GAMES: GameSpot: Best of 2008 | GameFAQs | SportsGamer MUSIC: Last.fm | MP3.com MOVIES: Metacritic | Movietome TV: TV.com
King
Users Say
88 ratings
Album Reviews: 9
Album: King
Artist: T.I.
Release Date: 3/28/2006
Genre: Hip-Hop
Tags: pimping, he is to hot not to tagg.
Released the same week as {#ATL}, his big-screen debut, {$T.I.}'s fourth album isn't the leap forward he's been threatening to make, but it does carry the best set of productions he has been given to work with, and it guarantees that he won't be leaving the singles charts any time soon. On a steady basis since 2003, the MC has been responsible for some of the most memorable {\rap} singles of the decade. {&"24's,"} {&"T.I. vs. T.I.P.,"} {&"Rubberband Man,"} {&"Bring Em Out,"} {&"U Don't Know Me,"} and the underappreciated {&"ASAP"} amount to a run as impressive as anyone else's during the same years, and the streak continued with {^King}'s first official single. The slow victory lap that is {&"What You Know"} is {$T.I.}'s greatest track yet, a {$Toomp} production with high and low synthesizer notes -- all of which sound like severely pitched-down synthetic horn lines -- drawn out to the point where they're practically bleeding into one another; {$T.I.} similarly extends his syllables ("Just keep it very cooool, or we will bury yooou") for maximum looming effect. The track is emblematic of the album in that {$T.I.} is basically saying the same things he has said many times before, but he's finding slightly different ways to say them, and as long as he doesn't get lackadaisical and his producers keep up, he'll be at the top of his game. The swarming all-out-assault {&"I'm Talking to You"} and the {$Rick Rubin}-worthy {&"You Know Who"} play roles similar to that of {^Urban Legend}'s {&"Bring Em Out,"} and though neither one is quite as swift, they add further muscle to an MC who tends to be regarded as smooth. Some of the less energetic tracks weigh the 75-minute album down, but {&"Why You Wanna"} works surprisingly well, given that {$T.I.} tends to sound out of place when he's playing loverman and that the plangent keyboards from {$Crystal Waters}' {&"Gypsy Woman"} really have no business being anywhere near a {\rap} track. It is frustrating that {$T.I.} has only been refining his material since 2003's {^Trap Muzik}, but that has been more than enough to gradually raise his profile. Maybe he needs a flop to spark some risk-taking. For better or worse, it doesn't look like that will be happening anytime soon. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

Tags

add

free music

T.I. - Live in the Sky f/ Jamie Foxx Play Stream the song for free!
T.I. - Live in the Sky f/ Jamie Foxx
Stream: Windows Media Player Required.

Album Videos

  •  Play What You Know
    T.I. pays a visit to the west coast for the premiere of "A.T.L.".
    Windows Media Player Required

alternate releases

King - CLEAN  |  2006
King - 2 LPS  |  2006
Alternative releases are different issues or variant issues of the same album.

Write a Review

Press Pass
Your Take
Tell the world what you think about
King by T.I.!

Recent User Reviews

He's been preaching it for years & no one believed in him - King of the South.
2006 was one of the worst years for rap sales in history, but somehow T.I.'s King managed to breakthrough and reach platinum status. Sure Lil Wayne's Tha Carter II
FULL REVIEW
posted Apr 26, 2007
Great album
FULL REVIEW
posted Mar 3, 2007
"Although the best tracks are very good, there are not a lot of these, “What You Know”, “Why You Wanna” and ”Goodlife Ft. Pharrell and Common” the only real standouts........"
FULL REVIEW
posted Sep 30, 2006
posted Sep 14, 2006
This album is a great album from T.I. its his third album called king and its a good one. The album has hits like why you wanna and what you know witch are my favorite songs from the cd. He has defeated lilflip in battle on the mic from king of the south
FULL REVIEW
posted Aug 8, 2006
Data Warehouse Clear Gif