On the Radar: T.I., Tiny and VH-1’s “The Family Hustle”

Okay, I admit it: I like T.I.—that accent gets me every time—and I was just looking for a reason to run this gorgeous shot of him, his wife, Tameka, and their family. And I’m not gonna lie: I’m looking forward to checking out their new series, “T.I. &  Tiny: The Family Hustle,” premiering on VH-1 on December 5, 2011 at 9PM ET. From VH-1:

Viewers will get a behind-the-scenes look at the most private moments of the Grammy-winning artist as he is reunited with his wife, Tameka (a.k.a Tiny), and his children following a 12-month prison sentence that was completed several months ago.

The new series follows the “King of the South” at his most vulnerable, as T.I. re-acclimates back into his life as a father, husband, son, musician, apparel magnate, businessman, actor and best-selling author.

During filming of a music video, the audience will catch a tender moment as T.I. teaches his son the importance of education and doing his school work. For the first time, fans will get to know T.I.’s children and see their reactions as they realize their father is a member of Hip Hop royalty. T.I. even begins to instruct his eldest son, Domani on the secrets to putting on a great concert performance and allows Domani (aka T-Money) show off his skills in front of a crowd of 3,000 at the Scream Tour.

“Tameka and I have a strong, loving family,” said T.I. “In this family documentary, you will see the challenges of raising children while balancing a career. It’s like a lot of families, only our home is in the spotlight.”

Viewers will also catch a glimpse into the very loving and always fascinating relationship between T.I. and his wife Tameka, who has faithfully stood by T.I.’s side through his highs and lows and who herself was a former member of the ’90s Grammy-winning pop group Xscape. The mother of two of T.I.’s children, along with her own fifteen-year-old daughter, Tameka was forced to hold down the fort while T.I. was behind bars.

I am kinda fascinated by the family dynamic of African American celebrities and the parenting and relationship choices they make, and dig the idea of getting a fly-on-the-wall view of how famous husbands and wives interact with each other and their children. Of course, I watch with the clear understanding that celebrity parents are not perfect and that they’re showing us only what they want us to see, but I still find value in shows like Rev. Run’s Run’s House, Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood, and Luther Campbell’s Parental Advisory, if only because they’re showing black men be fathers to their children, wives running their families and their own businesses, and children learning how to handle their family’s legacy by soaking up business savvy and creating legacies of their own.

I’ll tune in for a couple episodes of The Family Hustle. You?

[Photo credit: VH1/Piotr Sikora]