(Photo: Courtesy VH1)

In last night’s premiere episodes of T.I. and Tiny’s new reality show Family Hustle “The King” takes us behind the scenes as he adjusts to his family and professional life after an 11 month jail stint. First up his work to-do list: opening for the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards.

T.I. was tapped to kick off the 6th annual awards show that taped October 1, just days after he was released from a halfway house, in his hometown, setting the stage for a grand homecoming appearance. “BET has been an enormous supporter of the ‘TI Brand’ so I definitely want to show up and show out for them,” he said during his reality show. This year’s Hip Hop Awards was also a sort of “do-over” for T.I.:  “This is very important because it was the same show I was arrested at in 2007,” he added.

But although the rapper tells his manager that his number one priority is to “get hot and get paid” he’s confronted with a big decision when he finds himself booked with a BET rehearsal on the same day his sons have sport games. His son Domani doesn’t  take it too well when T.I. tells him he’ll need to miss a football game to make it to rehearsals on time. Ultimately, he chooses his son, showing that in the tug of war between fatherhood and work, his six kids win. “Over the years I’ve grown to love my career. However, I love my family more,” T.I. told cameras.

In real time, we know that T.I. has already killed the opening of the BET Hip Hop Awards hitting the stage with Young Jeezy to perform “I’m Flexing,” but it’s adorable to see the rapper when he’s just chilling off stage as a family man and husband.

As soon as word leaked that T.I. was arrested and would likely be headed back to jail as a result, many people asked why didn’t his wife, Tiny, try and take the fall for him.

In a new interview with XXL magazine, Tiny finally answers you folks who act like it was her bad that T.I. violated his parole.

She said:

“I feel like, if you don’t know the details on it, you can’t say I could take the fall. If I could have, I would have said, ‘Well, yeah, that’s me.’ But it wasn’t able to be done. And for one, there were other people—other friends in the car—that could have taken the fall, but it couldn’t happen.”

I’m surprised it took so long for many to get that. And when people finally stopped criticizing her and remembered the one who was actually on papers, they started to wonder if T.I. will ever learn his lesson.

Tiny says that Tip truly recognizes the error of his ways:

“It’s timeout for any nonsense. We know what to do now. Not that we didn’t then—but things happened, you know. Now it’s for sure. He’s never gonna go back to jail. We can’t have that.”

Good for him. He’s too talented to end up America’s most talented cellmate. Tiny did address one more thing of note—the longstanding rumor that she’s cool with and even recruits other girls for their “open relationship”:

“I’m not on no ‘He might do this.’ No, I’m not one of those girls. This ain’t no open relationship, like, ‘You can do that, and you coming home to me.’ No, it’s not one of those. Definitely not.”

And there it is.

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It can’t be easy holding down a family while you’re man goes in and out of the slammer, but by now we all know that Tameka “Tiny” Harris is up for the job. Vibe caught up with the industry’s biggest ride-or-die chick for a family photo shoot (one picture above) and to see how life has been without having ”The King” of the house around…again. Check the excerpts:

On Life Without T.I.:

“It’s been like a roller coaster. Tip came home at the end of ’09, around Christmas time last year, and it was about getting the family back together.” But his career demanded attention, and he soon began work on his seventh album, No Mercy, as well as his third movie role [Takers]. “He started going back to work, so we was back to our regular schedule,” she recalls. “And then we got married. That was the high of the year, and then three months later he was gone—back again.”

On Their Big Day

After being together for years, Tip and Tiny finally tied the knot last July, months after his release on federal weapons charges. “Jamie Foxx sung me down the aisle, and El DeBarge sung our first song,” Tiny recalls with a smile. Their guest list read like a past and present awards show lineup: Usher, Nelly, Ashanti, Trina, as well as fellow R&B-turned-reality-stars Toya, Monica, and Kandi Burress. “Jermaine Dupri DJed for us; he was a great DJ. The reception was like a big, big party, so I had a ball,” she says with a chuckle. “Everybody was there. Everybody was drunk. Tons and tons of guests came to see us. It was great.”

On the “Honeymoon Period” Being Cut Short

“We didn’t really get a chance to go on a honeymoon, because he had to go to work three days after the wedding,” she says. They flew to Los Angeles for the premiere of Tip’s film Takers, and made plans for a honeymoon. “We were just enjoying life. The day that we got caught in California, when the incident happened, we were supposed to be going to the Virgin Islands, because he can’t really go a lot of places, so we had to find somewhere where we could just go. But they were having a hurricane and we weren’t able to go. And when I think back, I’m just like, ‘Why wasn’t we there? Because if we were, we wouldn’t be having this trouble right now. But you know, things happen for a reason. It is what it is.”

This woman sure does have T.I.’s back. It’s nice to see her standing by her man, but I hope that when he’s done with this latest bid T.I. gives his girl a break from having everything on her shoulders. Hopefully she gets that honeymoon!

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Everyone’s favorite ride-or-die chick, Tiny, talked to VIBE about the lengths she goes to in order to take care of her husband, T.I.

One, uh, touching, moment was when she detailed how she joined her man at support meetings after T.I. realized he had developed an addiction to painkillers.

Via VIBE:

One of the ways Tiny gave back to her hubby was by showing her support all throughout his drug rehab for painkillers. “I attended a couple of his group meetings to support him. I didn’t want to leave him out there by himself,” she says. “I really wanted to be there and support him and help him get through whatever he had to do. I just felt like it was something very small. It takes an hour of my time. He was going, we’d be together, so why not?”

Let’s all hold hands now and sing Da Brat’s “Ghetto Love” featuring T-Boz.  From the top, folks.

Anyway, in related news Sandra Rose reports the California misdemeanor charge initially leveled against Tiny has been dropped, officially putting her in the clear.

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Over the weekend a gang of celebrities came out to help Steve Harvey (and his wife Marjorie) celebrate the 8th Annual Hoodie Awards at the Mandalay Bay Resort Casino in Las Vegas. Tiny, Chrisette Michele and Tank were just a few singers to hit the red carpet while Fantasia, The O’Jays and Angie Stone actually performed during the night.

Despite the star wattage, the real focus was on the honorees. Each year the awards event honors local business owners, community leaders, churches and high schools from across the country for their contributions to their communities. “I believe that we’re all created equal and it’s not fame or fortune that makes an ordinary person extraordinary, but it’s the things they do to help others and to uplift their communities that makes them special,” Steve Harvey said during the event. “And I am grateful that we’re able to bring all of these famous people together to give these very special individuals the recognition that they deserve.”

Awards were handed out for 12 different categories including Best High School Teacher, Best Church, Best Beauty Salon and even Best Chicken (ohhh Steve).

This sounds so nice and positive that we won’t even get on Fantasia for taking off her shoes and running around barefoot as usual. Besides we hear she brought the 17,000-person house to their feet with her spirited performance. Good for you Fanny!

See more photos from the 8th Annual Hoodie Awards

Chelsea Clinton isn’t the only one walking down the aisle this weekend.  Us Magazine is confirming that T.I. and Tiny are officially married!  They tied the knot in Miami but will repeat the vows in three different locations — a small private island off the coast of Miami, Atlanta and Las Vegas.

T.I. and Tiny have been dating on and off since 2001 and T.I. proposed in July of 2009.  They have two kids together; T.I. has three kids from previous relationships.  There has been speculation over a possible secret marriage ceremony for weeks and now it’s official!

Congrats to them both!

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While one celebrity couple is denying claims that they will wed this weekend, another rumor has placed a separate celebrity couple in their place.

According to the YBF, Tiny and T.I. may finally tie the knot this weekend.

The site reports:

According to our source, T.I.P., Tiny, and the family along with The OMG Girlz and their parents and friends are all in Hawaii.  Apparently, they just arrived on Monday.  And the couple is allegedly set to wed on a private island this weekend.  Tiny did say in numerous interviews months ago that she and T.I. would likely have a summer wedding.  So we wouldn’t be surprised if all of this wedding talk rings true.

Somewhere T.I. is telling us to mind our business.

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Tiny continues the publicity trail for the premiere of the second season of Tiny & Toya.

This time, Tiny sat down with T-Marie of Hotlanta Buzz blog to discuss the new season of the show and a couple of questions/rumors that continue to float around her.

Among the things she discussed was T.I.’s changing attitude about the show. Initially, T.I. didn’t want her to do the show but according to Tiny he now enjoys the show given he had the opportunity to watch it while in prison.

Speaking of the show, Tiny promises the new episodes will “add a little spice” and that you can expect surprises from both her and Toya Carter.

As far as rumors go, she spoke again on the wedding, whether or not the biological father of her daughter, Zonnique, is involved in her life. She also tapped into her work with her Alzheimer’s foundation, and her business plans – including a potential book called How to Love a Black Man.

Check out the video below:

ONE ON ONE WITH TAMEKA “TINY” COTTLE from HOTLANTA BUZZ on Vimeo.

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Now that T.I. is free Tiny is as happy as can be.

On how it feels to have Tip back in the other general population, she told writer Clover Hope:

“We just picked up where we left off and we just, you know, I’m just in love all over again.”

Where they left off was a long discussed engagement and talk of a wedding.

Now that the rapper is back Tiny says the “there are wedding plans coming soon, sometime this year.On what type of wedding she’s looking for, Tiny said:

“Not too big ’cause I want it to be as private as possible. There’ve been a million rumors about us getting married. It’s taking away from the day that we really do get married so I just want to kind of have that moment for myself.”

As for the folks who felt they’ve taken so long, she doesn’t care:

“I don’t really worry about what people say about what’s taking so long. Like, it ain’t none of your business what’s taking so long. If we happy, why are you so concerned? We living, we’re happy, we’re in love. I mean, it’s no doubt in my mind that he doesn’t love every piece of me and vice versa so we’re just doing what’s comfortable and what works for us. Tiny and T.I.: Not for the world. When we get ready to make a move, we will make it. We just can’t do it for everybody.”

And there you have it.

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A few months ago Toya Carter stopped by famed celebrity photographer, Robert Ector’s Taylor-Ector studio and wowed the Web with a shoot oozing in some sophistication.

Now it’s time for the other half of the BET combo, Tiny & Toya, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle to share her new photos.

The star also dropped by Ector’s studio and needless to say, definitely an upgrade for the singer and reality star.

More pics under the hood:

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