Tameka Cottle facts for kids

Tameka Dianne Cottle-Harris, who many know as Tiny, is an American singer. She was born on July 14, 1975. Tiny became famous in the 1990s as part of the popular R&B music group Xscape. She even won a Grammy Award for helping write the hit song "No Scrubs" for the group TLC. Tiny is also known for being married to the rapper T.I.. People call her "Tiny" because she is 4 feet 11 inches tall.

Early Life

Tiny was born in College Park, Georgia. Her mother, Dianne Cottle, is white, and her father, Charles "Speedy" Pope, was Black. Her father and her uncle, Joseph Pope, were part of an R&B group called The Tams.

Music Career

Joining Xscape

When Tiny was a teenager, she joined an R&B group called Xscape in 1992. She was going to a performing arts high school at the time. A music producer named Jermaine Dupri found Xscape when they were singing at his birthday party in Atlanta. Dupri quickly signed the group to his new record label, So So Def Recordings.

Xscape's Success

With Xscape, Tiny helped create three very successful albums. These albums were Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha, Off the Hook, and Traces of My Lipstick. As a member of Xscape, she won two Soul Train Music Awards. These awards were for Best New R&B Artist and Best R&B Album. She also won an A-Town Music Award for Best Duo/Group.

Tiny sang the main parts on six of Xscape's popular songs. These songs include "Understanding" and "My Little Secret." She also recorded songs for movie soundtracks. Some of these movies were Soul Food and Bad Boys. In 1998, after their third album, Traces of My Lipstick, the group decided to take a break.

Writing Hit Songs

In 2000, Tiny and another Xscape member, Kandi Burruss, won a Grammy Award. They won for Best R&B Song because they wrote TLC's famous song "No Scrubs". Tiny also won awards from ASCAP for "No Scrubs." She also won an ASCAP Rap Award for her work on the Sporty Thievz song "No Pigeons". Tiny has also worked with her husband T.I., Lil' Kim, and Bow Wow.

New Projects and Reunions

After a five-year break, Tiny got back together with LaTocha and Tamika Scott. They added a new member, Kiesha Miles, and released an Xscape album called Unchained in 2005. They also released a song called "What's Up."

Tiny is also part of a project with Kiesha Miles called the OMG Girlz. Tiny's daughter, Zonnique, is a member of this music group. Tiny appeared in her husband T.I.'s music video for "Hello" with their family and the OMG Girlz.

In June 2009, Tiny had her own reality TV show called Tiny and Toya on BET. The show ended in 2010.

On July 22, 2014, Tiny released her first solo song, "What The F*** You Gon Do?". It quickly became a top song on the iTunes R&B/Soul charts.

In 2017, Tiny and Kandi Burruss also helped write the song "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran. In 2022, Tiny reunited with Xscape to perform at the Soul Train Music Awards. In March 2023, Tiny was on the Bravo reality TV show SWV & Xscape: The Queens of R&B.

Personal Life

Tiny started dating hip-hop rapper T.I. in 2001. They got married on July 30, 2010, in Miami Beach, Florida. They have two sons, King C’Andre Harris (born in 2004) and Major Philant Harris (born in 2008). They also have a daughter, Heiress Diana Harris (born in 2016). Tiny has an older daughter named Zonnique Jailee Pullins from a previous relationship. Through her marriage to T.I., Tiny has three stepchildren: Messiah, Domani, and Deyjah Harris.

From December 2011 to early 2017, a TV show called T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle was on VH1. This show followed the lives of Tiny, T.I., and their children.

Tiny's father, Charles Pope, passed away on July 11, 2013, at age 76. He had been battling Alzheimer's disease for a long time.

Another show, Tiny and Shekinah's Weave Trip, started on VH1 on October 13, 2014. This show followed Tiny and her best friend, Shekinah Anderson, as they traveled across the country with a mobile hair salon.

In 2017, Tiny announced that she would own a basketball team called the "Atlanta Heirs." This team is part of a new league called the Global Mixed Gender Basketball league.

In 2024, Tiny's daughter Heiress worked with five-year-old VanVan on a song called Be You.

Discography

Singles

Writing Credits