T.I:
Urban Legend

Release Date: 11 November 2004

Reviewed By: Usman Sajjad

1. Tha King

2. Motivation

3. Don't You Know Me

4. ASAP

5. Praying For Help

6. Why U Mad At Me

7. Get Loose - ft, Nelly

8. What They Do - ft, BG

9. The Greatest - ft, Mannie Fresh

10. Get Ya Shit Together - ft, Lil' Kim

11. Freak Though - ft, Pharrell

12. Countdown

13. Bring Em Out

14. Limelight - ft, P$C, Big Kuntry

15. Chillin With My B***h - ft, Jazze Pha

16. Stand Up - ft, Trick Daddy, Lil Jon, Lil Wayne

17. My Life - ft Daz Dillinger

Nas - Street's Disciple
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Confidence is what runs T.I. back and forth in this rap game, and with his self proclaimed ‘King of Da South’ status, who would argue at what the Atlanta native is saying? With his critically acclaimed 2003 album ‘Trap Muzik’, the young rookie has not been afraid to express who he is, as he smoothly spits ‘Seven time felon/ What I care about a case, man’ on the David Banner-produced ‘Rubberband Man’. However, with the competition rising in the form of Houston’s Lil’ Flip, T.I.’s self proclamation of his ‘King’ status was severely questioned. With his release from prison a few months ago, and the bubbling down of his publicised “beef” with Flip, could the Atlanta-born rapper’s third release ‘Urban Legend’ be the indication for T.I to be officially crowned ‘King of Da South’?

On ‘Motivation’, T.I. spits with focus over high-powered flutes, produced by DJ Toomp, warning others he is at his prime. The thunderous sounds on ‘U Don’t Know’ show the raw, gritty charisma of the ATL native, whilst on ‘Get Loose’ featuring Nelly, having Jazze Pha behind the boards attempts to create the next ‘Tip Drill’ anthem. Showing maturity and development from ‘Trap Muzik’, T.I. opens up with composure on ‘Prayin for Help’, on which he humbly confesses his difficulty of making it over the mellow beat.

On the lead single ‘Bring ’Em Out’, Swizz Beats speeds up a Jay-Z sample used on the hook, creating an East Coast-sounding hit. Even though the lead single does not compare to the main hit ‘Rubberband Man’ on ‘Trap Muzik’, the track will do enough to move feet in clubs. On ‘Chilling with my B****’, T.I. creates a laid-back atmosphere through his flamboyant rhymes for his lady, on a track which also features the smooth vocals of Jazze Pha on the hook, over the calm Caribbean sounds of Scott Storch (Fat Joe’s ‘Lean Back’), as both Jazz and T.I. repeat the sounds of ‘Let’s Get Away’ on his previous album. The ‘Rubberband Man’ continues to boast on ‘The Greatest’ over the 808 drums of Mannie Fresh, whilst Daz Dillinger, the man behind many of Snoop Dogg and Tupac’s hits back in the Deathrow days, helps T.I. on the slick ‘My Life’, creating that West Coast groove. The King of Crunk assists T.I. on ‘Stand Up’, as T.I., Trick Daddy and Lil’ Wayne rhyme over a unique Lil’ Jon beat.

Showing sings of development from his last album, T.I. has successfully progressed over the high name production from the New Orleans sounds of Mannie Fresh to the Crunk feel from Lil’ Jon. On ‘Urban Legend’, the rapper is able to change moods with his lyrical style, without changing the quality of delivery.

However, with the pointless meaning and generic sounds on ‘Get Yo S*** Together’ featuring Lil’ Kim, T.I. does stumble in places on the album, just like he does with the commercial sounds on the Neptunes-produced ‘Freak Though’ featuring a very high-pitched Pharrell, (who shows no signs of killing a hook like he did on Jay-Z’s ‘Excuse Me Miss’ and his own ‘Frontin’). Nevertheless, the ATL rapper has achieved a height many Southern rappers have failed to do on their releases, that is, being able to create multi-regional sounds. On ‘Urban Legend’, we hear sounds booming from the speaker originating from the East, West, Mid-West and South coasts.

From T.I’s performance on the album, it is fair to say that the claims of his ‘King of Da South’ status can be accepted right now, and until another groundbreaking album from a Dirty South rapper hits the shelves, I guess T.I can keep that crown firmly on his head.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Top 3 Tracks
15. Chilling With My B**** feat. Jazze Pha
5. Praying For Help
17. My Life feat. Daz Dilinger

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