In the wake the deadly Parkland shooting, where 17 students were killed by a gunman, T.I. joins an ongoing public debate regarding gun laws and the second amendment.
Speaking with TMZ, Tip said he believes that the “system is broken” and that new regulations need to be put in place. However, he still believes citizens should be allowed to have guns.
“You should probably make it more difficult for people who aren’t mentally stable to have guns,” he said. “If you lose the right to bear arms as a citizen, then it’s easy for the government to enslave people.”
He went on to explain why he feels like laws need to be changed and that new restrictions must be considered. “People think the felons are the ones that’s causing all the problems but it seems as though people who have been given guns licenses, who have bought guns legally, are the ones that are causing mass hysteria,” he added. “I think our system is broken.”
Finally, the rapper was asked if he believes banning automatic weapons would be “a step in the right direction.” T.I. walked away and said, “Could be.”
In October, following the deadly shooting at a Las Vegas music festival, T.I. also spoke about his beliefs on the matter. “As long as the criminals have guns], the citizens should be able to have them,” he explained. “I think there should be mental evaluation. The same for people who are running for president, by the way.”
The King the South has some experience in dealing with weapons. In 2007, he was arrested and charged with possession three unregistered machine guns and two silencers, and possession firearms by a convicted felon. In 2014, he said, “the government got all my guns now.”