(Credit: AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Backstory: Over the course of four albums, T.I. has fought his way to the top of the hip-hop heap, culminating in his 2006 release "King," featuring huge hits singles like "What You Know." "King" went on to be the year's best-selling hip-hop CD, moving 2 million copies worldwide. In the meantime, he's made career moves into movies ("ATL") and commercial endorsements. Disputes with Ludacris and Lil' Flip are (supposedly) behind him, but a recent public brawl with Luda's manager Chaka Zula has him back on the hip-hop hot seat.
Why you should care: With his singsong rhyme flow and smooth good looks, T.I. comes across like a more rugged version of Nelly (with similar ambitions beyond the rap game). With hip-hop CD sales plummeting, the genre is in dire need of a new top dog to bring the game back to life. If he can produce two or three mega-hits with a similar impact of past smashes, his status as "King" will be undisputed. For at least a couple of weeks…
Verdict: Close, but no cigar. While "Raw" seethes with the same symphonic intensity of "What You Know" and the Wyclef Jean collaboration "You Know What It Is" sounds tailor-made to light up the dance floor, "T.I. Vs. T.I.P." suffers a similar fate as far too many contemporary hip-hop albums. At 18 tracks it's simply too damn long, and in 2007, it would seem that a successful rapper would have something more to talk about than money, power and respect. Despite the abundance of filler tracks and uninspired subject matter ("Da Dopeman"? Please), there's enough heat here to keep T.I. near the top of the rap pile. But "King"? Not so much.
X-factor: Keep an ear open for inspired cameos from Busta Rhymes ("Hurt"), Jay-Z ("Watch What You Say To Me") and Eminem ("Touch Down").
