T.I. has been one of the South’s most prominent representatives in hip-hop and, since the early 2000s, has been a proud advocate of Atlanta rap. The city was overlooked during the culture’s formative years. However, since the 2010s, it has become the home of hip-hop.
Many different hip-hop subgenres have emerged from the Georgia city over the years. During the early 2000s, it was crunk. Spearheaded by Lil Jon, the sonic produced anthems such as Usher’s ‘Yeah!’, Petey Pablo’s ‘Freek-a-Leek’, and the East Side Boyz’s ‘Get Low’.
Following crunk, trap music emerged. Due to the city’s perseverance in pushing the sound and the decision to prioritise local artists on radio, it has since become the default sound of hip-hop. With thumping 808 bass kicks and sparse arrangements, the music dominates today’s mainstream.
T.I. (real name Clifford Harris Jr) as part of was not only P$C was not only part of the crunk movement but was making trap music before it was even a known sound north of Virginia. That said, in an interview with AllHipHopTV, T.I. named the four rappers who are the Mount Rushmore of Atlanta trap music.
Putting himself on the Mount Rushmore, Harris insisted that he, Jeezy and Gucci Mane are undisputably the top three pioneers of the sound. He let fans decide the fourth face in a Twitter/X poll, and the overwhelming majority insisted that Future deserved to be hailed for his contributions to the genre.
Harris gave an honourable mention to some other artists not from Atlanta who helped popularise in the mid-2000s, including Boosie Badazz, YoGotti and Rick Ross. Many Southern artists adopted the sound when it first exploded.
In an interview with renowned hip-hop magazine XXL, Harris was asked about the state of the subgenre today, and Harris insisted that it is in good hands. Concerning MCs currently pushing it forward, Harris praised Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Moneybagg Yo, and Young Thug.
You can listen to T.I.’s discussion about the Mount Rushmore of trap in the video below.
