Rapper T.I. brings his show to S.D.

KAITLIN PERRY RYAN PLOURDE A&C EDITOR & OPINION EDITOR

Kaitlin Perry: Hey Ryan, I just got free tickets to see T.I. on Tuesday. Wanna go? Ryan Plourde: Uh, is the Pope Catholic? KP: What's a pope? RP: (Sigh) I was trying to say yes in a creative way. KP: Oh, well cool then, we're gonna see T.I. RP: Seriously though, the Pope?

Clifford "T.I." Harris, who is due to serve a 6-30 year sentence on illegal weapons charges later this month, played his last show in California at the San Diego Sports Arena last Tuesday, St. Patrick's Day. The Vista's own Kaitlin Perry and Ryan Plourde, decked out in green and ready to rage, were in attendance.

KP: Ryan, remember at his show when T.I. said that he was an OG (Original Gangsta), and that he was sure there were plenty of other OGs in San Diego? RP: Yeah, I think that was just before that old, white guy decked out in the Ed Hardy hat and shirt started doing the Carlton to "You Don't Know Me." KP: Well, do you think for the rest of the day you could refer to me as OG? RP: Really? Are you really an OG? OG: Hell yeah. RP: Um, okay 5-foot, 100-pound white girl. I now dub you OG. OG: Recognize. RP: OG, who the French toast was that DJ playing when we first got to the show? OG: Some dude from Z90.3, I don't know. I'm just mad we missed Xzibit. RP: Ugh, I'm sorry. My hair just would not cooperate with me. OG: Girl. RP: That hurt. OG: Anyway, at least our mystery DJ was better than Yung LA. RP: Who? OG: The guy who performed right before T.I. RP: How can I say this nicely. Yung LA sucked? OG: I thought you were gonna put it nicely. RP: I did. OG: At least his performance was short. RP: Yeah, but then we had to wait another 45 minutes before T.I. came on. OG: Seriously, what was that all about? RP: I was really excited when Z90.3's Big Boi finally came out to introduce him. OG: I know, and then the lights went down and out came that fine piece of man. RP: Yeah he is. OG: What? RP: Nothing. I didn't really recognize that first song, though. OG: It's probably from his new album. RP: All I know is I lost it when "Rubber Band Man" came on. OG: But he only did about two lines from that song. RP: Still awesome though. OG: Yeah, but I hated how he kept interrupting the concert to tell parts of his life story. RP: I know, we get it, you're going to jail, again. Just play some music. OG: You know what really made me mad though? RP: What, OG? OG: His performance of "Dead and Gone." RP: What was wrong with it? OG: First off, Justin Timberlake was not present. Second, he kept lowering the music during Justin's part so that the quiet audience could try to sing. And third, Justin Timberlake was not present. RP: You know what made me really mad? OG: What? RP: His performance of "Live Your Life." OG: Why? RP: First off, Rihanna was not present. Second… OG: Yeah, yeah, yeah, we get it. You're gonna say the same thing I did. RP: What? No I wasn't. OG: Fine, what were you going to say? RP: Okay, you got me. I was gonna say the same thing as you. OG: Idiot. RP: Ouch. OG: The worst part of the show had to be the end. RP: Seriously, what was up with that? OG: Right in the middle of "Whatever You Like" the lights came on and the music started to fade. RP: And people were being directed off the stage and T.I. just kept rapping with no music. OG: He finally just dropped the microphone and left. RP: Worst ending to a concert ever. OG: Apparently the Sports Arena needed him off the stage by 11. RP: Doesn't quite work when he doesn't come on till 10:15. OG: Yeah, that sucked. RP: Despite all the crap that happened I still had a lot of fun. OG: Me too. RP: Well, what was your favorite part? OG: When T.I. ripped his shirt off in the middle of the show. RP: Oh Kapers. OG: What? Fine, what was your favorite part? RP: Uh, when T.I., um, ripped off his shirt in the middle of the show. OG: What? RP: I mean when he performed "What You Know." OG: Sure.

As a performer T.I. is spot on. He maintains the energy of the crowd by playing his most popular tracks and never letting up on his smooth verses and moves. The show at the Sports Arena was nearly seamless and, had it not ended abruptly, would have been a great send-off to a rapper deemed the "Jay-Z of the South." Hopefully T.I.'s next show in California isn't too far off.