T.I. Pulling for Number One Film and Album Next Week

By: Gary Graff

It's a big day for Atlanta rapper T.I., as his first feature film, ATL, opens in theaters nationwide. T.I. (real name Clifford "Tip" Harris) stars as Rashad, an aspiring comic artist and high school roller skating champ who's helping to raise his younger brother after their parents'death in an automobile crash. With a new album, King, also out this week, T.I. told us he'd love to have the Number One film and album in the country next week: "I'm looking forward to giving it a hell of a shot. I think I have a hell of a shot to pull it off. I don't think nobody else has ever been set up, in a way, for it. Nobody in my position, in my genre of music has ever been set up in a way to make that happen."

T.I. said he understands there's stiff competition, however:"Tim McGraw come out and if I sell 400 and he sells 401, he's Number One. It doesn't matter, you know, it's still competition out there now. It's not an easy win. And Ice Age 2 is what the movie's going up against. It's gonna definitely be an underdog story -- Cinderella story, rather."

Eminem and Jennifer Lopez have both had the top film and album in the same week.

ATL was directed by Chris Robinson, who's directed several of T.I.'s videos -- including the clip for King's first single, "What You Know," which also appears in the film.