"I Was One Of The Reasons [T.I.] Started Rapping"

Former Hot Boyz member B.G. recently spoke on his current relationship with incarcerated rapper T.I. and revealed his music ultimately convinced the "King of the South" to pick up the microphone.

Speaking with hip-hop personality Mikey T The Movie Star, Gizzle opened up about Tip.

"T.I. was like, I was one of the reasons he [started rapping]," B.G. expalined. "He was like, 'I used to be just sitting in the trap just bumping all your sh*t.' I had put out six solo albums under Cash Money before [T.I. and I] even had our deal...So I was like, 'D*mn'." (Mikey T The Movie Star)

Recently, Miami-based rapper Trina gave props to Southern artists like T.I. for gaining respect from other regions.

"At first, people really did not take the South that seriously. It wasn't considered real hip-hop - just fast music, a lot of up-tempo, booty-shaking dance music. Over the years, it has gotten stronger, and there are some Southern artists - Trick [Daddy], T.I., Ludacris, Lil' Wayne, Rick Ross - that took what they believed in and turned it into a whole hip-hop genre. I'm really honored to be a part of that movement. There are so many different artists from different parts of the South that have different types of music. And now it's taking over - and at first it wasn't even considered!" (All Hip Hop)

A week ago, Florida rapper Ace Hood also spoke on his music being heavily influenced by the South thanks to T.I.

"Mainly the south. I'm from Southern Florida but I listen to a lot of T.I. and [Lil] Wayne. I'm versatile in what I listen to though. I like Canibus and some other artists from up north. I think in the north, they're big on tight lyrics and in the South it's based on swagger and how slick lines can be slipped in, in clever ways." (Rap-Up)

Tip is currently expected to return home from a probation violation conviction by September.

T.I. is coming home. The incarcerated rapper, born Clifford Harris, Jr., will be released from Arkansas' Federal Correctional Institution Forrest City Low on September 29, 2011 after completing his 11-month sentence for violating his parole. (Hip Hop DX)