T.I. Reflects on Losing Out 'Drumline' Role to Nick Cannon, Getting 'ATL' Role Instead

T.I. could have been in Drumline instead of Nick Cannon.

Tip shared the story on Club Shay Shay, telling host Shannon Sharpe that he had gotten to know producer Dallas Austin, who was working in movies.

“He was telling me about his first film,” T.I. remembered. “I was always like, ‘Yo bruh, put me in it.’ And he was like, ‘Aight, yeah man. Say less.’ He sent me to go read and I read and they were like, ‘Man, you got to learn how to play the drums.’ And I was like, ‘I could play like I could play the drums.’ They were like, ‘Nah, you gotta learn how.’ I was like, ‘Man, I don’t wanna do that.’

He didn’t realize until later which movie he was reading for. “I just didn’t want to commit myself to it at the time. It wasn’t there,” he added. “But I read, and I didn’t get it, and that movie went on to be Drumline. Yeah, I was reading for Nick Cannon’s part.”

T.I. ultimately isn’t upset about how things unfolded for him since he later got his own big break with the movie ATL.

“Look, that opened the door for me to do ATL,” he continued. “After I didn’t get the role for Drumline, I went back to Dallas and said, ‘Man, next time, bruh, just give me the role. I ain’t going to read or nothing. Just give me the role.’ And he was like, ‘Cool,’ and he just gave the role for Rashad in ATL.”

He also mentioned how he and Cannon often joke about wishing they had gotten each other’s roles. T.I. said at the end, “All things happen for a reason. What God got for you can’t no one take from you.”

Tip has actually spoke about this before with Cannon himself on Power 106 in 2019. “But you were much better,” Tip admits. “You actually learned to play the drums. I didn’t plan on doing that.”