Once dubbed "the
Jay-Z of the South" by
Pharrell Williams,
T.I. gradually came into his own and established himself as one of
rap's greatest and most successful MCs during the early 2000s. Like
Jay-Z,
T.I. -- born
Clifford Harris in Atlanta, GA -- has always carried a balance of smoothness and toughness, and though 2001's I'm Serious (released on Arista) didn't shoot him out of the gate à la
Reasonable Doubt, he consistently grew and began a string of major hits with 2003's "24's." From that point through 2007, there wasn't any point when
T.I. couldn't be heard within a couple hours on any given
urban radio station throughout the U.S.
2003's
Trap Muzik, 2004's
Urban Legend, 2006's
King, 2007's
T.I. vs T.I.P., and 2008's
Paper Trail -- all released through the MC's deal with Atlantic -- were Top Ten albums, and
King and
T.I. vs T.I.P. even spent time at the very top of the chart. Released in tandem with his debut screen appearance in ATL,
King affirmed his status as a superstar. Far more ink has been spent on his legal issues and a conflict with fellow Southerner
Lil' Flip than his Katrina relief efforts and other humanitarian involvements. One notable event occurred on May 3, 2006, when
T.I.'s crew was caught up in a shooting after a show in Cincinnati that left three injured and Philant Johnson --
T.I.'s longtime friend and personal assistant -- dead. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
