Universally recognized as a visionary and groundbreaking entrepreneur—one who led the explosion of southern hip hop music and, specifically, trap, to a mainstream breakthrough—Tip “T.I.” Harris continues to share exciting new projects capturing the magnetic rapper, actor, art curator, entrepreneur, philanthropist and activist at the top of his game.
Marking 15 years since he released his breakthrough album Trap Muzik, (which helped launch the popular hip hop subgenre), the multi-hyphenate artist recently received ASCAP’s inaugural Voice of the Culture award, released his 10th album, Dime Trap, as well as a short movie with Teyana Taylor, brought to life the Trap Music Museum and has topped the charts again – this time, the podcast charts with expediTIously, which reached #1 on the Apple Podcasts chart for all podcast categories. Produced in partnership with PodcastOne, expediTIously has already earned a 5-star rating from fans and reached #1 within 48 hours of its release.
An acclaimed innovator with millions of albums sold and more than 35 million singles, T.I. has been awarded 3 Grammy Awards, 11 Billboard Awards, 3 BET Awards, 2 American Music Awards and more through the years. Viewed as a seamless collaborator whose prolific musical pairings with seminal superstars include Drake, Beyoncé, Pharrell, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Robin Thicke, M.I.A., Lady Gaga, and others, his recent politically-charged collaboration with Kanye West on “Ye Vs. The People” is also garnering raves. T.I.’s decade-and-a-half stewardship of Grand Hustle Records has produced multiple breakout artists, including Iggy Azalea, Travis Scott, and others, and his purpose-driven 2016 EP Us or Else courageously addressed police brutality and racial inequality in America, hailed by Rolling Stone as another crucial ‘point on the timeline of the rapper’s growing social conscious.’
T.I.’s unique perspective and unwavering perseverance throughout the seismic changes of pop culture has seen him expand his Atlanta based Grand Hustle empire into a diverse conglomerate of brands and entities. His successful forays into music, film, fashion, books, scripted and unscripted television, technology, sports, lifestyle and real estate ventures have garnered him worldwide acclaim as a multi-platform catalyst behind some of the entertainment industry’s most compelling endeavors. Most recently, he’s locked down deals as an artist/co-owner of the global stream service TIDAL, and co-creator, producer and star of the BET reality completion series “The Grand Hustle,” where T.I. oversees 16 business-minded participants competing for a six-figure salary and the chance to join his coveted empire. T.I. also reprised his role in the Marvel sequel “Antman & The Wasp,” which grossed close to $600 million world-wide at the box office, and co-produced the musical drama “Glow Up” as part of the PepsiCo’s Creators League. His musical talents have now reached Broadway, having received a TONY Award nomination for “Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre” for SpongeBob Square Pants: The Musical. T.I. also stars in the highly anticipated, new music competition series, Rhythm and Flow, alongside fellow celebrity judges, Cardi B and Chance the Rapper. The show is Netflix’s first music competition series. Additionally, VH1’s “T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle,” will return with a new season.
Also widely recognized for his influence in the community, T.I. has become an activist and dominant force in social issues around race relations, civil and human rights. In response to mass inequality and the murders of unarmed Black citizens, T.I. began his Us or Else movement where he penned a thought-provoking series of op-Eds in the New York Times, Washington Post and Huffington Post, a socially charged album entitled Us or Else: Letter to the System, followed by a provocative short film. Using that as a platform, T.I. launched a formal charitable, social justice and philanthropic arm, Harris Community Works, dedicated to driving systemic change in underserved communities. His most recent philanthropic work includes relief and support efforts for mass incarceration, Puerto Rico, Houston, Colin Kaepernick’s Million Dollar Challenge and more. Recently, T.I. became a coveted member of the Mayor of Atlanta’s Transition Team and is now on the Reimagine Task Force charged with rethinking the city’s approach to incarceration. In these roles, he supports the Mayor and City of Atlanta in policy and advocacy efforts that drive the city of Atlanta forward.
Having recently added art curator to his long list of creative credentials, T.I. is also the visionary and creator for the first ever pop-up Trap Music Museum, where he lends his visual and artistic wisdom along with his creative energy to chronicle and celebrate the contributions of Trap music. Since it’s opening, the Trap Music Museum has already become one of Atlanta’s most visited attractions.
With a new, exciting film and television projects underway, the #1 podcast, as well as a string of creative and business ventures, the fearless game-changer is once again taking his ever-evolving artistic franchise to new heights.
