'T.I. SPEAKS' TONIGHT ON BET: Rapper talks to Toure in first televised interview since plea bargain on weapon charges

Rapper T.I. is interviewed by BET personality Toure about his life and future beyond incarceration in the half-hour special "T.I. Speaks," premiering tonight at 7:30 EST.

The artist, born Clifford Harris, Jr., was sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty to federal weapons charges. During the special, he discusses his best friend's murder in 2006 and explains how being a celebrity has its drawbacks and "ignites a certain paranoia."

"Every one knew me and I knew no one ... you can't tell if a person is a fan or not until the (car) window winds down," he says during the program.

Claiming a new understanding for life and its meaning, T.I. delivers a strong message about decision-making to a group of at-risk students and reveals his thoughts about going back to jail and his career's future.

"I must be a man and stand up and accept responsibility," he says. "I exercised extremely poor judgment, and for that, I must be willing to pay whatever price that comes before me."