NEW YORK (By Sydney Margetson/ Atlantic Records) - Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist T.I. kicks off his headlining U.S. tour today in Nashville, TN, at Tennessee
State University. Grand Hustle/Atlantic label mate
Young Dro and Block Entertainment/Bad Boy South recording artist
Yung Joc will support T.I. on select dates (see attached itinerary).
The tour follows the spectacular premiere of T.I.'s new album, "KING," which debuted at No 1 on the Billboard 200 and passed the half million mark in its first week. "KING" also debuted at No 1 on both Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts - where it remains for the third consecutive week, as well as No 1 on iTunes and No 1 on the Top Digital albums chart.
T.I. will also be performing tomorrow, April 22, at Madison Square Garden during the 2006 Jordan All-American Classic, presented by Foot Locker and Boost Mobile. The annual event showcases the top high school players in the country and throughout the New York City region. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit The Children's Aid Society.
"KING" features the current smash single, "What You Know," which has leapt to No 1 at mainstream Urban radio and into the top 5 at CHR/Rhythmic outlets nationwide. It ranks No 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it earned the Greatest Gainer/Sales designation this week. On the same chart, T.I.'s new single, "Why You Wanna," has earned him Greatest Gainer/Airplay status, bulleting into the No 22 spot.
"What You Know" is also No 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, while its companion video is the No 1 most-played clip this week on both MTV and MTV2, following its previous No 1 ranking at BET, where it holds down the No 2 spot.
Coinciding with the release of "KING," T.I. made his acclaimed acting debut in the Overbrook/Warner Bros. Pictures film "ATL." The movie was the No 1 live action debut of the week, ranking as the No 3 film overall.
Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist Young Dro will release his label debut, "BEST THANG SMOKIN'," on June 27th. Its first single, "Shoulder Lean," featuring T.I., has already impacted airwaves across the country. Young Dro has been featured on label mate DJ Drama's "GANGSTA GRILLZ" mixtape series.
Block Entertainment/Bad Boy South recording artist Yung Joc is set to release "NEW JOC CITY" on May 23rd. Its first single, "It's Goin' Down," which appears on virtually every southern hip-hop mixtape, has already bulleted into the top ten at Urban radio and into the top 30 at CHR/Rhythmic outlets.
T.I. Tour With Yung Joc and Young Dro
April
21 Nashville, TN Tennessee State University
23 Boston, MA Avalon Ballroom * ^
25 Cleveland, OH House of Blues * ^
27 Detroit, MI State Theatre * ^
29 Milwaukee, MI Eagles Ballroom * ^
May
2 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's * ^
3 St. Louis, MO The Pageant * ^
9 New Orleans, LA House of Blues * ^
24 Anaheim, CA House of Blues * ^
25 San Diego, CA 4th & B Concert Theatre * ^
26 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues * ^
June
1 New York, NY Apollo Theatre *
2 Washington, DC Love Night Club * ^
3 North Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues * ^
5 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues ^
* = With Yung Joc
^ = With Young Dro
