T.I.

Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., known professionally as T.I. and his alter ego T.I.P., is a Grammy Award-winning rapper, producer, actor, and entrepreneur. Born on September 25, 1980, in the Bankhead neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, he has become one of the most influential figures in hip-hop, often credited as a pioneer of the trap music subgenre. He is also the co-founder of Grand Hustle Records.

Raised primarily by his grandparents in Atlanta, Harris began rapping at a young age. He originally went by the moniker "Tip," a nickname given to him by his paternal great-grandfather. When he signed with Arista Records subsidiary LaFace Records in 2001, he shortened his name to T.I. out of respect for his labelmate, Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest.