Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., (born September 25, 1980), better known by his stage name T.I., and also by his alter ego T.I.P., is an American rapper, songwriter, producer, actor, philanthropist and co-CEO of Grand Hustle Records.
T.I. is from Bankhead, Atlanta, Georgia. His original stage name, T.I.P., stems from his childhood nickname "Tip", which he got from his grandfather. Due to his southern drawl, fans mistook his name for "Chip", so he began spelling it out "T.I.P". Upon signing with Arista Records subsidiary LaFace Records in 2001, he shortened his name to T.I. out of respect for label mate Q-Tip. He is also known to go by "Rubberband Man" and the self-proclaimed "King of the South", which has created several cases of controversy between other southern rappers. T.I. has five children, their names are Messiah Ya'Majesty Harris, Domani Uriah Harris, Deyjah Harris, Clifford Joseph "King" Harris III, and Major Philant Harris.
