Music
T.I., Killer Mike and Domani keep in the family with Red Bull Spiral
On the latest episode of Red Bull Spiral, three of Atlanta’s most proficient MCs show that freestyles hit different when its kinfolk on the mic.
It’s always nice to be recognized, especially by some hip-hop greats, and that’s exactly what helped the latest Red Bull Spiral lineup fall into place. “Red Bull has been doing some really cool hip-hop content as of late,” says Killer Mike, explaining part of the reason why he wanted to participate in the one-take freestyle challenge. However, it’s not his only reason.
Atlanta rap icons T.I. and Killer Mike join Domani for a special family-inspired episode of Red Bull Spiral, discussing legacy, new music and freestyle culture.
Watch the full episode now on Red Bull 1520, a YouTube channel dedicated to hip-hop programming from the world of Red Bull featuring beats, bars, a
The Grammy Award-winning MC, Killer Mike (real name Michael Render), who is also one half of rap duo Run the Jewels alongside rapper-producer El-P, was also swayed by the involvement of the other two Spiral participants. “I don’t [freestyle] as often anymore; so this is fun, especially when you’re doing it with people you like or believe in,” he says, sharing a smile in the direction of T.I. and Domani.
The father and son duo, who also joined the lineup for the good company, are no strangers to having their family dynamic on display. As key fixtures of the beloved VH1 reality series T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle, the Harris household - including matriarch Tameka "Tiny" Cottle-Harris and siblings Messiah, Deyjah, King, Major, and Heiress - allowed millions of viewers into their Atlanta home for six seasons. But while reality television made them household names, the family’s true legacy lies in music - spearheaded by T.I.
T.I. reflects on family, legacy and his final album
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Boasting a highly decorated 25-year career as the self-proclaimed "King of the South,” T.I. (real name Clifford Harris) has racked up multiple Grammys, numerous multi-platinum albums, and chart-topping hits. In addition to being a pioneer of the trap music genre, he’s also collaborated with some of the biggest names in music - from fellow hip-hop titans like JAŸ-Z, Eminem, and Lil Wayne, to pop royalty like Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, and Mariah Carey.
As for Domani, despite having a famous father, he’s made it a point to carve out his own distinct lane. After releasing a few formative tracks in his pre-teens, he got to work sharpening his skills, which led to him putting out projects like Time Will Tell (2019) and SKYDIVE (2021), both of which follow a more conscious direction than that of traditional trap. Still, in an industry where the ‘nepotism’ tag can easily blind audiences to genuine talent, proving himself to the world might be a steep hill to climb, but one Domani isn’t afraid to tackle - and it’s this focus that made T.I. take his son’s passion for wanting to be a rapper seriously.
For T.I., the realization hit when Domani began actively distancing himself from Family Hustle, refusing to let reality TV compromise how seriously he wanted his music to be taken. Recognizing his son's drive, T.I. began testing him with lyrical "homework," but the true turning point came when he pushed Domani to swap flashy, superficial lyrics for real-world substance. "I told him, ‘You are showcasing the part of your life that separates you from everyone else, you should be talking about the shit that y'all got in common,'" T.I. recalls.
Domani continues carving out his own artistic path
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Domani took the advice to heart, penning a mature bar about the sharp juxtaposition of spending weekends in his father's mansion before returning to his mother’s more modest home. Seeing his son translate that complex reality into a record was the ultimate proof for T.I.: “That’s when I knew, okay, he's listening, and he just kept growing and took it from there.”
It wasn’t just T.I. that was paying attention to Domani’s potential; Killer Mike was, too. Having watched him grow up, Mike recognizes that the young rapper inherited some of his father's best traits while still forging his own identity. “You could always tell he was wise beyond his years,” Mike explains. “You know how all of your children embody some part of you? To me, he really embodied his father's wisdom, logic and temperament.” Not stopping the compliments there, Mike adds: “And the kid's dope in terms of the way he presents his art. He’s forward thinking, and I like him a lot for that.”
And while Mike doesn’t share their DNA, the spiritual kinship he holds with the Harris household is just as thick as blood. Having run parallel paths in the Atlanta hip-hop scene for over two decades, Mike and T.I. have built a bond so tight (the pair even co-own ATL's historic Bankhead Seafood restaurant together) that T.I. considers him a brother — leaving Domani to grow up looking at the Run the Jewels rapper like an uncle.
Killer Mike brings veteran confidence to Red Bull Spiral
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"He's always been like my dad's brother, I would say; so I always looked at him like my uncle," Domani says, before acknowledging the impact Mike’s had on his life and craft. "He’s always been a creative genius and a dope MC. As a kid, I’d play him my music and he'd always give me good notes, good tips, but seeing my perspective, though.”
With the stakes set by their reputation, the trio's Red Bull Spiral freestyle, while packed full of technical wizardry, shines brightest in the camaraderie of the moment. Killer Mike, keeping his prep lean — mostly just reciting his bars to himself while traveling from Atlanta to L.A. — approached his freestyle with the straightforward confidence of a veteran. "Whatever it is, it’s in the name of hip-hop,” he says before heading into Red Bull’s Santa Monica studio, “and it’s gonna be dope ‘cause you got three dope MCs.”
Domani, meanwhile, found that his preparation was entirely mental. Rather than sweating over the technicalities of the format, he focused on the energy in the room. "I just had to keep in mind who I was doing it with," he explains. "That was all the motivation and inspiration I needed. I just had to remind myself to enjoy it, and not get so engulfed in being perfect that I miss the moment.”
While his son focused on staying present, T.I. brought a highly calculated strategy to the booth, though he’s quick to dispel the myth of his perceived off-the-cuff performance. For him, the art isn't about improvisation; it’s about the “gumbo" - curating unused bars and remixing them in real-time. "I don't even wanna offer the misconception that I was freestyling off the dome," T.I. admits, noting that he holds himself to a standard where he only performs what he has fully refined. "I record and write all the time, and I don't always use the things that I write, so when opportunities like this come along, it's like, okay, here's an opportunity to showcase this shit.”
It’s possible that some of the ingredients in T.I.’s freestyle gumbo were from leftover verses originally cooked up for Kill the King - his 12th and supposedly final studio album, which finally hit streaming platforms last month. Fans had been waiting six years for the highly anticipated project, which serves as the swan song to a legendary 25-year career that helped shape the sound of southern hip-hop.
“I'm happy that it's finally out for people to receive and hear what I've been working on," T.I. says of the album's release, before explaining that the project isn’t about him proving he’s still got it; it’s about choosing exactly how to close his final chapter. "It's a reflection of where I am in my life right now," he shares. "I don't think it's ever been a question of whether or not I can perform at a high level. It's more a case of will we get that from him right now, you know? And it's a blessing for me at this point in my career to make a statement on my way out.”
Three generations of Atlanta hip-hop connect on Red Bull Spiral
© Koury Angelo
While T.I. is positive Kill the King is his grand exit, his son is skeptical of the retirement talk. Knowing his father's relentless drive, Domani, who released his most recent album, Hot Seat, in March, views the departure more as a boundary set against the music business itself, rather than an end to the actual art. "Me just knowing him all my life, he's always been a creator," Domani explains. "I don't see him ever stopping creating music, whether that's producing, executive producing, writing... I think what he's saying is he no longer cares to play the industry game." In fact, Domani envisions a future where his dad’s vault of unreleased material continues to grow in private. "He's gonna continue to create, and it may be a situation where his family, his kids, the people around him hear his music, and we want to put together the project for him.”
Speaking of new music, Killer Mike is already actively cooking up his next solo chapter. “This next record, the next MICHAEL, will be out sooner rather than later," Mike teases of his upcoming LP, before revealing one of the producers he’s working with on MICHAEL II. ”Me and Mike Will [Made-It] are working in the studio right now.” The forthcoming project has some pretty big shoes to fill; Mike’s 2023 self-titled masterpiece was a critical triumph. It dominated the rap categories at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, sweeping all three of its nominations to take home Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and the coveted Best Rap Album of the Year.
A major catalyst for that Grammy sweep was the album's standout track, "Scientists & Engineers," which features a show-stopping guest verse from longtime friend and collaborator, André 3000. Shortly after MICHAEL dropped, Mike revealed during an interview on The Breakfast Club that he was actually holding onto another, massive feature from the Atlanta legend tucked away in his stash — which he promised would see the light of day if he won the aforementioned Grammys. Having had the hardware for over two years now, Mike confirms that the collaboration is still very much on the way. “Yes, it’s coming, absolutely," Mike promises, before adding a caveat. "Well, so long as Dre doesn't say it can't come.”
As it turns out, Mike isn’t the only one sitting on a legendary, unreleased collaboration. At the end of "Continental," the closing track on T.I.’s Kill the King, a woman’s voice announces, “To be continued” — teasing a potential deluxe edition of the album. T.I. explains that while the current version of the LP sits at 18 songs, he originally mapped out a massive 32-track sequence that was ultimately cut down by sample clearances and production tweaks. The most notable casualty was a track featuring Lil Wayne.
“I’m gonna let the cat out of the bag. I got a record with Wayne, and that muthafucka going stupid," T.I. reveals. However, a last-minute production hitch kept it off the final album after the song’s producer tried to elevate the beat to match the gravity of the collaboration. “When he went in and did what he did, it was like, ahh shit, it don't feel the same as it did," T.I. explains. "So I'm giving him more time to perfect the production, but I'm looking forward to presenting that to the world.”
While he plays his cards close to his chest regarding an official deluxe release, he confirms there is plenty of music left in the vault. “I recorded so many records for this album and there’s other songs that I did not put on here that I still think people should hear at some point," T.I. says.
Reflecting on a monumental 25-year career since the release of his debut album, I’m Serious, T.I.’s definition of success has undergone a radical shift over the years. The flashy benchmarks of the music business no longer hold the weight they once did, a perspective he credits to his short time spent behind bars in the late 2000s. “Prison for me put a lot of things in perspective, to where I really don't care about a lot of that shit, aside from real family," he says. In fact, the absolute apex of his quarter-century run isn't a platinum plaque or a chart-topping hit, but the moments where his two worlds collided. Specifically, he points to "Family Connect” — a track he recorded with Domani that was produced by his other son, Messiah. “We got a chance to spar, to go back and forth on a record," T.I. says. "That's definitely a highlight of my career.”
Flipping the script to look into the future, Domani’s ultimate goals mirror the very same values his father fought to keep in perspective. “I see myself being a great father," Domani says when asked where he hopes to be in 25 years, “and creating an empire similar to what my father and my parents created, like family-wise." For the younger Harris, the blueprint is already laid out; it’s simply a matter of continuing the work with those who matter most. "I see myself looking back and just being proud of what me, my team, and my family created," he says. "It’s just about continuing to do what we all love. If you're doing what you love, you never work a day in your life.” Now that’s an inspiring perspective.