{$T.I.} went through big ups and big downs after the release of 2003's {^Trap Muzik}. Right after watching two successive singles -- {&"24s"} and {&"Rubber Band Man"} -- become the most successful hits of his career, he was put behind bars for violating probation that resulted from a 1997 arrest on cocaine distribution and the manufacturing and distribution of a controlled substance. He received a three-year prison sentence, only to be granted a work-release program that allowed him to continue making music (he proceeded to record several albums' worth of material). Then there was the MC's surprise performance at a concert for an Atlanta radio station, where he avenged the alleged shots {$Lil' Flip} took at him while he was incarcerated. And that hardly covers all the events that transpired during the 15 months that led to {^Urban Legend}, the follow-up to {^Trap Muzik}. With all that chaos surrounding {$T.I.}, it's disappointing to hear him retracing his steps, rewriting old lines, developing with little progress. At the negative end, there's {&"Countdown,"} a flimsy rehash of {&"Rubber Band Man."} At the positive end, there's {&"Bring Em Out"} -- a rowdy {$Swizz Beatz} production with blaring synth horns and a sampled {$Jay-Z} (from {&"What More Can I Say"}) acting as hype man, in which {$T.I.} rides the beat while bouncing off it at the same time. Some of his most incisive moments are delivered when the mood is somber, as on {&"Prayin for Help,"} where he expresses pain and regret without dealing in clichés. {$Mannie Fresh}, {$the Neptunes}, {$Jazze Pha}, and {$Scott Storch} also contribute beats; some are perfectly satisfactory, none are highlight-reel worthy. Perhaps it's asking too much to expect {$T.I.} to show as much growth here as he did on {^Trap Muzik}, but -- as is the case with {$Jadakiss} -- remaining patient for that classic album (and you know he has one in him) is getting tough. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide