Biography

T.I. has grown to truly be one of his generation’s most captivating speakers. Whether he's conversing frankly with a room full of youth about the positive side of staying in school and following their dreams, or moving tens of thousands at one of his concerts, audiences are immediately engrossed by the King of the South’s words. Later this summer, he promises to deliver his most potent and important LP to date, Paper Trail.

“I’m not doing too much pre-hype on the album,” Tip says of his new project. “I just want everyone to know that it’s coming out in a few months and that I’m going to answer a lot of questions in the music. It’s intense and insightful; it’s gonna shake up the game and it’s me at my best.”

Paper Trail’s title is a direct reference to T.I.’s return to literally writing down his lyrics -- a practice he hasn’t engaged in since his debut, I’m Serious, in 2001. Ironically, he found that going back to the basics has helped him evolve into a better MC.

“I’ve had phenomenal success on my previous albums by just going in the booth, letting the music flow through me, and being spontaneous with it. This time I wanted to try something different. My writing is a little more structured and thought out, but it’s still art at the end of the day. It’s still free-flowing.”

The new album’s first tease, “No Matter What,” is a definitive declaration of T.I.’s stance as a man undeterred and an artist unrivaled, as well as a testament of how his faith in a higher power helped him get through a very public period of turbulence in his life.

“Somehow I rise above my problems and remain here,” the hip-hop veteran raps. “Yeah, and I hope the picture painted clear./ If your heart’s filled with faith then you can’t fear./ Wonder how I face years and I'm still chillin’./ Easy, let go and let God deal with it.”

In November of 2007, T.I. was arrested on firearms possession charges. Subsequently, he was placed under house arrest for almost seven months. Earlier this year, Tip plead guilty and he faces sentencing next year. He has also been ordered to serve over 1500 hours of community service.

“Obviously that was one of the worst mistakes of my entire life, but I will not let that mistake characterize my existence or my contribution to society,” says T.I. “I cannot go back and change the past but I can learn from it, and teach others how a poor assessment of a situation can not only affect you drastically but also impact the ones you love. It’s something that I still have to deal with.”

There will never be a quandary too large to make T.I. give up hope. The King of the South has made the pledge to himself, his family, and his fans to always hold his head high and persevere through any predicament -- whether it be persecution, prosecution, or the lost of loved ones.

Another emotive moment on Paper Trail is “My Life, Your Entertainment.” The King talks about some of the consequences of being a high-profile celebrity and candidly speaking MC. The public gets to see both your joys and your grief played out right in front of their eyes: “My life, your entertainment./ My sorrow, your amusement./ Laugh at my pain and anguish./ So famous I could lose it."

Paper Trail isn’t a musical doctrine filled only with harrowing experiences, however. What would a King be without celebratory anthems… especially The King of the South, who has always served anthems for the clubs and streets in addition to mindful fodder in his body of work.

“I really like ‘Turn My Beat Down,’” Tip notes. “It’s a song where I bring a certain amount of braggadocio about riding through your area with my music at maximum volume and loving life. As you’ll hear with this song and throughout the album, I have some unconventional beat selections, but you can’t come how everybody else is coming. On this particular track, I do some experimenting with my voice and delivery people will get a kick out of it.”

Thus far, the roster of producers on the album includes Swizz Beatz, DJ Toomp, Drumma Boy, and Danja. T.I. has recorded over 70 songs for the album. “When I make LPs, I get into such a focus, you have to drag me out the studio sometimes. This is my passion.”

Tip’s second professional love, as a film actor, has just taken a major step forward. He signed a three-picture deal with Screen Gems, which will see him both acting in and producing movies. One of the projects, Bone Deep, is a heist thriller.

“Obviously that type of deal is monumental for me and my company,” the Bankhead, GA native enthuses. “I’m learning my craft as a thespian and I know I have so much to offer on both sides of the camera. It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to fulfill my goals in Hollywood. This is the first of many big steps for me.”
Music and movies are just the tip of T.I.’s entertainment conglomerate. He’s also expanding into comedy tours, the night club and restaurant scene, management, record producing, and fashion.

“I wake up every morning feeling in my heart that my greatest accomplishments are ahead of me,” he says. “It’s the excitement that is sustained by coming up with your goals, realizing them, and coming up with new ones.”
Since 2001, T.I. has grown to become one of the most revered and successful artists in his genre, racking up millions in album sales and a myriad of awards, among them two Grammys. In July of 2007, his conceptual masterpiece, T.I. Vs T.I.P., debuted at the top of the Billboard charts, selling nearly 500,000 units in its first week of release, on its way to RIAA platinum certification. T.I. Vs T.I.P. featured guest appearances from Jay-Z, Eminem, and Wyclef Jean. The album birthed the smash single, "Big Things Poppin’ (Do It)," which was also featured in an ESPN ad campaign.

In 2006, T.I. -- known in Hollywood as Clifford "Tip" Harris -- made his critically acclaimed star turn as the leading actor in the coming of age film, ATL. He followed up that role by acting alongside Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Ruby Dee in the blockbuster drama, American Gangster. Earlier this year, Tip found success in cyberspace, launching a social networking website called www.streetcred.com. Added to these endeavors is his much-anticipated clothing line Akoo, which will be in stores this fall. In 2009, Harris will be tackling television with an inspirational reality show airing on MTV. The yet-to-be-titled show will center on his life on probation in the year leading up to his impending year-long jail sentence.
But first up, it’s Paper Trail, the latest chapter in the extraordinary story of T.I.