T.I. is known for the bars he spits, but his entrepreneurial spirit is what fuels his grand hustle. He’s been called the “Jay-Z of the South,” and he has the entrepreneurial roots to back it up. At five-years-old, T.I. set out to sell candy  to his classmates and hasn’t looked back. T.I.’s net worth is $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, and the future looks promising.

Here is a peek into the Atlanta native’s business endeavors:

Tech Cypha

T.I. and his longtime business partner, Jason Geter, co-founder of Grand Hustle, launched Tech Cypha, a syndicated investment company that aims to bridge hip hop culture and technology. The company’s first investment went to Culture Genesis, a digital studio based in L.A.

“We had a general interest in technologies, specifically technology that catered to our lifestyle, to our culture, that spoke to us, that provided services that could be you know coupled with the things we do wear and speak everyday and Culture Gene has very very mutual interest so it seemed like a no brainer,” he told Ebony.

According to the investing companies site, Tech Cypha plans to invest in late stage startups as well as early-stage startups by providing funding and brand amplification. Tip and Geter plan to spotlight and utilize the demographic in his hometown of Atlanta. 

Buy Back The Block

T.I. launched a real estate venture in 2017 called Buy Back The Block with the goal of investing in Atlanta neighborhoods and rebuilding while maintaining the original essence thus allowing native residents to continue to afford housing. 

“The safest practice to me is real estate, you know what I mean, to own a part of your community,” he told Ebony.

According to Inc., T.I. and fellow legendary Atlanta rapper, Killer Mike, have partnered together to buy the Bankhead Seafood building. Along with buying the building the purchase included the company trademark and recipes. 

Tidal

In 2016, Tip joined Jay-Z’s music streaming company, Tidal, as an artist-owner. He joined an impressive list of other co-owners including Beyoncé, J. Cole, and Alicia Keys. 

As T.I. continues to expand his business empire we are excited to see how his investing efforts, philanthropic approach, and music endeavors scale his career to new heights.