[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlH7__4KQEA[/youtube]
Following a brief stint as an independent act, Atlanta rapper T.I. announced that he signed a distribution deal with Roc Nation for his 10th studio album, Dime Trap, on February 22.
In September 2015, T.I. declared that he was leaving Columbia Records, taking his Grand Hustle imprint, and going independent after fulfilling his obligation with the major label. He then released Da Nic, a five-song EP, in the same month, and it’s safe to say that he’s been working on finalizing deal points with Roc Nation since his split.
T.I.’s announcement came during his Tidal X performance in Atlanta in which he also revealed that he is an artist-owner of Tidal, making him the 19th of his kind, and in company with artists such as J. Cole, Beyonce, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Lil Wayne, Daft Punk, Madonna and of course, Hov. T.I. coupled his performance with a new single and video titled “Money Talk” debuting exclusively on, you guessed it, Tidal.
This announcement not only promotes the self-proclaimed King of the South, but also gives Tidal well-timed marketing and momentum, making believers out early skeptics.
Tidal is home to some of hip-hop and pop’s hottest artists as of late. Rihanna’s Anti and Kanye’s The Life of Pablo are two of music’s trendiest releases and are solely available to the public through Tidal – not to mention J. Cole’s RIAA certified platinum album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, which is not limited to Tidal’s platform, but still a Grammy-nominated and fan-favored release.
T.I. made FORBES’ 2015 Cash Kings list, raking in a reported $6 million – a feat he can contribute to investing in his Grand Hustle label (signing Iggy Azalea and Travi$ Scott), movie roles, Hustle Gang and Akoo clothing lines, and reality television shows.
