Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. (born September 25, 1980), better known
by his stage name T.I. or T.I.P., is an American recording artist,
film & music producer, and occasional actor. He is the founder
and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of Grand Hustle Records.[1][2]
T.I. has released six studio albums (I'm Serious,Trap Muzik, Urban
Legend, King, T.I. vs. T.I.P. and Paper Trail) with latter four being
highly successful on the commercial market. He has released such
successful singles as "Bring Em Out", "What You Know", "Big
Things Poppin' (Do It)", "Swagga Like Us", "Whatever
You Like", "Live Your Life", "Dead and Gone" and "Got
Your Back". He has served three stints in county jail, twice
for probation violations and once for a U.S. federal weapons charge.
While currently serving 11 months in jail he released his seventh
studio album, No Mercy. T.I. has also had successful acting career,
starring in the films Takers and ATL.
T.I. was born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. on September 25, 1980,
in Riverdale, Georgia, the son of the late Clifford "Buddy" Harris
Sr. and Violeta Morgan.[3][4] He was raised by his grandparents in
Bankhead, Atlanta, Georgia. His father lived in New York and he would
often go up there to visit him. His father suffered from Alzheimer's
and later died from the disease.[5] T.I. began rapping at age nine.[5]
He attended Douglass High School, but later dropped out. As a teenager,
he was a drug dealer.[6][7] He was once known as Rubber Band Man,
a reference to the custom of wearing rubber bands around the wrist
to denote wealth in terms of drugs or money.[8] By age 14, he had
been arrested several times.[5] He was nicknamed "Tip" after
his paternal great-grandfather.[9] Kawan "KP" Prather,
a record executive, discovered and signed T.I. when he was a teenager.[10]
Upon signing with Arista Records subsidiary LaFace Records in 2001,
he shortened his name to T.I. out of respect for label mate Q-Tip.[11]
2001–02: I'm Serious
T.I. released his debut album, I'm Serious, in October 2001 through
Arista Records.[12] The album spawned the eponymous single, which
featured Jamaican reggae entertainer Beenie Man. His debut single, "I'm
Serious," was released on June 26, 2001. The single received
little airplay and failed to chart. The album included guests appearances
from Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes (who called him "the
Jay-Z of the South"),[13] Jazze Pha, Too Short, Bone Crusher,
Lil Jon, Pastor Troy, P$C and Youngbloodz. The album featured production
from The Neptunes, DJ Toomp, Madvac, and The Grand Hustle Team. Despite
the album's guests appearances and production team, the album peaked
at number 98 and only sold 163,000 copies in the United States.[14]
Critics pointed to the fact that many of the tracks sounded the same
and that a few were blatant rip-offs.[15] Other critics commented
saying, "T.I. claims to be the king of the South, but fails
to show and prove. He does, however, have potential. If his talent
ever matches his confidence, he may be headed for stardom."[16]
Due to the poor commercial reception of the album, T.I. was dropped
from Arista Records.[12] He then formed Grand Hustle Entertainment
and started releasing several mixtapes with the assistance of DJ
Drama.[12] He resurfaced in the summer of 2003 with fellow Atlanta
rapper and former label-mate Bone Crusher's song "Never Scared." His
mixtapes and mainstream exposure from "Never Scared" eventually
recaptured major label attention and he signed a joint venture deal
with Atlantic Records.[17][18]
2003–05: Trap Muzik and Urban Legend
T.I. released his second album Trap Muzik on August 19, 2003 through
Grand Hustle Records; it debuted at number four and sold 109,000
copies in its first week.[19] It spawned the singles "24s", "Be
Easy", "Rubberband Man", and "Let's Get Away".
The album featured guest appearances by Eightball & MJG, Jazze
Pha, Bun B and Macboney and was produced by Jazze Pha, Kanye West,
David Banner, Madvac and DJ Toomp. In March 2004, a warrant was issued
for T.I.'s arrest after he violated his probation of a 1997 drug
conviction.[20] He was sentenced to three years in prison.[21] While
imprisoned in Cobb County, Georgia, he filmed an unauthorized music
video.[22] One month later, he was allowed a work release program.[23]
Mug shot of T.I. taken after his arrest in Tampa in 2003
T.I. was on probation stemming from a 1998 conviction for violating
a state controlled substances act and for giving false information.
After being released on probation, he earned a litany of probation
violations in several counties around Georgia for offenses ranging
from possession of a firearm to possession of marijuana.[21] In 2006,
after appearing in an Atlanta court on (May 10) and having charges
that he threatened a man outside a strip club last year dropped for
lack of evidence, T.I. was arrested on an outstanding probation violation
warrant from Florida. The warrant claimed that T.I. did not complete
the required number of community service hours he was sentenced for
a 2003 assault of a female sheriff deputy at University Mall in Tampa.
T.I. was detained by several mall Security Guards at the time of
the incident. According to WSB-TV Atlanta, the rapper’s attorney
said that the problem was nothing more than a "technical matter" between
Georgia and Florida. The confusion arose because T.I. was also sentenced
to community service in Georgia for driving with a suspended license,
for which he did complete 75 hours of community service in his home
state. The rapper was released on bail shortly after being arrested,
and was expected to surrender to Florida state authorities the following
week to resolve the matter.[24]
T.I. released his third studio album, Urban Legend, in November
2004. It debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200, selling 193,000
copies in its first week.[19] The album's official lead single, "Bring
Em Out", was released in January 2005 and became his first top
ten hit, peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, while the
second single "U Don't Know Me" peaked at number twenty-three
on the Billboard Hot 100. His third single "ASAP" reached
number 75 on the U.S. charts,[25] number 18 on the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop
charts[25] and number 14 on the Rap chart.[25] T.I. created a video
for "ASAP"/"Motivation". However, "Motivation" only
made it to number 62 on the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart.[25]
He was featured in Destiny's Child's 2004 single "Soldier" along
with Lil Wayne, peaking at number three on the U.S. Hot 100 and the
U.S. R&B Charts.[26]
In 2006, T.I. received two Grammy Award nominations for Best Song
Collaboration ("Soldier" w/ Destiny's Child & Lil Wayne)
and Best Rap Solo Performance for "U Don't Know Me" at
The 48th Grammy Awards. That same year he won Rap Artist of the Year,
Rap Album Of The Year, Rap Album Artist Of The Year, Rap Song Artist
of the Year and Video Clip Artist of the Year on the Billboard Music
Award and Best Male Hip-Hop Artist on the BET Awards.
2006–07: King, T.I. vs. T.I.P. and federal weapons charges
T.I.'s fourth album, King, debuted at number one on the Billboard
200 chart in the first half of 2006, selling 522,000 copies in its
first week.[27] T.I. released "Front Back" and "Ride
with Me" as a promotional singles prior to the release of the
album. The singles garnered little attention, but helped to promote
not only the album, but also ATL. The album also included the singles, "What
You Know," "Why You Wanna," and "Live in the
Sky," plus a remix of "Top Back." King earned numerous
awards and nominations including a Grammy Award nomination for Best
Rap Album. He was also featured in the single "Shoulder Lean" by
Young Dro reaching the top ten on the U.S. Hot 100 and #1 on the
U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Tracks.
T.I. at the 2006 Summer Jam concert in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
"What You Know" won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
and was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 49th Grammy Awards.[28]
Also that year, T.I. collaborated with Justin Timberlake for "My
Love," which proved to be a worldwide hit, and won a Grammy
Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Justin Timberlake at the
49th Annual Grammy Awards[28] and also won Best Male Hip-Hop Artist
at the BET Awards for the second straight time. He then served as
a featured performer on "We Takin' Over" by DJ Khaled also
featuring Akon, Fat Joe, Rick Ross, Birdman and Lil Wayne.
T.I. released his fifth album, T.I. vs. T.I.P., on July 3, 2007.
The first single from the album was "Big Things Poppin' (Do
It)," which was produced by Mannie Fresh and was released to
radio stations on April 17, 2007. The second single, "You Know
What It Is" featuring Wyclef Jean, was released June 12, 2007.
T.I. vs. T.I.P. sold 468,000 copies in the United States, according
to Nielsen SoundScan, and debuted at number one on the Billboard
200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was T.I.'s second
chart-topper in a row: King opened at number one on the Billboard
200 with 522,000 copies in late March 2006.[29] The album included
guest performances by Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Wyclef Jean, Nelly, and
Eminem, and production by Eminem, Jeff Bass, Mannie Fresh, Grand
Hustle, The Runners, Just Blaze, Wyclef Jean and Danja. Absent from
this album's production lineup were T.I.'s longtime producer DJ Toomp
and The Neptunes. In October 2007, T.I. released his third single, "Hurt," featuring
Busta Rhymes and Alfamega.
On October 13, 2007, federal authorities arrested T.I. four hours
before the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.[30] He was charged with
two felonies — possession of three unregistered machine guns
and two silencers, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
The arrest was made in the parking lot of a downtown shopping center,
which a witness identified as the Walgreens drug store at the corner
of North and Piedmont Avenues. T.I. was arrested after allegedly
trying to purchase the guns from a "cooperating witness" with
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. According
to federal officials, the witness had been cooperating with authorities
a few days prior to the T.I. arrest, when the cooperating witness
was arrested on charges of trying to purchase guns from a federal
agent. The witness had been working as T.I.'s bodyguard since July,
authorities said.[31][32] T.I. walked out of the Atlanta United States
District Court after appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan
J. Baverman on October 26, 2007. Judge Alan J. Baverman required
T.I. post a $3 million bond, $2 million in cash and $1 million in
equity on property he owns. The rapper was required to remain at
home except for medical appointments and court appearances. The only
people allowed to live with him were his girlfriend and children.
Visitors were required to be approved by the court.
2008–09: Paper Trail and jail sentence
T.I.'s suppression hearing was scheduled for February 19, 2008.
The performer later pleaded guilty to U.S. federal weapons charges.
He was sentenced to an undefined prison sentence, a year of house
arrest and 1,500 hours of community service. In an interview with
MTV about serving jail time, T.I. stated, "Presumably, while
I'm there, I'll be able to strategize my comeback." He went
on to say that he would not "just be sitting still doing nothing".[33]
At that time T.I. collaborated with Mariah Carey on the "I'll
Be Lovin' U Long Time" remix, peaking at number 58 on the U.S.
Hot 100 and number 36 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Whatever You Like (2008)
Play sound
T.I.'s second single from his sixth studio album Paper Trail.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.
While under house arrest, T.I. began writing lyrics down on paper
for his following album.[34] The first promotional single from the
album, "No Matter What," was released in April 2008. The
music video was released on June 2008 on MTV's FN Premieres. The
second promotional single was "Swing Ya Rag" which was
produced by and featured Swizz Beatz.[35] The official lead single
was "Whatever You Like," was released on July 2008, and
became his most successful single of his career so far, breaking
the record for the highest jump to number one on the Billboard Hot
100, jumping from number 71 to number one. Also becoming T.I.'s first
solo number one on the chart. He released his sixth album, Paper
Trail, in September 2008. The title of the album refers to the lyrics
he had written down on paper. Like many other rappers, T.I. abandoned
this style of rapping after his debut album I'm Serious by just memorizing
lyrics. His representative explain that T.I. wanted to "take
more time to really put something down [this time]".[36] The
album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 selling 568,000
copies in the United States.[37]
The second single from the album, "Swagga Like Us", featuring
Kanye West, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne, debuted and peaked at number five
on the Billboard Hot 100. With the third single "Live Your Life" featuring
Rihanna, T.I. broke his own record on the Billboard Hot 100 when
it jumped from number 80 to the number one.[37] The fourth single "Dead
and Gone", featuring Justin Timberlake, peaked at number two
for five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually going on to be
nominated during the 52nd Grammy Awards for both "Best Rap/Sung
Collaboration" and "Best Rap Song". During the 51st
Grammy Awards, he was nominated for four Grammy Awards, eventually
winning Best Rap Performance by a Duo Or a Group for "Swagga
Like Us". "Remember Me", featuring Mary J. Blige,
was released digitally on July 7, 2009. It was the planned first
single off the re-release of T.I.'s sixth studio album, "Paper
Trail", but the re-release was eventually shelved. The single
peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. On October 6, "Hell
of a Life" was released digitally and went on to peak at number
54 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2009, T.I. appeared as himself on
an episode of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. On the episode,
he took the comedienne to Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles in
LA and gave her a lesson on how to "swagger."[38]
On November 21, 2008, T.I. testified in the murder trial of a member
of his entourage and a close friend, Philant Johnson (1980–2006),
who was murdered in a shooting that occurred after a post-concert
party at a club. T.I. has dedicated several songs to Johnson, from
the single version of "Live in the Sky" to his more recent
hit "Dead and Gone" where Johnson's grave can be seen in
the video.[39]
On March 27, 2009, U.S. District Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr. sentenced
T.I. to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay $100,300
for federal weapons charges; T.I. had his sentence reduced from a
maximum 10 years and a $250,000 fine with a plea bargain.[40][41]
On May 26, 2009, T.I. began serving his sentence in Forrest City,
Arkansas.[42] Two days prior to being imprisoned, T.I. performed
a farewell concert at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.[43]
T.I. was released from FCC Forrest City on December 22, 2009[44]
and was moved into a halfway house in Atlanta.[45] T.I. had the Federal
Bureau of Prisons ID 59458-019 and was released from CCM Atlanta
on March 26, 2010.[46] After his release from prison, he was subjected
to an audit of his finances, drug counseling, DNA testing, and random
searches of his property.[47]
2010–present: No Mercy and drug charges
In February 2010, T.I. made his first public appearance since prison,
stepping out with then fiancée Tameka "Tiny" Cottle
in support of her Alzheimer's research fundraiser "For the Love
of Our Fathers" at Atlanta's Opera venue. "I am very well,
very happy to be seen," said T.I., who joined Cottle onstage
at the end of the benefit.[48] T.I. released a new song entitled "I'm
Back" on March 8, 2010.[49] The song peaked at #44 on Billboard's
Hot 100.
T.I. made a guest appearance on Larry King Live on May 13 to discuss
with Larry King about his nine month prison term on federal gun charges
and other topics.[50] T.I. released a promotional soundtrack single
entitled, "Yeah Ya Know (Takers)" on May 24.[51] It peaked
at #44 on Billboard Hot 100 and number 68 on Canadian Hot 100. Another
song was released entitled; "Got Your Back" which featured
American R&B singer Keri Hilson and it peaked at number 38 on
Billboard Hot 100 and 48 on Canadian Hot 100.
T.I. released a mixtape entitled "Fuck a Mixtape"; the
move was somewhat controversial, due to its title with many feeling
he was insulting the Mixtape format. T.I. has addressed the issue
by stating that it was a response to all the people who told him
to just focus on an album and not on a mixtape. T.I. further defended
his decision to release a mixtape by saying:
"I already have 60, 70 songs. A lot of these songs are period
pieces that speak volumes to what's going on right now. If I hold
onto them next year or the year after, they'll be dated, because
my life will be in another direction. If I'm not gonna put it on
the album — and they all can't make the album — then
they might as well have another platform to present it to the world".[52]
On September 1, T.I. and his wife Tiny were arrested on drug charges
in Los Angeles.[53] The arrest for drug charges led to T.I. being
sentenced on October 15, 2010 to 11 months in prison for violating
the terms of his probation, specifically for possessing ecstasy,
testing positive for opiates and associating with a convicted felon.
On October 25, the drug charges against T.I. were dropped.[54]
He released a new song from his seventh studio album, "No Mercy" entitled, "Get
Back Up" featuring Chris Brown on the same day that he was sentenced
back to prison for violating the terms of his probation.[55] On November
1, T.I. reported to the Forrest City Federal Facility to serve his
11-month sentence.[56] His date of release is September 17, 2011.[46]
Other ventures
Acting career
In 2006 T.I. starred in his first film, ATL. The other cast members
included Lauren London, Antoine Patton, Evan Ross, Mykelti Williamson,
Jason Weaver, and Keith David. The movie was written by Tina Gordon
Chism and Antwone Fisher, produced by Timothy M. Bourne, Tionne Watkins,
and Will Smith, and directed by Christopher Robinson. T.I. played
the character Rashad Swann, an orphaned 17-year-old senior in high
school. In its opening weekend, the film grossed a total of $11.5
million, ranking third in the United States box office, and went
on to gross $21.2 million.[57]
He also appeared in American Gangster as Stevie Lucas, Drug Kingpin
Frank Lucas' nephew.[58]
T.I. starred in the crime heist film Takers (originally called Bone
Deep) as Ghost. The film was directed by John Luessenhop and was
produced by William Packer, Michael Ealy, Tom Lassally, Jason Geter,
Gary Gilbert and T.I. himself. The film was released on August 27,
2010 through Grand Hustle Films and Rainforest Films distributed
by Screen Gems. The film also includes Chris Brown, Idris Elba, Matt
Dillon, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, and Zoe Saldana. Takers
debuted at number one at the American box office at 20.5 million
in its opening weekend.[59]
Music and film producing
T.I. was co-executive producer of B.G.'s upcoming album and making
beats for artists like Mariah Carey, Cassidy, Rick Ross, Maino, B.o.B.,
Yung Joc, Young Dro, and himself.[60] He also executive produced
the soundtrack to the film Hustle & Flow and released the collection
through his record label.[61]
T.I. also a songwriter. He has credits from Diddy, Dr. Dre, and
Bow Wow.
T.I. launched his film company, Grand Hustle Films. Late 2007, T.I.
linked up with Los Angeles-based production company 828 Entertainment
to executive produce a new reality show titled Life on Mars which
chronicles the life of young prodigy music producer LaMar "MARS" Edwards.[62][63]
T.I. partnered 828 Entertainment with his company Grand Hustle Records
to produce a slate of both television and film projects. He also
created a reality show on MTV called "T.I.'s Road to Redemption".
Community work
In addition to helping with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, T.I.
worked with troubled youths at Paulding Detention Center in Atlanta,
provided scholarships for single parent families at Boys and Girls
Clubs, and headlined the Boost Mobile Rockcorps concert at New York's
Radio City Music Hall, which featured such performers as Fat Joe,
Slim Thug, and Kanye West, and was held exclusively for community
service volunteers. As part of his community service time, T.I. has
come to a number of middle-grade and high schools in Georgia, where
he speaks with the students in an assembly holding a positive message,
while maintaining a philathropic view about morals and growing up
in the same areas as himself. In June 2005, The Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes
Foundation, named for the deceased member of multi-platinum female
group TLC, and Atlanta's V-103 honored T.I. with the 2005 Lisa Lopes
Award for groundbreaking achievements in music and community service
which was court ordered. With this steady list of growing accomplishments
T.I. is being recognized as the "Jay-Z of the South," according
to Pharrell Williams of multi-platinum production team The Neptunes.[64]
T.I.'s night club, Club Crucial, hosted a giveaway of 200 bicycles
to neighborhood children in the Boys and Girls Club with V-103 announcer
Greg Street.[65]
Business ventures
Forbes Magazine announced its first ever Hip-Hop Cash Kings list
early 2007 with list of the top 20 hip-hop earning artists for the
previous business year. T.I. was listed on their list three times.[66][67][68]
T.I. opened his own nightclub, Club Crucial in Bankhead, Atlanta.
It is considered one of the most popular clubs in Atlanta and features
full entertainment centers with large flat screen TVs, pool rooms,
VIP rooms, food, etc. Celebrities such as Monica, Big Boi, Mike Epps,
Shawty Lo make appearances there. The club also hosts weekly events
such as Monday night Open Mic Night, Free Fridays, and Celebrity
Saturdays where local hip-hop artists are known to come perform their
songs at the club.[69]
Chevrolet secured an endorsement deal with T.I. earlier in 2007
to promote their line of cars, with a focus on the new Impala. Due
to his arrest for federal gun charges, he was on the verge of losing
his deal with the company.[70]
T.I. had an endorsement with a social networking website focusing
on the hip-hop culture named StreetCred. The website was founded
in 2007 by investment banker Rocky Williform. Celebrities such as
Diddy, Lil Kim, and Jeezy had accounts on the website. As of 2008,
the website was temporarily shut down until further notice.
On June 29, T.I. was named Global Creative Consultant of Rémy
Martin Cognac. XXL Magazine revealed that the partnership will include
collaborative projects and a focus on continuing the philanthropic
works of his K.I.N.G. Foundation. He also announced on Chelsea Lately
that he will be releasing his own signature brand of the liquor.[71]
T.I. lost his endorsement deal with Axe body spray after his arrest
for drug possession.[72]
Controversy
Ludacris
The beef originally started when T.I. saw Disturbing tha Peace rapper
I-20's video. In the video, a guy was wearing a shirt with the words "Trap
House."[citation needed] The guy was getting beat up and stomped
in the video. T.I. thought it said "Trap Muzik". Former
G-Unit artist Young Buck asked fellow Southern rappers T.I. and Ludacris
to appear on his new record on the track "Stomp". T.I.
recorded a verse, which contained a line that Young Buck considered
to be a subliminal diss towards Ludacris "Me gettin' beat down?/That's
ludicrous/". Young Buck spoke to Ludacris about the verse, to
maintain his neutrality in the beef. Ludacris then recorded the verse
that can be found on the album.[73] T.I's record company wanted Ludacris
to change his verse before they sanctioned it but Ludacris refused
and T.I. was therefore replaced by Game on the album version.
On June 24, 2007 at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, California,
T.I. was involved in a brawl. During a luncheon held by Kevin Liles
of Warner Music Group (parent company of T.I.'s label, Atlantic Records),
the MC got into a fight with Ludacris' manager Chaka Zulu. According
to witnesses, T.I. punched Zulu in the face and choked him and a
small, brief melee ensued.[74]
T.I. brought home the award for Best Hip-Hop Artist at the BET Awards,
and took the opportunity to apologize for his scuffle with Disturbing
tha Peace executive Chaka Zulu earlier in the week. While accepting
his award, he expressed regret over the situation. "They say
it's a fine line between brilliance and insanity," he said,
in an apparent reference to his troublesome alter ego, T.I.P. During
the broadcast, cameras showed his onetime rival Ludacris smiling
in the audience. The audience stood up and clapped for T.I.[75]
The two rappers have resolved the beef and have collaborated on
two songs: "Wish You Would" off Ludacris's sixth studio
album, Theater of the Mind, and "On Top of the World" off
T.I.'s sixth studio album, Paper Trail. The original version of the
latter had Kanye West.
Lil' Flip
According to AllHipHop,[76] T.I. and Lil' Flip had an altercation
in Lil' Flip's neighborhood, the Cloverland section of Houston. It
has been said that T.I. went there to create a DVD exposing Lil'
Flip to be a fraud. When T.I. went to Cloverland with his entourage,
he was met by Flip and his people. Then it was said a fight broke
out with one of the members of Lil Flip's entourage started swinging
on T.I. until one of T.I.'s bodyguards started shooting. The same
day T.I. went on a Houston, Texas radio station talking about the
altercation. He revealed that he had the tape and he was going to
release it with an upcoming mixtape, but that did not happen because
James Prince stopped him from distributing the tape. It is unknown
whether T.I. still has the tape or not. The feud was squashed by
Rap-a-Lot's Prince after having them sit down and resolve their feud.
The feud was documented by the Houston Press.[77]
Shawty Lo
In 2008, T.I. was involved in a highly publicized feud with Shawty
Lo. The feud was characterized by Shawty Lo's track Dunn Dunn, and
T.I.'s reply What Up, What's Haapnin. The song Dunn Dunn appears
to question T.I.'s roots in Bankhead. The music video for What Up,
What's Haapnin was shot in Shawty Lo's housing project Bowen Homes,
an apparent diss towards Shawty Lo. In an interview, T.I. insisted
that his song No Matter What was only partially aimed at Shawty Lo.[78]
The beef reached its climax at the November 2008 Dirty Awards where
the entourages of both artists clashed during the ceremony, forcing
it to be shut down.[79] Two incidents forced police to use pepper-spray
and evacuate the audience.[80]
The beef was publicly squashed on March 7, 2009, when Shawty Lo
and T.I. appeared on-stage together at Club Crucial in Bankhead,
for T.I.'s farewell concert.[81][82] After this performance, T.I.
gave an interview to MTV, in which he stated that the feud with Shawty
Lo was exaggerated by the media, and was not a 'beef'.[83]
Personal life
Family
T.I. has been in a relationship with former Xscape member Tameka "Tiny" Cottle
since 2001.[9] The couple married on July 30, 2010 in Miami Beach,
Florida.[84][85] Together, they have two sons: Clifford "King" Joseph
Harris III, born August 25, 2004,[9][86] and Major Philant Harris,
born May 16, 2008.[87][88] Their daughter Lelah Amore Harris was
stillborn on March 22, 2007, six months into a complicated pregnancy.[89]
In addition, T.I. has two sons with ex-girlfriend Lashon Dixon:
Domani Uriah, born in 2000, and Messiah Ya'Majesty, born in 2001.
T.I. also has a daughter named Deyjah Imani, born in 2001, from another
relationship.[6][90]
Through his marriage to Cottle, T.I. has one stepdaughter, Zonnique
Pullins, born in 1996 to Cottle and Zonnie Zebo Pullins.[91][91][92][93]
Rescue of suicidal man
T.I. has been praised for helping a twenty-four year old suicidal
man in Atlanta named Joshua Starks, convincing the man not to go
through with jumping from a 22-story building.[94] On October 13,
2010, T.I. reportedly heard about the situation on the radio and
drove to the scene at Atlanta's 400 Colony Square Building.[95] He
drove to the site, and asked the police if he could help Starks.
T.I. then talked to the man, and convinced him not to jump. Afterwards,
T.I. stated "For one, I'm not taking any credit. I didn't do
it... I could've just as well came down there and it could have been
resolved in another way. The fact of the matter is that God put me
in a position to help, and I can't take any credit for that."[96]
Discography
Main article: T.I. discography
* 2001: I'm Serious
* 2003: Trap Muzik
* 2004: Urban Legend
* 2006: King
* 2007: T.I. vs. T.I.P.
* 2008: Paper Trail
* 2010: No Mercy
Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Notes
2006 ATL Rashad Swann Main Role
2007 American Gangster Stevie Lucas Minor Role
2008 For Sale Omar Burgess Main Role
2010 Takers Ghost[97] Main Role and Executive Producer. Debuted at
#1 at the American box office.
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2005 The O.C. Himself "The Return of the Nana" (season
2, episode 21)
2008 Entourage Himself "The All Out Fall Out" (season 5,
episode 3)
2009 T.I.'s Road to Redemption Himself Starred in all episodes
Behind the Music Himself Aired on October 8, 2009.