Why is t.i. called tip

Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

The rapper/actor you know as T.I. is no more! The Atlanta born hip-hop star is officially changing his name to Tip, the name he was originally known as in the music industry prior to changing his name to Tip so people would not get him confused with A Tribe Called Quest frontman Q-Tip. While on 106KMEL this week, Tip claims the change is for his day one fans who have and has been in the works for a decade now.
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For many industry insiders, the name change won’t be too difficult since they’ve been referring to T.I. as Tip for years now. T.I. dropped his new project Da ‘Nic under his official new moniker last Monday and is serious about people referring to him by his new name. Which T.I. name do you prefer? T.I. or Tip? Read the full story here.
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There's only room for one TIP (that sounds weird but you know what we mean.)

The artist formerly known as T.I. appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night and schooled everyone on the proper way to address him from now on. The rapper and actor revealed that he now goes by TIP, his childhood nickname, and no one is to call him by his government name, Clifford Harris, unless you're a judge, policeman, or a banker.

When asked by Jimmy Kimmel why even use the stage name T.I. in the first place, TIP responded,

Well, I found myself in very good company on the same label with Q-Tip and LA Reid [and] at the time he felt it was kind of confusing having two "tips" on the same label and since I was the new guy...I had to change my name.

Kimmel joked, "And now is Q-Tip mad that you've gone to TIP cause now he's like, 'Hey, I'm still TIP over here!'" Although the two rappers did have a little static over a Twitter feud last year about Iggy Azalea, the two rappers don't have any real beef over their stage names.

That's probably how Jordan felt wearing that four-five.

T.I. is a rapper, music producer, and songwriter, who is often in the headlines due to his controversial statements and behavior. T.I., who has been in the music industry since the late ’90s, has received major critical acclaim and has worked with many of the top artists in the entertainment business. Through it all, although he has received criticism for his scandals, T.I. has remained focused on his music, almost continuously writing and recording. He has many fans all around the world — but even his most ardent fans probably don’t realize the tangled history of his stage name. 

How did T.I. get his stage name?

T.I. was born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. in September 1980. Raised primarily by his grandparents, Harris began rapping when he was only 8 years old. By the time that he was a teenager, he knew that he wanted to pursue a career in the music business — and he adopted the stage name T.I.P. This original stage name came from a nickname that he shared with his grandfather, according to Billboard. At various times in the early days of his career, he also went by the stage name “Rubberband Man,” a sly reference to the custom of wearing rubber bands around the wrist to signify wealth.

Eventually, the young rapper decided to shorten his stage name to simply “T.I.,” primarily to avoid confusion with A Tribe Called Quest frontman Q-Tip. To this day, T.I. continues to go by that name, and at this point in his successful career, it seems unlikely that he will change it again. 

What is T.I. best known for?

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By the mid-’90s, T.I. had started writing and recording music, distributing CDs at local events and selling mixtapes out of his car. In 2001, he released his debut album, but it wasn’t until around 2008 that he began to experience major commercial and critical success. His album Paper Trail, released that year, received positive reviews, and T.I. earned recognition as a force to be reckoned with.

T.I. has won a total of three Grammy Awards and has released 11 studio albums in total. For many fans, he is also well known as a reality television star, appearing in shows like T.I.’s Road to Redemption, T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle, and The Grand Hustle. Widely considered to be one of the greatest American artists of the decade, T.I. has occasionally landed in hot water due to his family troubles and relationship with fellow rapper Tiny, but he remains a force to be reckoned with.

T.I. isn’t the only rapper with a particularly memorable stage name