<p>Surrounded by hundreds of mourners, Atlanta rapper T.I. paid final respects Monday to his friend and personal assistant, who was killed last week in a gun battle in Cincinnati.</p><p>T.I., whose given name is Clifford Harris, told about 600 people at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church that Philant Johnson's funeral service was the toughest speech he ever had to make.</p><p>"I've held the microphone at many concerts and other situations, but I've never had to do anything this hard before," Harris said with a quivering voice.</p><p>"I can tell you that we had a lot of fun spending a lot of money. We rode a lot of different cars and we just had fun."</p><p>While former American Idol contestant Kinnik Sky performed, T.I. calmly sat as Tameka "Tiny" Cottle of the R&B group Xscape kept a firm hold on his arm.</p><p>Wearing a gray pinstripe suit with dark sunglasses, T.I. finally walked to the podium. But he had a hard time getting out any words until voices from the pews urged him to speak his mind.</p><p>"We are family for life," T.I. said to an audience that included Johnson's parents, Phillip Johnson and Alicia Brown Cook.</p><p>Philant Johnson, 26, of Union City, Ga., was killed and three other people were injured Wednesday in a gun battle along Interstate 75 in Cincinnati that began as a fight in a suburban after-hours club, police said.</p><p>T.I., 25, was not hurt.</p><p>Witnesses told police the fight began at a post-performance party for T.I. and fellow rapper Yung Joc.</p><p>A dispute with some local people prompted T.I. and his group to leave the party, but they were pursued by two dark sport utility vehicles, police said. A gun battle ensued, with members of the entertainer's entourage shooting at the pursuing vehicles, police said.</p><p>Johnson was pronounced dead at a Cincinnati hospital.</p><p>Wounded were Janice Gillespie, 22, of St. Paul, Minn., bodyguard, Ronald Hausley, 40, of Mableton, Ga., and driver Elijah Edwards, 31, of Stratford, Conn.</p><p>Photos and flowers of Johnson were on displayed beside the casket, which had been open for viewers before the service.</p><p>Grand Hustle record label spokeswoman Hannah Kang could hardly speak when her turn came at the ceremony. With more than 20 other representative of the label standing behind her, she said Johnson played an important role in her life.</p><p>"He was like a brother to me," she wept. "I've been robbed."</p><p>Big Kuntry King, a rapper for Grand Hustle, reminisced about good times with Johnson.</p><p>"I used to sit around with Philant and watch his father build things and we bonded," he said. "To me, he was more than just a friend. He was my brother."</p><p>The rapper started a nationwide tour April 21. His CD "King" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, the rapper's record label said.</p><p>T.I. won the Street Anthem award for "U Don't Know Me" during last November's Vibe Awards. He also played a teen in an impoverished section of Atlanta in the movie "ATL" that came out this year.</p><p>Now, T.I. wants to look positively at the future.</p><p>"I ain't even going to focus on any negativity," he said. "Family forever and I love you."</p>
