One of the most popular voices to rise out of the rap of the south, T.I. has the kind of larger-than-life personality that leaves you wondering whether you're listening to a man or a myth. Is he a smooth, articulate high-roller, a superstar intimate with glamour and wealth? Or is he a street hood who will snap at a moment's notice, ready to fight to prove his cred? This duality was somewhat brilliantly explored through the creation of T.I.'s alter ego, T.I.P.T.I. is the even-headed performer with a rough-and-tumble life behind him. T.I.P. is the man still deep inside, angry and prone to violence. Each needs the other to survive--the experience of the streets is what made T.I.'s music what it is, but it's also the dangerous living that could cost him his life. In a way, T.I. has crafted the Ziggy Stardust of hip-hop. Who's the man and who's the persona?Things weren't so complicated when T.I.--born Clifford Harris--first released his brash and hot-headed rhymes in 2001. His music immediately showed promise, but it wasn't until his second album came out that he began to see significant chart success. With the song "24s," T.I. began to see major exposure and appreciation from rap and hip-hop fans. His successive albums only increased his notoriety, though there were numerous personal setbacks in T.I.'s life. For one, he was arrested after violating parole. In 2006, he released King, which included his major hit "What You Know." But the sense of success surely was dampened after T.I. and some friends became embroiled in a gun battle after a show that killed his long time friend Philant Johnson.The eruption of street battles proved that the gangsta lifestyle that fueled T.I.'s music was still very much a part of his life. In 2007, he faced this head-on in T.I. vs. T.I.P., a concept album where the two sides of his personality square off. At one point, both are shouting that they are needed by the other-but will T.I. be able reconcile these two sides of his life?The future only knows. But you can bet that if he does find peace, you'll hear about it through his awesome rhymes.
