Tiny Harris, officially known as Tameka Harris, is a renowned American singer, songwriter, and TV personality. She gained fame as a member of the successful R&B group ‘Xscape’ and is also recognized as the spouse of rapper T.I. Harris.
Early Life
Tameka Harris, also known as Tameka Cottle, was born on July 14, 1975, in College Park, Georgia, USA. She was born to Charles “Speedy” Pope and Dianne Cottle. Her father, Charles Pope, passed away on July 11, 2013, at the age of 76 after a difficult struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Her nickname, ‘Tiny’, was given to her because of her small stature. Harris attended Tri-Cities Performing Arts High School.
Tiny Harris’ Career
Tameka Tiny Harris was enrolled at Tri-Cities Performing Arts High School in 1992 and simultaneously pursued her music career with the R&B group Xscape.
While attending Jamie Dupri’s birthday event in Atlanta, Georgia, their performance caught his attention and he wasted no time in signing them to his newly established record label, “So So Def Recordings.”
While in the group, Tiny Harris played a crucial role in producing three of the band’s highly successful albums, namely “Hummin’ Cummin’ at ‘Cha,'” “Off the Hook,” and “Traces of My Lipstick.”
As a member of Xscape, she was honored with two “Soul Train Music Awards” for their exceptional R&B album. She was also recognized with the “A-Town Music Award” for being part of the “Best Duo/Group.”
Tameka has been the lead singer for Xscape’s six most popular songs, including “Understanding,” “Do You Want To?,” “All I Need,” “Love’s a Funny Thing,” “My Little Secret,” and “Am I Dreamin’.”
In addition to her work with the band, Tiny Harris has also recorded tracks for soundtracks such as “Bad Boys,” “Soul Food,” “Love Jones,” and “Panther.” After their third album, “Traces of My Lipstick,” Xscape disbanded in 1998.
Even though Xscape disbanded, Harris continued to achieve success. She and former group member Kandi Burruss collaborated to write the iconic TLC song “No Scrubs,” which led to them winning a Grammy Award for “Best R&B Song” in 2000. Cottle and Burruss also have writing credits for Ed Sheeran’s global hit “Shape of You.”
In addition to her other achievements, Tameka is a part of the “American Society of Composers” and has been honored with an award from “Authors and Publishers” in the R&B and Pop Music categories for her song “No Scrubs.” She has also received the “ASCAP Rap” award for her contribution to Sporty Thievz’s track “No Pigeons.”
Aside from collaborating with Bow Wow, T.I., Lil’ Kim, and 8Ball & MJG, Cottle has also worked with many other accomplished artists.
She took a five-year hiatus but eventually reunited with her sisters LaToucha and Tameka Scott to drop another album with Xscape called “Unchained.” The group also welcomed Kiesha Miles as a new member. In 2005, Xscape released the hit single “What’s Up.”
Cottle collaborated with Kiesha Miles to form the musical group “OMG Girlz,” which also includes Tameka’s daughter, Zonnique. Cottle, her family, and the OMG Girlz all made an appearance in T.I.’s music video for the track “Hello.”
Personal Life
In 2001, Tiny Harris began a romantic relationship with rapper Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., also known as T.I. They eventually tied the knot on July 30, 2010, in Miami Beach, Florida. Their first child, King Harris, was born on August 25, 2004.
On May 16, 2008, they joyfully welcomed their second son, Philant Harris. Later, in March 2016, Tameka gave birth to a daughter named Heiress Diana Harris.
Tragically, in 2007, Cottle’s first daughter was born stillborn when she was six months into a difficult pregnancy. Tameka’s first child is from a previous relationship with Zonnie “Zeboe” Pullins.
Net Worth
Tiny Harris, also known as Tameka Cottle, is an American reality TV star and singer. Together with her husband, rapper T.I., they have a combined net worth of $10 million. The couple has been in a relationship since 2001 and married in 2010.
