The celebs came out in droves for American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers’ (ASCAP) annual Grammy Brunch at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills on Friday (January 30). Among the many special guests were Rapsody, Kamasi Washington, Jon Batiste, T.I., Tiny and their son Domani.

Of course, it was impossible to ignore Tip’s new look. Last month, the veteran rapper/actor chopped off his signature braids, returning to a low cut fade. When questioned how many people had asked him about his hair that day, he smirked and told AllHipHop, “You will be the third.”

He went on to explain why he initially grew it out, saying, “During the pandemic, we were all sheltering in place. My hair was growing like a little afro and I had hair on my face. I was out at Target or some store. A lady walked up and said, ‘Hey!’ And then she said, ‘You know what? Nevermind. I thought you were T .I.”

That’s when it clicked. He continued, I thought, ‘Ah.’ I figured I could camouflage myself and not be so recognizable. I just felt like fading to the back a little bit. But now I’m introducing new music and I’m about to put out a new album. I can’t hide no more.”

T.I. then spoke about his new single, “Let Them Know,” which is out now. He added, ” The album will be later this, probably second, second, third quarter.”

Tip revealed his latest aesthetic update in an Instagram post on January 17, sharing a black-and-white snippet of himself in a barber’s chair. With the sound of hair clippers humming in the background, his braids fell to the floor as he said, “Get ready. It’s time.”

T.I.’s next album, Kill the King, is being touted as his final solo studio album.