Over the past two years, the rap world has seen a changing of the guard, with the south taking over as the hottest area in the game. In the past year alone, we’ve seen critically acclaimed albums from Young Jeezy, Paul Wall, David Banner, Slim Thug, and most recently, Li’l Wayne. But the new wave of hip-hop seemed to be lacking a leader. Enter T.I.
Since the release of his breakthrough album Trap Musik, the 25-year-old rapper has earned respect from the hip-hop community, and following the platinum-selling Urban Legend, there has seemed to be an unspoken consensus that “Tip” (born Clifford Harris) has fast been becoming one of the best emcees to ever come out of the south (they don’t call him “Jay-Z of the south” for nothing).
And after one listen to his new effort, T.I.’s King (which not-so-coincidentally arrives on the heels of his first starring role in the new movie ATL), it’s evident T.I. is officially the new sovereign of the south.
The production is stellar from start to finish. Banishing the New York-style production from his last offering, King is purely southern gold. That’s apparent early on as T.I. comes out swinging on the blazing intro “King Back,” one of three gems here produced by hitmaker Just Blaze. First single “What You Know” is a surefire street anthem, T.I. flowing effortlessly over a captivating beat.
“I’m Talking To You” drops sly subliminal shots at just about anybody brave enough to challenge the ATL veteran. With solid outings like “Live In The Sky” (featuring Jamie Foxx) and “Why You Wanna”, the album’s first half exceeds the rest of the disc, with the exceptions of the laid-back “Goodlife” (featuring Common and Pharrell), and “Hello,” which rides a smooth sample and hook performed by Governor. The album’s back half is cluttered with filler such as “Undertaker” and “Told You So,” which sees T.I offering lame attempts at radio-friendly hooks.
Overall, T.I. accomplishes what he set out to do with his this disc: he delivers an album strong enough to certify his claim to the southern rap throne while still continuing to make music that can be appreciated by his local fan base and mainstream hip-hop heads alike. Let’s hope the lure of Hollywood isn’t too great.
-SAMIR SIDDIQUI, Special Hip-Hop Assistant to the Arts Editor
