Rodney Carmichael -- Tip "T.I." Harris has lived the last 15 years of
his life on the big stage. Fans have watched him rise, fall and ascend
to new heights again, remaking himself each step of the way. From dope
boy to dope emcee. From inmate to activist. From reality star and
box-office draw to real estate developer and film producer.
But the Tiny Desk has a way of stripping even the biggest acts back down
to their musical essence. For Tip, that meant stretching beyond his
comfort zone again, this time by rapping along to a group of high school
string players instead of his classic tracks. Without his usual audio
prompts, he kept lyric sheets close at hand while running through the
definitive street hits "Rubber Band Man," "What You Know" and the
Billboard 100 chart topper featuring Rihanna, "Live Your Life." He may
have stumbled a few times, but when you've successfully reinvented your
career as often as Tip has had to it's probably hard to stick to the
same old script.
As for Tip's Tiny Desk transformation, he brought along his mini
orchestra of young talent from Atlanta to fill in for Rihanna. The
artists in training, from the non-profit Atlanta Music Project, put a
classical twist on his street anthems, adding strings and brass in place
of 808 bass. "That's a true example that really says that you're never
defined by your environment unless you want to be," Tip said, crediting
the youngsters for their commitment to craft. Meanwhile, he kept his set
funky with off-the-cuff stories of the drama behind his music — like
the time when he found out, after shooting the video for "Rubber Band
Man" with Puff Daddy, that his home had been raided by police. "This
music was about the elements that people have to endure in their lives
every day and find a brighter side and make a way out of no way," he
said. "That's what this music represents."
This year marks the 15th anniversary of Trap Muzik, the sophomore album
that branded T.I. King of the South and birthed an Atlanta movement that
would eventually give hip-hop a global makeover. The music gave voice
to a discarded generation stuck between socioeconomic despair and
criminal exploits. In a genre where the performance of authenticity
snares talented artists in their own trap, Tip has conquered those
demons. His last album, Us Or Else found him raising a conscious fist in
unity against the systemic inequality highlighted by the Movement for
Black Lives. Now, with more movie credits to his name than solo albums,
his most respected role has been serving as part of Atlanta Mayor Keisha
Lance Bottoms' transition team. But Tip's past is still present. In
addition to investing in the redevelopment of Bankhead — the west
Atlanta community that raised him and gave him game — he plans to return
to his metaphoric roots on his next studio album, The Dime Trap.
Indeed, Tip still knows all about that.
Set List
"Rubber Band Man"
"What You Know"
"Live Your Life"
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