Tip “T.I.” Harris - Xernona Clayton Award
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 shares a new project which captures the magnetic rapper 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), Dime Trap is the multi-talented artist’s 10th album and truly brings his career full circle. An acclaimed innovator with millions of albums sold and more than 35 million singles, T.I. has been awarded three Grammy Awards, 11 Billboard Awards, three BET Awards, two American Music Awards and more over 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. His purpose-driven 2016 EP Us or Else courageously addressed police brutality and racial inequality in America and was 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 have 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 is co-creator, producer and star of the new 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. Earlier this summer, T.I. reprised his role in the Marvel sequel Antman & The Wasp, which has grossed close to $600 million worldwide at the box office and co-produced the musical drama Glow Up as part of the PepsiCo’s Creators League. He has also taken his musical talents to Broadway, having recently received a Tony Award nomination for “Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre” for SpongeBob Square Pants: The Musical.
Also widely recognized for his influence in the community, T.I. has become an activist and dominant force in social issues around race relations and 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, The Washington Post and Huffington Post and released 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 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. In this role, he will support the Mayor and City of Atlanta in policy and advocacy efforts that drive the city of Atlanta forward.
T.I. has also recently added "art curator" to his long list of creative credentials. As the official visionary and creator for the first ever pop-up Trap Music Museum, T.I. will lend his visual and artistic wisdom along with his creative energy to chronicle and celebrate the contributions of trap music. Now, with his Epic Records partnership on course, a new album Dime Trap and a string of creative and business projects, the fearless game changer is once again taking his always-evolving artistic franchise to new heights.
Marking 15 years since he released his breakthrough album, Trap Muzik, (which helped launch the popular hip-hop subgenre), Dime Trap is the multi-talented artist’s 10th album and truly brings his career full circle. An acclaimed innovator with millions of albums sold and more than 35 million singles, T.I. has been awarded three Grammy Awards, 11 Billboard Awards, three BET Awards, two American Music Awards and more over 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. His purpose-driven 2016 EP Us or Else courageously addressed police brutality and racial inequality in America and was 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 have 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 is co-creator, producer and star of the new 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. Earlier this summer, T.I. reprised his role in the Marvel sequel Antman & The Wasp, which has grossed close to $600 million worldwide at the box office and co-produced the musical drama Glow Up as part of the PepsiCo’s Creators League. He has also taken his musical talents to Broadway, having recently received a Tony Award nomination for “Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre” for SpongeBob Square Pants: The Musical.
Also widely recognized for his influence in the community, T.I. has become an activist and dominant force in social issues around race relations and 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, The Washington Post and Huffington Post and released 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 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. In this role, he will support the Mayor and City of Atlanta in policy and advocacy efforts that drive the city of Atlanta forward.
T.I. has also recently added "art curator" to his long list of creative credentials. As the official visionary and creator for the first ever pop-up Trap Music Museum, T.I. will lend his visual and artistic wisdom along with his creative energy to chronicle and celebrate the contributions of trap music. Now, with his Epic Records partnership on course, a new album Dime Trap and a string of creative and business projects, the fearless game changer is once again taking his always-evolving artistic franchise to new heights.