T.I:then and Now
Essay title: T.I:then and Now
ince his emergence in 2001, T.I. has been a bit of a mystery, an elusive chameleon of sorts; like an illusionist who has mastered his sleight of hand magic so flawlessly that you cant really tell where he is at any given point in time. Now you see him, now you dont. One minute you think you understand him, the next youre totally baffled. Today hes a street kid skirting the law, tomorrow hes a creative genius churning out timeless hip-hop classics. And although it may seem that way, none of it is smoke and mirrors. Rather its a man revealing his many dimensions and indulging his own evolution.
Clifford “Tip” Harris, better known as Atlanta rapper T.I., returns with “KING,” his fourth major label full-length solo release, and third through his joint venture deal with Atlantic Records. Picking up where his previous effort left off, “KING” (Grand Hustle/Atlantic) builds on the sound and the success of 2004s “URBAN LEGEND” – a blockbuster project that debuted at the top of Billboards “Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums” chart and at #7 on the Billboard 200, spawned the RIAA platinum-certified single, “Bring Em Out” and the Grammy-nominated smash, “U Dont Know Me,” registered over three million in ringtone sales, and was certified RIAA platinum, going on to sell over 1.3 million copies in the U.S. alone.
Alongside its commercial success, “URBAN LEGEND” secured a multitude of award nominations, including Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album at the 2005 American Music Awards, Best Rap Video (“U Dont Know Me”) at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, and Choice Rap Track (“Bring Em Out”) at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, plus landing T.I. his second annual VIBE Award for Street Anthem of the Year (“U Dont Know Me”). The kudos culminated with his Grammy nomination for “U Dont Know Me” for Best Rap Solo Performance, sharing the category with Common, Eminem, 50 Cent, Ludacris, and Kanye West.
Since he first burst on the scene in 2001 with his impressive solo debut, “IM SERIOUS,” T.I. has proven himself to be more than just a maker of hit records. In addition to the millions of albums sold worldwide over the course of his career, T.I.s striking good looks, impeccable sense of style, and charismatic personality have catapulted him onto cover of VIBE (January 05) and into the fashion pages of GQ (May 05), earned him the award for Most Stylish Male at the 2005 BET Awards, and secured him spots on BETs “All Shades of Fine: 25 Hottest Men of the Last 25 Years” and Teen Peoples “The 25 Hottest Stars Under 25” lists. In April 2005, he became the first rapper to appear/perform on the hit Fox TV show, “The O.C.” and hes been featured prominently in print ad campaigns for Reeboks S. Carter sneaker line and Sean John clothing. T.I. will make his acting debut on March 31st 2006 in the Overbrook/Warner Bros. feature film, “ATL,” directed by famed video director Chris Robinson.
Over the years, T.I. has also continued to expand his already impressive business portfolio. In 2005 alone, he launched his own film production company, Grand Hustle Films, signed a multi-artist joint venture deal for his label, Grand Hustle, with Atlantic Records, and established a music publishing deal for Grand Hustle Music with Warner Chappell. He also co-executive produced the soundtrack to the hit film, “HUSTLE & FLOW,” and released the collection through Grand Hustle/Atlantic and did the same for the debut album of his group P$C, “25 TO LIFE.”