Rapper TI Says He's 'Absolutely' In The Kitchen Testing Food At His Atlanta Restaurant

Did you know that Atlanta-based rapper T.I. (Clifford Joseph Harris Jr.) is an owner of a soul food restaurant called Scales 925 in his hometown?

The restaurant opened this spring, and features "upscale Southern cuisine," not to mention the "charm that Atlantans and the rest of the world have come to love."

TMZ recently caught up with the rapper and restaurant owner to find out what he recommends on the menu, and whether he actually takes the time to taste the fare.

It turns out that peach-glazed salmon, shrimp and grits, braised short ribs, and meatloaf cupcakes all rank high on T.I.'s list of favorites, although there are "quite a few signature dishes that I think people will definitely develop a palate for," he diplomatically adds. As for whether he's in the kitchen himself, T.I. says he's "absolutely" testing the food.

Finally, is T.I. looking to expand? You bet, but not too soon. "Let me get a year or so under my belt successfully in Atlanta first," he tells TMZ, "and then we'll talk about franchising."