Rapper T.I. Helps Atlanta Moms With Last-Minute Gifts

ATLANTA, GA — It almost didn't happen. But, very early Christmas morning, Atlanta rapper T.I. kept a Christmas tradition alive, hitting a local store and helping out single mothers who needed a hand with gifts for their children.

T.I., born Clifford Harris, arrived at an Atlanta-area Target store late on Christmas Eve and immediately started calling for all of the single mothers in the store to follow him. A video he shared to his Instagram account after midnight shows the rapper telling the moms that he was going to pay for any gifts they wanted to give their kids but couldn't afford.

In the post, T.I. said he spent about $20,000.

"Merry Christmas to everyone who helped me thumb through 20k in 30 mins," he wrote. "If I missed you ... I'll catch up with you next year!!!"

For the past several years, the rapper and actor has appeared at metro Atlanta stores around Christmas to help out moms in need. But, this year, it sounds like it almost didn't happen.

Earlier Sunday, T.I. wrote on social media that he was stuck on an airplane when he wanted to be in store helping out.

"For years I have been surprising families on Christmas Eve and because of what seems to be a lack of urgency, I am prevented from doing it tonight," he said in a post on Twitter at about 7:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve. "Merry Xmas, Stay up and I’m sorry that I’m stuck here on this plane and not with you.I WILL make it up to you!"

In another post, he said his flight was experiencing technical difficulties.

In the end, though, it worked out.

"Wish I couldn've come earlier, stayed longer & done more for more people," T.I. wrote. "But still I'm blessed to be able to do anything I can for those in need."

Watch the video of T.I. at Target below:

Tip "T.I. " Harris attends History Channel's "Roots" mini-series premiere at Alice Tully Hall on Monday, May 23, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)