T.I.

Once dubbed "the Jay-z of the South" by Pharrell Williams, T.i. gradually came into his own and established himself as one of rap's most successful MCs during the early 2000s. Like Jay-z, T.i. -- born Clifford Harris in Atlanta, GA -- carried a balance of smoothness and toughness, and although 2001's I'm Serious didn't shoot him out of the gate à la Reasonable Doubt, he consistently grew and launched a string of major hits with 2003's "24's." Throughout the six following years, T.i. maintained a consistent presence on urban radio stations in America: 2003's Trap Muzik, 2004's Urban Legend, 2006's King (released in tandem with T.i.'s debut screen appearance in ATL), 2007's T.i. Vs T.i.p., and 2008's Paper Trail -- all released through the MC's deal with Atlantic -- were Top Ten albums, with the latter three even spending time at the very top of the chart.



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