Rapper T.I. Ditches Meat for His Health

T.I. has gone from rapping on beats to eating beets. Ahead of his 40th birthday, the actor—whose real name is Clifford Joseph Harris Jr.—has once again confirmed he’s ditched meat.

The rapper hit the birthday milestone on September 25. In an interview with Men’s Health, he revealed turning 40 made him want to become healthier.

“Just because you’re over 40 don’t mean you gotta look like it,” he said.

To help maintain longevity, T.I. says he works out in his home gym between three and five days per week. The rapper also keeps his fridge stocked with fresh produce like strawberries and pineapples and no longer consumes animal protein.

“I stopped eating red meat, stopped eating chicken,” he said. “Actually, I became pescatarian back in 2016. I try to keep it mainly fish, Dover sole, salmon, branzino, red snapper.”

T.I. confirmed his meat-free diet back in 2018 during an interview on HeadKrack. After being asked if he’s tried IKEA’s Swedish meatballs, the rapper said: “I don’t eat meat.”

He credited his diet to an increase in energy. “I feel like I’m not tired throughout the day,” he added.

Rappers Ditch Meat

T.I. isn’t the first rapper to remove meat from his diet.

Jermaine Dupri has been vegan for more than ten years. The Grammy Award-winning rapper nixed meat, dairy, and eggs from his diet after taking part in a 25-day cleanse.

“The energy I had, the way I felt, I just tried to figure out at that point how could I keep this same feeling. People were like, ‘well you should be vegan,’” he said for a 2018 PETA campaign. “The vegan lifestyle, to me, is the best lifestyle. And I want to get the world into this,” Dupri continued.

Wu-Tang Clan frontman RZA is also vegan. He made the dietary switch more than 20 years ago. During a 2019 episode of the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, he explained what being a “true vegan” means to him: “To be honest with you bro, I just hit you with this right here, the reality of how I feel. No animal needs to die for me to live, ok?”

And if the name “Black Eyed Peas” was any indication, even will.i.am doesn’t eat meat. In a video posted to Facebook, the rapper said: “I’m vegan, and I don’t miss steaks. You know what I’m saying? I don’t miss steaks! I don’t miss steaks, I don’t miss chicken, I don’t miss fish. I’m vegan.”