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T.I.'s Road to Redemption

(Rated TV-14, Reality TV, Starring Clifford "T.I." Harris, Where to watch: MTV, Online)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 14.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Rapper's docuseries offers reality check for troubled teens.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–16

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    The series has strong messages about the negative and often fatal consequences of getting involved in destructive behavior like gang activity and drug dealing. It also discusses the importance of family and getting an education. Still, it's a little unclear whether T.I.'s efforts are motivated by genuinely wanting to help teens or by trying to get a shorter jail sentence. The majority of the teens T.I. mentors are African-American males.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Most of the discussions about violence (including drive-by shootings) are offered within the context of showing its negative consequences. T.I. discusses the death of a childhood friend and how this led to his arrest for weapons possession. Video footage of the guns seized from T.I. is shown. Some of the teens are involved with gangs.
  • Sex:

    Some of the teens are young fathers.
  • Language:

    Audible language includes words like "damn" and "hell." Stronger curse words (like "s--t") are bleeped.
  • Consumerism:

    The series is a promotional vehicle for T.I. It features music performed by him and artists, including PMG and N.E.R.D.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Many of the teens T.I. tries to help use and/or deal drugs.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About T.I.'s Road to Redemption

Parents need to know that this reality series follows hip-hop artist T.I. as he mentors troubled teens as before being formally sentenced on weapons charges. There are discussions of violent criminal activity (including T.I.'s own criminal record) that are too strong for tweens and younger teens, but they're offered in the context of showing the serious consequences of this kind of behavior. Also expect references to drugs, strong language (with some bleeps), and potentially upsetting images (dead people in caskets, for example).

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about why T.I. chose to do a reality show about his community service. What do you think his intentions are? Is it just a publicity stunt, or does he genuinely want to make a difference in the teens' lives? Families can also discuss the consequences of getting involved in things like drugs and gang activity. How can the media be used to teach kids about making more positive choices? Do you think that this show is a good example of how this can be done?

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in Maryland
    I rate this title on for age 15 and give it 4.0

    "I'm lost"

    I'm lost within what just happened to me. I lost what I really wanted within just 2 weeks after our 1 mouth together, thanks to some people who really can't stand the fact that i was with her. I told her that I love her and I really do love her, I told her that I don't want to lose her, and I really don't want to lose her. It's something about her that i really don't know what it is just yet but all I know is that I want her, and I really like her alot. She puts a smile on my face when I really don't like to smile. I love being with her for the fact that she makes me feel something inside of me that i haven't felt for a long time. She's something beautiful, something sweet, something loving to me. She's the first that has ever made me really truely feel this way about her. All I want is for her to know that I didn't/do what those people are tryig to say that I did/doing. I want her and only. I told her that i want to be with her for at lease untell 12th grade is over with and she told me that she wants that too. I asked her no matter what comes our way we'll work it out and she said yes, I asked her how she truely felt about me and she told me something that i never thought to hear coming from her. She is all I want, all I need, I just would like for her to hear me out and understand why I would not do nothing like that to her. I love her.

  2. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in South Carolina
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 1.0

  3. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in South Carolina
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    i had cried because that was sad what them kids was going through

    people care because they don't like to see us black mens going to jail or dying.

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Minnesota
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0

    PERFECT

    This show is really good! It is about this rapper that is going to go to prison for atleast a year but before he goes he is going to show some teens that desobaying the law is not fun. He takes them to diffrent places and have them talk to people that made that same mistake. I think that every teen should watch this that have ever thought about disobaying the law or have disobayed the law!

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