Beat the Heat

T.I.

The Album: T.I. vs T.I.P., in stores now
LISTEN: Click below to hear his song "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)."

The 411: In his concept album, the 26-year-old Grammy-nominated rapper is pitting himself against his alter ego T.I.P., a self-described "loose cannon." "Some would say I have a dual personality: calm, cool, collected one minute, and ready to take [somebody's] head off the next," he says.
Surprising Influence: Nirvana. "That's my all-time favorite rock band," he told Blender.