T.I.

With King, Atlanta’s golden child T.I. proves why he is worthy of his self-given title of "King of the South.” T.I.’s flow, confidence, life story — which is unravelled throughout his music — and a diverse array of producers giving him their best, are the elements that make King T.I.’s best album so far. T.I.’s flow is a nonchalant yet direct style of rhyming where all of his lyrics seem to slide into one another. It sounds like it’s a very easy thing for him to do and it’s very easy to be entertained by his style on "What You Know” (produced by DJ Toomp). But T.I. can flip his flow with the best of them. "I’m Talking to You” is a huge haunting track produced by Just Blaze, where T.I. chastises all his half-way rivals while keeping his performance simultaneously smooth and frenzied. "Live in the Sky” is a heartfelt song about dead loved ones and past mistakes where T.I.’s emotional raps are accentuated by Jamie Foxx’s gospels style singing. "Why You Wanna” is another standout cut about a girl in the wrong relationship. The track is built from a keyboards sample from the classic house track "She’s Homeless” by Crystal Waters. This album is 18 solid tracks deep and worthy of a salute to the new king.