There are a few romances that sometimes give the public pause, and when Jermaine Dupri and Janet Jackson came forward as a couple, people struggled with understanding the pairing. It makes sense why the two artists would link up, but in the early 2000s, people couldn’t believe that Dupri was able to seal the deal with one of the most famous singers in the world who was also from one of the most notable musical families.

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The topic of Dupri’s seven-year relationship with Janet Jackson came up in conversation during the So So Def mogul’s interview with T.I. on ExpediTIously. Even Tip admitted that when he heard that Jermaine Dupri had locked things down with Ms. Jackson, he couldn’t believe it. Jermaine revealed that he and Janet first met at a Kriss Kross concert and later they all attended one of her shows. This was before he was the hitmaker that he is today, and he was seen as just a member of Kross Kross’s entourage.

Dupri and Janet knew a few of the same people and Jermaine said that he would joke around with a stylist and say flirtatious things about the singer. One day, the stylist called his bluff and got Janet on the phone, and as the stylist was talking to J.J., she dropped a few flirtatious remarks of her own. It took J.D. by surprise, but the two began to talk seriously, and it led to the them dating between 2002 to 2009.

Watch Jermaine Dupri share details of his romance with Janet Jackson around the 46:30 mark below.

Since its inception, hip hop has been criticized for its lyrical content. Whether a rapper is delivering rhymes about street life, social consciousness, gang banging, or sex and relationships, hip hop culture has been a target for those that say the genre is swimming in misogyny and vulgarity. Nevertheless, hip hop has become a leading force in music and influences nearly every aspect of the entertainment industry. In a recent episode of ExpediTIously, T.I. and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris chatted about lyrics and whether or not they believed that music has impacted how people view relationships and marriage.

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Tiny suggested that the lyrical content doesn’t lean toward positive outlooks on relationships. “I think yeah it can be a distraction because, you know, there’s a lot of hoes and b*tches.” T.I. jokingly asked, “What do hoes and b*tches have to do with anything?” Tiny responded, “I’m saying, in the songs, like…there’s no real love in the songs.”

T.I. doesn’t believe that a global audience desire that content. “Y’all don’t wanna hear that sh*t.” Tiny lets him know that she, indeed, does want to hear it. “Y’all don’t want to hear that sh*t. Listen, man, I be seeing more motherf*ckers, more girls sing the most derogatory records.” Tiny added, “That’s what I’m saying. Everybody’s getting away from the love, the music is f*cking everybody up.”

The rapper said that no one is trying to create music that there isn’t a global market for. “The way that [women] gravitate to—and I would also add that you say you want a certain type of man, but you continuously allow yourself to be attracted to the antithesis.” What are your thoughts on this one?

T.I. has recently started sharing his full podcast episodes from the ExpediTIously Podcast on his YouTube channel. Today, he even debuted a new episode of the podcast live on his channel, with his wife accompanying him.

We know T.I. & Tiny have had their fair share of struggles when it comes to their relationship, as they’ve documented everything quite publicly, whether it be on their reality TV series (which incidentally they’ve just announced the return of) or simply on social media. Still, in the face of it all, they’ve always come back to one another. Today, the two are tackling the topic of marriage, and how to make it work. 

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“I feel like what a lot of people say when they get married, the biggest thing I hear is that they never have sex anymore. And I’ve never experienced that, I don’t know anything about that, I don’t feel like it’s been a real change,” Tiny says, which leaves T.I. to echo: “And you never will. Not in this marriage.” Tip isn’t shy when he adds, “Where ever I can fit, that’s where I’ma get.”

“So you think that sex is the key?” Tip asks his wife.

“I think sex is the key, and conversation and trust.” Tiny replies. 

The conversation doesn’t end there. It’s over an hour long, and discusses everything from who is the ‘boss’ in a relationship, having children and much more. Check it out below.

Mabel Earlene “Madea” Simmons may be a beloved character penned and portrayed by Tyler Perry, but there are plenty of people who have criticized the persona. For decades Perry donned that famous purple dress to become the loud-mouthed, Aunt Madea who smokes cigarettes, shoots guns, and takes no mess, but there were plenty of detractors, including his fellow actors, who believed he emasculated himself for a bit of fame. Perry recently was a guest on T.I.‘s Expeditiously Podcast and addressed his naysayers who knock his billion-dollar brand.

T.I. mentioned that Perry’s success has come with “some” level of criticism. “Some?” Perry added with a laugh. “You being polite.” T.I. asked the media mogul to address critics, including Dave Chappelle, who said it’s easier for a black man in Hollywood to become successful if they put on a dress. “Listen, Chappelle is one of the most brilliant people I have ever seen in my life,” Perry said. “Not just in comedy but the man is smart. A heavy, brilliant thinker. So, if that’s the case in Hollywood, then, okay, that’s the case. But you gotta understand, that’s not my case.”

“Nobody owned that dress but me,” Perry continued. “Nobody told me—a two-billion-dollar franchise. Nobody told me to put it on. Nobody makes me put it on. On stage, black man owned the whole show. It was my choice. So, when I got to Hollywood and wanted to do Diary of a Mad Black Woman, it was my choice. Nineteen movies since then, it’s been my choice.”

Recently, Tyler Perry announced that his days portraying Madea were over. “I’m not a man who enjoys wearing a dress,” he told T.I. “For me, an actor, it’s a costume. It like if somebody goes to work at Walmart they put on their uniform. For me, that’ s putting on a uniform, going out and making people laugh. Lifting them up. Encouraging them. The good that it does for so many people.”

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Married couples got candid about relationships on a recent episode of T.I.‘s podcast ExpediTIously. The world has watched—on multiple occasions—as rapper T.I. and his award-winning wife Tiny’s relationship has gone through ups and downs. There were accusations of infidelities, rumors of friends with benefits encounters with champion boxers, and even divorce papers filed. In the end, T.I. and Tiny didn’t give up on their marriage and have decided to move onward and upward.

A famous couple who has managed to avoid scandal or having their relationship in headlines is Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker. The two couples chatted on ExpediTIously and T.I. wanted to know how Boris and Nicole have been able to keep their problems “in-house” and away from prying eyes.

“I always say, life’s not easy but it’s simple. I tell my kids that all the time,” said Boris. “Because, if you make some right choices, life can be very simple. There might be challenges, adversity that might come up that you’re not in control of…which is the not easy part. But if you have a solid constitution with values and principles you can get over those challenges.”

“In a relationship, I think it’s the same thing,” Boris continued. “When you are willing to give the other person the space to have fun, to mess up ’cause we all human… You have to be willing to give your partner a chance to f*ck up royally and not run for the hills, but to stick it out, grow through the process, with your partner as well as individually and then you come out of the other end a better human.

T.I. joked that Tiny got to be “such a good human” because he messes up so much. Tiny still wanted to know how they’ve been able to keep their drama between themselves and not the public. “I don’t think there’s a lot of major dirt but we’re also private and we also respect each other enough that I would never want to embarrass myself or her or the kids or anybody.” Swipe through to listen to the clip below.

Earlier today, 50 Cent responded to comments that Taraji P. Henson made about him on a recent episode of T.I.’s “expediTIously” podcast. Henson was discussing how a few years ago, Fifty tried to spark competition between the show he executive produces, Power, and the show she stars in, Empire. He called out Empire for stealing Power‘s marketing model and as is the case whenever something ticks off 50 Cent, he didn’t let it go very easily. Henson, on the other hand, thought the rivalry was totally uncalled for. “Our show has nothing to do with his show, we’re talking two different subject matters,” Henson told T.I. “Does he understand what I did to get here? Why tear down another black person for competition? There are a million other shows he can compete with? And to do that publically, it’s embarrassing.”

As one could have predicted, Fif’s reaction to this comment was not too pleasant. His message on Instagram appeared to be apologetic at first, but turned out to be pretty antagonistic. “I love your work and I think you are amazing,” he wrote. “I’m sorry no one is watching your show anymore. I realize I have to work on the fact that I have less empathy then others. I have met with the top executives at Fox and sold them(The Notorious Cop) It’s the show that is replacing yours.” 

With some follow-up IG posts, Fifty has provided more details about his show that will supposedly steal Empire‘s shine. One particular detail that he shared may cause Henson some embarrassment – at least that seems to be his intention. T.I. is apparently involved with this forthcoming Fox series. “TIP Is already signed on, don’t fucking play wit me i’m out here,” Fifty captioned a photo of The Notorious Cop‘s book cover. So, 50 and Tip are teaming up to present the TV adaptation of “the inside story of the Tupac, Biggie, and Jam Master Jay Investigations from NYPD’s first ‘hip-hop’ cop.” 50 must think this news turns the tables on Henson, who complained to T.I. about 50 jacking the spotlight from another predominantly black production. 

As if 50 hadn’t gone in on Henson enough for the day, he shared ANOTHER photo of her with former Empire co-star, Jussie Smollett. He penned another villainous caption: “i didn’t destroy your show it destroyed itself. i hope you accept my sincere apology, forever your fan and friend Fofty. ps i’m looking forward to working with you, or watching you watch me work.”

There were plenty of interesting takeaways from Mike Tyson’s recent chat with T.I. on the rapper’s ExpediTIously podcast. The boxing champion was known for infamy, but in recent years, he’s become a lovable character who just happens to have a sordid past. The business mogul and family man has rebuilt his brand, and he spoke candidly about how married life changed him.

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Tyson, a father of eight children, has been married to Lakiha Spicer, his third wife, since 2009. “She swooped down on me, and told me, ‘This is what we’re gonna do,’ and that’s what happened,” Tyson shared. “That’s why I believe in what I believe in now. ‘Cause there’s no way this could be happening. There’s no way I could’ve been married to my wife. I’m not faithful enough. I’m just not that kind of guy. I don’t care about nothing enough more than my d*ck, so how am I gonna be faithful to somebody? But it worked! I got ten years with her.”

Although they’ve celebrated over a decade together, Tyson admitted he’s only been completely faithful for two. “I got two years without every f*cking a b*tch but my wife. For a n*gga like me, I had to have them every day. I had to c*m every second of the day! I’m the poster boy for Sexual Anonymous.” He added that without Lakiha he’s a “savage animal.”

The way he views women as he has gotten older has changed. “I look at them as the half. It makes me realize that I’m a man,” he said. “And at this stage in my life, they’re my teachers. If a man doesn’t have a little bit of fear of his wife, he’s not living his life right. That’s why I got married three times, ’cause I can’t live without a wife. If I don’t have a wife, I’ll kill myself. That’s real talk. I need somebody to listen to. I’m a soldier. I can’t think on my own. I need somebody to do it.”

Iron Mike also admitted that his relationship history may have influenced the way his children view the world. Tyson was convicted of rape back in 1992 and sentenced to six years in prison. According to AP News, Tyson also admitted to physically abusing hist first wife, actress Robin Givens.

“You know what bothers me, too, man? And I gotta say this,” Tyson told T.I. “Why my kids don’t like black kids? They don’t date black kids. Why is that?… Sometimes I look at my daughter, and I see she’s attracted to white guys, and I think, ‘I didn’t set a good example as a black man’… They must have seen sometimes when I was vulnerable and said, ‘Hey, I don’t wanna be with no one like that. He’s scary.’”

Listen to the hourlong exchange here.

In case you missed it, Mike Tyson was the latest guest to sit down on T.I.‘s ExpediTIously podcast. Over the course of an hour-plus, the pair discussed a variety of topics, including several interesting tidbits on both 2Pac (check that out here) and Michael Jackson, who initially found himself on Iron Mike’s bad side. “I’ma tell you something funny about him,” says Tyson, after Tip asks about the late pop icon. “Mike is interesting. I met Mike one day, he had a concert in Cleveland. I’m with Don King. Me and Don come in, I’m champ and everything, Don gives Michael Jackson the peace sign. Michael gives Don the peace sign. I give Michael the peace sign, and he put his hand down.”

In a way, I said ‘did he play me?'” reveals Tyson, before rationalizing it must have been a misunderstanding. “I knew he didn’t play me. We went backstage…I’m signing autographs, and Michael comes over. He talks to Don, he doesn’t talk to me…I said ‘lemme go and meet Mike, cause that’s what I’m here for.'” As he went and approached the King of Pop, Mike responded by pulling the snub. “He said ‘do I know you from somewhere? Where I know you from?'”

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“I just shattered the record a month ago,” continues Tyson. “He’s waiting by the door and says ‘where I know you from.’ He crushed me. I said I was just a fan. When he got in the car, I said ‘that cold motherfucker.’ I hated his guts forever, everytime I heard Michael Jackson’s name, I said ‘fuck that motherfucker!’ So one day, Rodney Jerkins was working with him and said ‘come see Mike.’ I said ‘no way, I don’t wanna see that motherfucker, he dissed me! He played me, made me look like a bitch in front of all these people.”

Thanks to Jenkins’ persistence, Mike decided to give MJ a second chance. “He said ‘Mike, he asked for you man’,” says Tyson. “We started hanging out together. I said ‘fuck man, he’s a good guy!’ In my mind I was like, you knew who I was, why you playing me? That’s the thing, he’s a n***a. That’s what surprised me.” He says that Jenkins was showing them a video with a particularly attractive woman, and Mike joked that a Rolls Royce would help seal the deal. “I was like damn, Mike said that!?” laughs Tyson. “Fuck! Mike know what time it is. That’s what I really wanted to tell you. He wasn’t no stupid little feeble looking little boy like Peter Pan. He’s fucking sharp. He knew what time it was. It blew my mind. I thought he was a fucking idiot till I met him that day. Then I knew he was a player. I thought he was a retarded little boy, but he was a player.”

Check out the full episode of T.I.’s ExpediTIously right here.