Georgia Legislators Just Made T.I. The Real “King of The South”

The self-proclaimed “King of the South” has been recognized by legislators for his contributions to the Atlanta community and was awarded the Georgia Outstanding Citizen Award at the state capitol on Tuesday.

Joined by his wife, Tiny, the Atlanta rapper was presented the award by State Representative Debra Bazemore for his philanthropic contributions to the community.

In an Instagram post, T.I. wrote, “So...You spend years grinding, fighting, clawing and climbing 🧗‍♀️ with what feels like the weight(&Hate)of the world on your shoulders....oftentimes feeling like no one cares, notices, or appreciates your efforts, intentions or sacrifices ... then BAM 💥 God hits you it you face wit a blessing that shows you, you don’t know”

Tip, born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., has supported multiple nonprofits such as For The Love of Our Fathers, an organization that looks to improve the quality of care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. He also does work with his own nonprofit, Harris Community Works, an organization that “focuses on community impact projects that help improve lives through community transformation initiatives, civic engagement efforts, community outreach, and youth development programs,” according to its website.

The Grammy-award-winning rapper was also given the Volunteers Lifetime Achievement Award by the Global International Alliance on behalf of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The award recognizes 4,000 hours of community service to the United States.

In an Instagram post, he wrote, “Thank God for@rep.debrabazemore63 @ambassadorpeterson @joebiden @vp & everyone else who had a hand in making this possible...I’m Genuinely Grateful for these prestigious honors...& While I don’t know exactly what they mean specifically... it sure feels good to have em.”

As a rapper, T.I. is credited as one of the first artists for popularizing the “trap” sound thanks to his 2003 album Trap Muzik. Last year, he announced that his upcoming studio album Kill the King would be his final album in the “What It’s Come To” music video.