.’ Naw!

It’s sad it had to play out like that but it would appear that he’s certainly learned from and become a better man because of it.