T.I. Columbia

HUSTLE AND FLOW: Rob Stringer's Columbia today announced a major new deal with T.I.'s Grand Hustle label. The partnership will find Columbia releasing the Grammy-winning (and virtually everything else-winning) artist's next studio album in early 2014. T.I. was of course featured on Robin Thicke's massive "Blurred Lines" single—as was Pharrell, who was also instrumental in bringing T.I. to Columbia and will serve as executive producer on his album. Among his other collaborations are hits with Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Lil Wayne, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Drake and Christina Aguilera; he's also had considerable visibility as an actor (on Showtime's House of Lies, among other places) and reality TV star (VH1's T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle, now in season 3). Stringer is promising to make T.I. "an even bigger superstar on a global level." (11/22p)