ROC4LIFE

T.I. and Kanye West are now batting for the same team. Tip is the latest addition to Hip-Hop Since 1978, a management team that also handles megastars Young Jeezy, Drake, and Lil Wayne. T.I. told Billboard.biz that the mastermind behind the move was Gee Roberson, a close friend of the ATL rapper and co-exec at Hip-Hop Since 1978.

“Gee’s always been a big part of our operation just not in the capacity of manager,” said T.I. of his relationship with Mr. Roberson. “[From] the executive producer standpoint and A&R standpoint, he made gigantic contributions to probably the past three or four T.I. albums, but he’s assumed a large responsibility over at Geffen so that kind of took a big part of my team away. When [Jason Geter] and I both agreed that we would be considering expanding the management team, and then sat down and talked about possible candidates, he was definitely one of the first people that came up.”

T.I. praised Gee for his industry expertise. “You have Gee and [Hip Hop Since] ’78 who come in with their expertise in several areas, who works alongside [Jason]. And then you got Category 5, Brian Sher [founder of Category 5 Entertainment, formerly of ICM], who’s there from the film and television area,” he said. “I’ve got different pieces of management who have extreme levels of expertise in their areas… We feel that’s the best way to have appropriate execution and to take advantage of all the opportunities that are ever present in the marketplace for me.”

Looking forward to what 2012 has in store for the Grand Hustle General.

— Rizoh