Rappers T.I. and Ja Rule Walk to End Gun Violence

From Contact Music:

Rappers T.I. and Ja Rule joined forces on Monday (5/11) for a New York Peace Walk, to honour two teenagers who were gunned down at the weekend. The MCs were joined at the Harlem rally by Reverend Al Sharpton, where they honoured the memories of 13-year-old Christopher Owen and 17-year-old Cory Squires. The artists and their followers then led the march up to 141st Street, where Squires was killed.

T.I., 28, has become an advocate for ending inner city violence since pleading guilty in March (09) to federal charges of possession of illegal firearms. He was arrested in October 2007 when he gave his bodyguard $12,000 to buy machine guns and silencers from undercover federal agents. And the rapper, who is due to turn himself in for a year-long federal prison stint on May 19 (09), took the opportunity to urge youths not to pull a gun to settle their differences.

He said: “I carried guns and swung dope as a 13-year-old. I had my best friend taken away from me through guns. I was so hurt from the loss of his life, I didn’t take notice to the knowledge that I still had mine… you’re not just killing a man, you’re killing a family.”

After the march, T.I., right, posed with (l to r) Ja Rule and Kevin Liles, Executive VP of Warner Music Group

T.I. being interviewed by Lisa Evers of NY’s FOX 5 news. Lisa was an original member of the Guardian Angels in NYC, and she’s a loyal reader of Sandrarose.com. I know this because she emailed me last month and told me so.