It's T.I. time

UPDATE: Ticket winners are:

• tcarrizales15
• luna 94
• lilashley424
• superstarsalazar
• letty123

Winners must retrieve their tickets before 5 p.m. Friday at The Monitor offices (corner of Jackson and Nolana in McAllen). If you have any questions, please contact Sandra Gonzalez at 683-4427.

Nobody has a swagger like T.I. right now, but, as usual, controversy seems to follow success for this hip-hop artist.

"You can go see Weezy for the wordplay, Jeezy for the bird play, Kanyeezy for diversity and me for the controversy," T.I. raps on his recent mega hit, "Swagga Like Us."

The first three lines pay homage to his collaborators, Lil Wayne, Jay Z and Kanye West; the final line hints at his recent run in with the law. The single, widely praised by critics for its star-studded lineup of guest artists, comes from T.I.'s latest album. Like his preceding efforts, the work has been a success.

Paper Trail marks the Atlanta rapper's sixth studio album, and it busted onto the charts in October, tallying more than 568,000 copies sold.

The new disc extends the self-proclaimed King of the South's winning streak - his previous two albums also debuted at number one on Billboard's hip hop/R&B albums chart.

If you've been to a club between here and South Padre Island on any given weekend, you've heard "Swagga Like Us."

After a New Year's Eve show in New York City's Times Square, T.I. will head our way for his performance Saturday at the McAllen Convention Center.

Catch him while you can - this could mark one of T.I.'s last performances for some time.

In November 2007, authorities arrested T.I. on weapons possession charges. Officials then placed him on house arrest for seven months. T.I. plead guilty to the charges earlier this year, and he faces a sentence of a year in jail with 1,500 hours of community service.

"Obviously that was one of the worst mistakes of my entire life, but I will not let that mistake characterize my existence or my contribution to society," he says in a statement released by his management. "I cannot go back and change the past, but I can learn from it and teach others how a poor assessment of a situation can not only affect you drastically but also impact the ones you love. It's something I have to deal with."

T.I.'s management said he was not currently available for interviews.

He already has a plan on how he'll keep his fans' attention behind bars.

As an actor, he has appeared in featured films including American Gangster and Atl. This year, he will star as himself in a documentary series for MTV, an as-yet-untitled show that will chronicle the year of probation leading up to his prison sentence.

On the eve of his McAllen show, Festiva looks closer at his resume. Among many accomplishments, T.I.:

• Launched social networking Web site www.streetcred.com.
• Produced Akoo Clothing Brand, which hit stores in November.
• Cameoed on HBO's Entourage.
• Had his single "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)" featured in an ESPN ad campaign.
• Won two Grammy Awards.
• Collaborated with Justin Timberlake, Lil Wayne, Jay Z, Kanye West, Destiny's Child, Ludacris, Rihanna, Eminem, and more.
• Went platinum with two albums.

T.I. LIVE IN CONCERT
WHEN: 8 p.m., Saturday
WHERE: McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Boulevard, McAllen
TICKETS: Range from $39 to $95
BUY: www.ez-tixx.com

Zack Quaintance covers features and entertainment for Festiva. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.