Tiny Teases New Music As Her ‘Bedroom Alter Ego, Ryder’ & Admits T.I.’s Still The ‘Man Of Her Dreams’

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This will be the year of Tameka “Tiny” Harris! The Xscape singer, 43, is preparing to release new solo music that she says is inspired by her 18-year romance with husband, T.I., 38. Tiny’s new sound will include deep tracks, which will be released under her alter ego, “Ryder.” — A name she usually only uses in the bedroom. “I started to bring her out a little more, as far as in my music, because my music talks about my relationship, my life, and the things I go through, and things that other people go through,” she tells HollywoodLife during an EXCLUSIVE interview on April 12. Tiny visited our New York City offices last Friday, where she previewed the second season of T.I. & Tiny: Friends and Family Hustle, which returns with all new episodes on Monday, April 15 at 9/8c on VH1.

“My music is about things that you can relate to,” Tiny admits, explaining that her real-life experiences and relationship are two of the only things she wants to write and sing about in the studio these days. “I’ve recorded about four songs already. So, you know, I’m working. I’m gonna drop something really soon,” she reveals.

As for her relationship with T.I., Tiny reveals that the couple is back to living under the same roof following a rough patch in their marriage. Tiny previously filed for divorce from Tip, but the pair never went through with it. During the first season of Friends and Family Hustle, Tiny revealed (in October 2018) that the divorce was off, despite the fact that she and Tip were still living separately. Nonetheless, they’ve come a long way since then.

“Yes, we are under the same roof. We are now living in my house, because his house or the house that we lived in together is being remodeled or whatever,” Tiny explains. “Right now, we’re just living in the house that I bought and then we’ll move back into the lake house, even though I love my house!”

Tiny and Tip have been together for nearly two decades. They share three children together, while also raising four other children from prior relationships. And, while their relationship hasn’t always been picture perfect, Tiny admits that they’ve figured out how to make it work after so many years together. “I mean, you know, we have our trying times. So, you gotta find ways to reinvent things to make it hot, to keep it going, you know — and just to get through all the turmoil that life brings you,” she explains.

“I mean, it’s a work in progress,” Tiny says, adding, “I won’t say that it’s perfect, you know, nothing’s perfect.” However, it’s Tiny and Tip’s love that always reminds them what they continue to fight for. “It’s been better and we love each other. We’ll never stop loving each other,” she gushes. “I think the thing that keeps us coming back to each other is just that we have a love for each other that is like, abnormal. And, a lot of people don’t understand and they’ll be like, ‘Oh, this, this and that’, but, no one’s ever loved me like this man. He’s my protector, he’s my provider. —  I just call him, ‘the man of my dreams.'”

T.I. & Tiny: Friends and Family Hustle returns for season 2 on Monday, April 15 at 9/8c on VH1. “[This season], you get to see the kids doing more things,” Tiny teases, adding that the show isn’t all drama-filled. “But, at the same time, it’s a lot of things that will show a different type of drama. It’s not catty, we’re just going through life. There’s no bitterness. We all love each other. If we’re fighting, it’s about something within our own family.”