If there is one man in Hip Hop who has found his self constantly in the wrong kind of spot light, its rapper T.I. He more than anyone else in the industry has become the trouble man of rap. After serving a year sentencing for purchasing assault rifle weapons, he was released only to be sent back to prison for violating his parole. Once released for a second time, the rapper came back with what seemed like a vengeance; jumping on several popular tracks including Jay Z and Kanye West “N**** In Paris” and Ke$has ” Sleazy,” and after being in prison for a year had built a buzz all over again. Prior to his second stint in prison, he released an album that didn’t do that well on Billboard and will probably go down as one of his least interesting projects. So with that on his shoulder he brings us “Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head” of the man who holds the crown, and as T.I. say’s he’s the “King Of the South”, but is he still deserving of that title?
Production-9
T.I. is the king of consistency. If you have only heard one of his albums, you will already have a good idea of what to expect on future albums. The feel of his production is generally the same. He usually gravitates towards uptempo, high energy beats with heavy base and electric chords. There’s a reason he has been able to have so much pop success. A lot of the beats he picks are the perfect fit for the type of energy a pop station would be looking for. This isn’t an insult to his preference, it’s just an observation. He is one of the few rappers who has mastered the art of riding the line between gritty and mainstream, and the beats are a perfect complement to his rapping style.
