Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., better known by the stage names
T.I. and
Tip, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Harris is known as one of the pioneers of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers Jeezy and Gucci Mane. Harris signed his first major-label record deal in 1999 with Arista Records subsidiary LaFace. In 2001, he released his debut album
I'm Serious, which was met with lukewarm commercial reception. This would be his only project with the label before signing with Atlantic Records, where he would soon become the co-founder of his own label imprint, Grand Hustle Records in 2003.