King — T.I.
Atlantic
2006
Rating:


T.I. opens "King" with his own prophecy and personal theme song: a manic street preacher speaks of a boy born in the slums who goes on to become a great leader and then Just Blaze kicks in with 1970s blaxploitation horns and jungle beats for "King Back." The song is a welcoming from T.I. and a chance to "get acquainted with the youngest charge." Ludacris and Lil' Flip, among others, certainly have something to say about T.I.'s claims to king status, although their argument will be rendered moot (and mute) by the end of "King's" 18 tracks.

No track more grandly supports Tip's claims to rap sovereignty than hip-hop song of the year "What You Know." DJ Toomp and Wonder's production here is monstrously cataclysmic. The bassline of Roberta Flack's cover of The Impressions' "Gone Away" shudders the bowels while a synthesizer countermelody floats in the background. T.I.'s confident flow commands this track, mundanely detailing a drug dealer's work day — "Don't you know I got keys by the three, when I chirp shorty chirp back / Louis knapsack where I'm holdin' all the work at." T.I. squelches Lil' Flip here, calling him a "scary dude, believed by very few / Just keep it very cool or we will bury you / See all that attitude's unnecessary dude."

For a twist on the diss track, T.I. systematically lists all the people he's not beefing with on "I'm Talkin' to You." T.I. doesn't mince words on the chorus: "You can hate all you wanna hate / I know you a fake. Make no mistake, bitch, I'm talkin to you / You so lame you a shame to the game / I say it you know what ya name is." Just Blaze's deep bass and sinister horns provide the backdrop for T.I. to give reprieves to Jay-Z and Ludacris ("Had it out with 'Cris but he still my nigga / Sat down, civilized, talked about it like niggas") while leaving it open as to who's really on notice. By the time T.I. effortlessly double-times his flow almost four minutes in, that should be most of the hip-hop community.

"King" gives plenty of other reasons for stalwarts of the rap game to be nervous about their rank in the kingdom. For the first time, T.I. has put forth a cohesive album of club anthems ("Get It"), womanizing jams thankfully short on misogyny ("What, he think he too fresh to show you that you're the best? / Compliment you on your intellect and treat you with respect?" he says on "Why You Wanna" while later purporting to be a "Stand Up Guy") and social commentary (outdoing a guest appearance from Common on "Goodlife" and touring the ghetto in "Ride Wit Me"). As T.I. says on the Rich Harrison-sounding, Swizz Beatz-produced "Get It," "Shots so bright I can't see niggas standin' right in front of me / These niggas don't want none of me / This rappin' shit is fun to me."

Posted Friday, December 22, 2006

Link to this review:
http://filmzeus.pressbin.com/music/t.i./king