A boss is defined as an independent woman who is master of her own destiny. Singer Tameka “Tiny” Harris is a boss overseeing her growing empire from a swanky apartment overlooking Peachtree Street in Atlanta.
Tameka, who recently turned 43, splits her time between the luxury high rise apartment and her $1.4 million mansion in a Metro Atlanta suburb. She moved to the apartment recently to be closer to the rehearsal studio where Xscape is preparing to go out on tour with Jermaine Dupri.
On Monday evening, Tameka arrived at Hartsfield Airport on a flight from Miami and drove to her mom’s house in southwest Atlanta to pick up her 2-year-old daughter, Heiress Harris.
From there, the busy mother of 5 headed over to her Henry County mansion to check on the completed renovation of her swimming pool.
On the way, she fielded phone calls from contractors and vendors putting the finishing touches on her Juice Bar, which is set to open just down the road from her mansion within weeks. She also spoke with assistants who help her run her international website, Prettyhustle.com.
Tameka’s hectic evening ended back at the apartment she sometimes shares with her husband, rapper Tip “T.I.” Harris, 37, and their daughter, Heiress.
Their Rocky marriage has survived countless cheating rumors — some of which he leaked himself.
Tip made the difficult adjustment from his family’s sole provider to his wife’s reluctant cheerleader, watching from the sideline while she makes money moves without him.
Prettyhustle.com just launched a line of stylish backpacks for back-to-school, and her 2-year-old daughter, Heiress, has her own line of nail polish called the Royal Collection.
Tameka’s transition from long-suffering housewife to independent businesswoman didn’t come easy.
The first step of her journey to financial independence began in 2014 when she moved out of Tip’s Lake Spivey mansion (where T.I. & Tiny: Family Hustle will resume filming) to establish her own residence with her 3 minor children in a guard-gated community.
Tip is free to come and go, but he doesn’t have a key or a gate code to Tameka’s community.
In the early hours of May 16, Tip drove to Tameka’s subdivision after an all-nighter at a recording studio. The guard keeps a log of guests who have automatic access to the community. Apparently Tip’s name was not on the list.
An argument ensued, and the guard, Euwan James, called 911 to say he feared for his life. Tip was arrested for disorderly conduct, simple assault and public drunkenness. James was later terminated.
Music producer Sanchez, who was working on tracks in Tameka’s home recording studio, went out to the gate to try and keep the peace — only to find himself arrested on an outstanding warrant.
On Monday, July 16, the Henry County Solicitor formally charged Tip with 3 misdemeanors stemming from the May 16 incident. He won’t face jail time according to TMZ, but the new charges are the latest in a history of legal problems for the rap mogul.
On Saturday, Tip delivered a Mercedes-Benz S560 convertible to Tameka at her Peachtree Street apartment. The $200,000 vehicle was a gift for his wife’s 43rd birthday. The backseat was loaded with bags from high end retailers.
Tip’s entourage dutifully recorded the scene on their cell phones for the benefit of Tip’s massive audience on The ‘Gram. But Instagram followers noticed Tameka was less than impressed with her new ride.
Money is power, and Tip enjoyed wielding that power over Tameka in the nearly 2 decades they’ve been together. He allowed her businesses to fail and he watched her teeter on the brink of financial ruin before she reclaimed the power that day in 2014.
Tameka’s mom, Dianne Pope, a former IBM executive, now manages her daughter’s finances, giving Tameka the freedom to watch over her growing empire.
Dianne pays Tameka’s bills (including the mansion note) from Tameka’s bank accounts flush with cash she didn’t have for most of the time she lived under Tip’s rule.
Tameka is still in love with Tip, despite his flaws, but the balance of power in their marriage is now equal. She’s literally in the driver’s seat and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
As Tameka prepares to go out on tour with Xscape and Jermaine Dupri, her friends marvel at how far she’s come — from Tiny, the long-suffering housewife to Tameka, the definition of a boss, ruler of her kingdom and master of her own destiny.
