King of the South, T.I. has been in the game over a decade and counting. His impeccable lyricism never disappoints. As a rapper, clothing designer, actor, author, producer, husband, father and television personality, he has very little time for unrelated recreational activities. Luckily, he is living out his dream and has the support of his wife and former Xscape member Tameka, “Tiny” Cottle and six children all together. The fast lane is all T.I. knows. He began with his debut album, I’m Serious produced by Arista records. The album wasn’t receiving any good airplay and he was then dropped from Arista. Although he had prominent artists at the time on the album such as Too Short, Lil Jon, Bone Crusher, etc. it was not enough to create sufficient hype and stand out. There are a lot of Atlanta rappers out there and he had to prove himself to be worthy of the big leagues. Success became evident later on when T.I. decided to create his own label, Grand Hustle Entertainment. He then began to create mix tapes hosted by DJ Drama to create more exposure and redeem himself from his first album. He hadn’t sold 200,000 copies on his first album, which made people doubt this “Jay-Z of the South” title that he was given. His second album got a lot more notice and featured other artists like 8Ball, Kanye West and David Banner. He came out with memorable tracks like “Rubber band Man” and “24s.” Then later came albums Trap Musik, Urban Legend, King, T.I. versus T.I.P. and Paper Trail. Despite beef with fellow Atlanta rapper Ludacris and Houston rapper Lil Flip, he remained profitable in his endeavors. His tunnel vision is apparent in his hectic work lifestyle. Regardless of the trouble he got himself into with the law, he never stopped grinding and hustling for what he felt was best for him in his career and a way to provide for his large family.

He released his seventh album that was renamed No Mercy after his jail sentencing. The album had the hit “Get Back Up” which featured Chris Brown. T.I and B.o.B are also working collaboratively on an album entitled, The Man and the Martian. His eighth album, Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head releases on December 18 and features Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, CeeLo Green, P!nk, A$AP Rocky, Akon and more. There is already a sequel in the making to this album that will be titled, Trouble Man: He Who Wears the Crown. Obviously he keeps himself extremely busy and will always put out the freshest music while still giving that special spice that only T.I. can give.

Chasing a dream may be time consuming but is advantageous in the end. T.I. has definitely earned his much deserved title, “King of the South.” No one wears the crown better. He exemplifies the true meaning of a southern rapper and balancing that with his philanthropy in the community while still being a great example of a father. His lyrics are very candid so he has nothing to hide from the public. He openly puts his life out into the media on his hit VH1 TV show, “T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle.” On the show, you see him interact with his family and you get a sense of the real T.I. , rather than simply watching his music videos or online interviews. He is growing a more business mindset and is gaining the respect of substantial names in the entertainment industry. T.I. has networked throughout the entertainment industry and has gained admiration as an actor as well. Through perseverance and drive, the world can be your oyster. T.I. is living proof of a man who was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has used his ambition to enter new heights. Listen to his lyrics and truly understand how hungry he was and still is. Whether it’s on a music video, a movie or a new television show, T.I. isn’t going anywhere. -Free InkStains_