#32 - Phil

T.I.

Trap Muzik

2003

In my eyes, T.I. is the single greatest rapper to ever come out of the South (the only rap artists who rival him are Outkast). A genre of hip-hop that far too often dismisses lyrical importance and simply throws as much bass and snare into its beats as possible, T.I. certainly is an exception to this norm as he consistently produces excellent albums that not only make people dance, but also make them think. And there is no record in his discography that does this more effectively than 2003’s superbly-crafted Trap Muzik.

On T.I.’s second album, he puts his trust in the hands of several famous hip-hop producers. David Banner, one of the most famous southern rap producers ever, provides the record with one of its biggest singles in “Rubber Band Man.” Kanye West – whom I consider the greatest hip-hop producer of all-time – comes through with two songs, including one of my favorites, “Doin’ My Job.” But the greatest work of all comes from DJ Toomp, who produces three of the best songs of T.I.’s career in “Be Easy,” “Bezzle,” and the album’s lead single, “24s.” “24’s” was the first song that really put T.I. on the map, and that alone makes me consider it one of the most important singles in southern hip-hop history: “In a drop-top Chevy with the roof wide open / My partner's looking at me to see if my eyes open / ‘Cause I’ve been drinkin’ and I’ve been smokin’ / And flyin’ down 285, but I’m focused.” T.I. doesn’t care if you judge him for writing songs about being intoxicated and driving… there’s no denying that after this album, he truly is "King of the South." -P.W.

Before listening to Trap Muzik I was only familiar with his more recent album, King. Of the Southern rappers I’ve heard, T.I. is easily my favorite. So, before listening to Trap Muzik, I knew I’d enjoy the production, which is surely my favorite part of the his work. In fact, I find myself concentrating more on the beats than I do T.I. himself. The highlight for me was “Be Easy” with the dampened soul vocals and back-up piano and brass. - Ryan

T.I. has got quite a swagger and the strong Southern production backing him up keeps the tunes thrilling. I had enjoyed "King" when it came out a few years ago, specifically the psych-rap masterpiece "What You Know", but I was unfamiliar with his earlier work. Regardless of the lyrical content (which varies widely, spanning anything from drug deals gone wrong to accepting his father's apology), the sounds hold up here with a punchy production style and a nice ear for melody. - Steve