Advice From T.I. Proves More Appealing Than Suicide

Atlanta man agrees not to jump off a skyscraper after the rapper offers to speak with him

Meeting T.I. is a fate far better than death.

An Atlanta man who was threatening to jump from a 22-story skyscraper willingly left the building via the front door after learning that the rapper would meet with him for a few minutes.

So how in the heck did T.I., who's known more for his not-so-good deeds, end up saving the day?

His rep says that the "Live Your LIfe" rapper heard about the would-be jumper on the radio and drove right over to encourage the guy to continue living his life.

Mission accomplished. After his unexpected hip-hop meet-and-greet, which lasted a few minutes, the man was taken to a nearby hospital.

"He didn't have to stop," Atlanta PD Officer James Polite told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He could've kept on going about his business. We're happy it ended the way it did, and we thank him."

And it certainly doesn't hurt to have "saved a man's life" on your résumé when a judge is wondering whether or not to send you back to prison.

T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, is due in federal court Friday to learn his fate after getting busted for drug posession early last month while on probation for a weapons charge.

Meanwhile, a radio deejay and longtime friend of T.I. who was broadcasting from the Peachtree Street building where the incident occurred tells E! News that getting a gold star from the judge was not T.I.'s intention when he offered his services.

V-103's Ryan Cameron says that he was reporting the happenings when T.I., who was on his way to a video shoot, called him on his cell and said that he might come by to help.

Authorities "didn't want to take T.I. up to the roof, but with modern technology he shot a video message...and [the police] showed it to the guy," says Cameron. "The message was of T.I. saying he is here for him and telling the guy it is not that bad, and it will be OK."

According to Cameron, one of the things T.I. told the man once he was downstairs was, "Nothing is that bad. Believe me, I know."

Later on the air, Cameron asked T.I. about his motives behind the deed, pointedly saying that plenty of people were going to think he did it to score points with the judge.

"For one, I'm not taking any credit," the rapper replied. "I didn't do it...I could've just as well came down there and it could have been resolved in another way. The fact of the matter is that God put me in a position to help, and I can't take any credit for that.

"I didn't wake up this morning with the intentions of going down and helping hostage negotiators talk someone down off of a ledge. I don't think that could be in anyone's plan of action."