T.I.

T.I. released his first album, I'm Serious, in 2001. In 2003, he began to gain popularity with the release of his second album Trap Muzik. T.I. later founded Grand Hustle Records.^[3] In 2004, he appeared as a featured artist on Destiny's Child's top ten single "Soldier", which also featured Lil Wayne.

T.I.'s sixth album, Paper Trail (2008), became his most successful album to date. It sold 568,000 copies in the United States in its first-week sales and became T.I.'s third chart topping album in a row. It included three international hit singles "Whatever You Like", "Live Your Life" (featuring Rihanna) and "Dead and Gone".

In 2009, Billboard ranked him as the 27th Artist of the 2000s decade.^[4]

During his career, T.I. has won three Grammy Awards. His musical influences are Lil Wayne, YoungBloodz, and more. T.I. is called the King of the South.

T.I. also starred in the movies ATL (2006), Takers (2010) and Identity Thief. He is also a published author, having written two novels Power & Beauty (2011) and Trouble & Triumph (2012), which were both released to moderate success.

In 2010, T.I. married Tameka Cottle of the girl group Xscape. They have three children: two sons and a daughter. The couple starred in the reality television show T.I. & Tiny the Family Hustle. T.I. has also focused on social good, such as a recent campaign against Lloyds Banking Group because of its past ties to the Atlantic slave trade.^[5]