T.I.
Bankhead rapper and Grand Hustle founder whose 2003 album Trap Muzik helped define the trap era and whose King, T.I. vs. T.I.P. and Paper Trail all topped the Billboard 200.
Bankhead upbringing
Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. was born in Atlanta on September 25, 1980, and grew up in the Center Hill and Bankhead areas of the city's west side. He signed in 1999 with LaFace, then part of Arista Records, which released his debut “I'm Serious” in October 2001. The album stalled at No. 98 on the Billboard 200, and Arista let him go.
Grand Hustle and the trap
In 2003 he co-founded Grand Hustle Records and aligned with Atlantic, where “Trap Muzik” (2003) reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and helped carry the word trap into the rap mainstream. “Urban Legend” (2004) peaked at No. 7 and included “Bring Em Out,” a No. 9 hit on the Hot 100.
Chart peak
“King” (2006) debuted at No. 1, led by “What You Know,” a DJ Toomp production that reached No. 3 and won the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance. “T.I. vs. T.I.P.” (2007) and “Paper Trail” (2008) also topped the chart. The latter produced the No. 1 singles “Whatever You Like” and “Live Your Life,” featuring Rihanna, and became his best-selling album, certified four times platinum, with “Whatever You Like” alone reaching eight times platinum. “Urban Legend” and “T.I. vs. T.I.P.” each went double platinum. His Grammy total stands at three wins from 19 nominations.
Later work and legacy
A 2007 federal weapons case led to a prison term, and a probation violation brought a further sentence in 2010 and 2011. He continued to chart with “No Mercy” (2010, No. 4), “Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head” (2012, No. 2), “Paperwork” (2014, No. 2), “Dime Trap” (2018) and “The L.I.B.R.A.” (2020, No. 18). Through Grand Hustle he backed artists including B.o.B and Iggy Azalea, and he remains one of the figures most associated with trap's rise from Atlanta to the pop charts.
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Discography
Studio albums 14
Collaborative albums 15
EPs & mixtapes 9
Compilations 1
Albums on Breakbeat Archive
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