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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 greatest and most successful MCs during the early 2000s. Like Jay-Z, T.I. -- born Clifford Harris in Atlanta, GA -- has always carried a balance of smoothness and toughness, and though 2001's I'm Serious (released on Arista) didn't shoot him out of the gate a la Reasonable Doubt, he consistently grew and began a string of major hits with 2003's "24's." From that point through 2006, there wasn't any point when T.I. couldn't be heard within a couple hours on any given urban radio station throughout the U.S. 2003's Trap Muzik, 2004's Urban Legend, and 2006's King -- all released through the MC's deal with Atlantic -- were Top Ten albums, and King even spent some time at the very top of the chart. Released in tandem with his debut screen appearance in ATL, the album affirmed his status as a superstar. Far more ink has been spent on his legal issues and a conflict with fellow Southerner Lil' Flip than his Katrina relief efforts and other humanitarian involvements. On May 3, 2006, T.I.'s crew was caught up in a shooting after a show in Cincinnati that left three injured and Philant Johnson -- T.I.'s longtime friend and personal assistant -- dead.
Andy Kellman.
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