AceShowbiz - T.I. is standing by controversial comments he made regarding his daughter's annual virginity check-up, insisting he doesn't understand all the drama.

The rapper appeared on Jada Pinkett Smith's "Red Table Talk" show and defended remarks he made during a recent podcast chat, claiming that while he had originally been discussing the situation in a "very joking manner," he is determined to protect his daughter.

"It think that in the age or the time when our women - black women - are the most unprotected, unattended, disregarded women on the planet, I'm being criticized because I'm willing to go above and beyond to protect mine," he said in the chat, which premiered on Monday, November 25.

"Anything that is the most important thing to me in my life, I am going to deal with that with very extreme care," he continued. "And I don't understand how that is looked at as being so wrong."

The musician, real name Clifford Harris, made the controversial comments to singer Miguel's wife, Nazanin Mandi, during her "Ladies Like Us" podcast, explaining he insists on a yearly hymen check to make sure his daughter, Deyjah, is still a virgin.

"Deyjah's 18, just graduated high school now, and she's attending her first year of college, figuring it out for herself. And yes, not only have we had the conversation (about sex), we have yearly trips to the gynaecologist to check her hymen," he said. "I will say, as of her 18th birthday, her hymen is still intact."

T.I. told Jada the visits to the gynaecologist occurred when his daughter was much younger and neither her nor her mother had any objection to him being present for appointments, but he regrets sharing personal details about Deyjah publicly.

"She did have a problem with me talking about it... and I understand that, and I am incredibly apologetic to her for that," he added. "She understands my intentions and she knows who I am, who I've always been."