Early Life
T.I. was born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. in Atlanta on September 25th, 1980. He was raised in the Centre Hill neighborhood of Atlanta mostly by his grandmother. When he was young, his father suffered and died from Alzheimer’s.
From a very young age, Harris took an interest in rap. He began writing his own music and lyrics. Harris dropped out of Douglass High School and began experimenting with drugs which would lead to an addiction that would haunt him for years. By the age of 14, he had been arrested and jailed multiple times.
At 16, T.I. and a friend began creating mixtapes and selling them out of the trunks of their cars.
Rap & Hip-Hop Career
T.I.’s talent was recognized early on by Ghet-O-Vision records. He signed a record deal with them and in 2001 released his debut album I’m Serious which ranked in the top 30 Billboard R & B and Hip-Hop chart. T.I. was not happy with this success and went on to create his own label – Grand Hustle Records.
T.I.’s first real taste of success was with his second studio album Trap Muzik. Upon debut, it hit the fourth spot on Billboard’s top 200 chart. After this success T.I. went on to collaborate with famous rap artists such as Lil Wayne.
In the News
T.I. is not only a well-known rapper but a respected actor too. He received well-earned praise for his performance in American Gangster.
T.I. was romantically involved with Tameka Cottle. The two married in 2010 and had 3 children together. In 2016, the two divorced. T.I. also has 3 other children from previous relationships.
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