Rapper T.I. is keeping the memory of his late sister alive by awarding an Arkansas college student a $25,000 scholarship.
T.I., whose real name is Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., surprised Philander Smith College junior Tierani Scott with the Precious Chapman Scholarship, named after his sister Antoinette “Precious” Harris Chapman.
Scott is a single mother, like T.I.'s sister, who died in a car accident earlier this year.
She was presented the scholarship during a recent taping of VH1's TV special "Dear Mama: A Love Letter to Mom."
“This year’s recipient is like my beloved sister," T.I. said, praising Scott for maintaining a high grade-point average, being the president of her class and creating a group called the Queen Women's Empowerment Organization.
"It is our hope that this scholarship will help her continue on her path to do great things in her future," he said.
Scott, who is majoring in sociology at the Little Rock school, thanked the rapper in a Facebook post for "giving my little family a new start."
"There is so much more I could explain about why this means so much to me, but I’ll save it for the vlog that will be released later on," she wrote, adding: "God is Awesome!
T.I.'s sister died in February in a car accident in Atlanta, according to TMZ. It's unclear what led to the crash. Chapman, who went by the nickname Precious, had three children. She was 66 when she died.
Before awarding Scott with the scholarship, T.I. took a few minutes to pay tribute to his sister.
“She was a single mother who worked to make life better for her children and everyone else that she encountered,” the 38-year-old said.
"Dear Mama: A Love Letter to Mom" aired on VH1 on May 6. Mother's Day is May 12.