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T.I.
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
T.I., whose real name is Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., is an American rapper and actor. He was born in 1980 and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. In the late 1990s he joined the label Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment, an imprint of Arista and LaFace Records. His debut album I'm Serious from 2001 disappointed, after which he left the label, signed with Atlantic and in 2003 founded his own label Grand Hustle Records.
Music and breakthrough
The breakthrough came with Trap Muzik in 2003, with the singles Rubber Band Man and Let's Get Away. Urban Legend followed in 2004 and King in 2006, the album with What You Know. That song became a big hit in the United States. With T.I. vs. T.I.P. in 2007 and Paper Trail in 2008 his success grew further. Paper Trail includes Whatever You Like and Live Your Life, with Rihanna. Both reached number one on the American Hot 100.
Influence
T.I. is regarded as one of the pioneers of trap, a style from the southern United States with heavy bass, fast hi-hats and stories about street life in Atlanta. The word trap even appears in the title of his second album. His role in the Southern hip hop of the 2000s explains why School of Rock mentions him in the story of the rise of that hip hop.
Listening
What You Know · T.I., 2006Apple Music ↗
Discography
Studio albums
- 2001I’m Serious
- 2003Trap Muzik
- 2004Urban Legend
- 2006King
- 2007T.I. vs. T.I.P.
- 2008Paper Trail
- 2010No Mercy
- 2012Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head
- 2014Paperwork
- 2018DIME TRAP
- 2020The L.I.B.R.A. (Legend Is Back Running Atlanta)
- 2026Kill The King
Mentioned in other articles
- Trap Genre
T.I., Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane were the first names.