T.I. vs. T.I.P review
Shot at 2007-07-03
In Rap, Inner War Can Be a Trap
By KELEFA SANNEH from the NYTimes.com posted on July 3, 2007
T. I. is hardly the first successful rapper to come down with split-personality disorder. Eminem made millions by pitting the tormented Marshall Mathers against the mischievous Slim Shady. Tupac Shakur morphed into Makaveli when he made his final album. Jay-Z briefly retired from rapping to become a record executive known as Shawn Carter. (“Back to Shawn Carter the hustler — Jay-Z is dead,” as he once put it.) Q-Tip begat Kamaal the Abstract; Nelly split his third album into “Sweat” and “Suit” discs; Ice Cube split one album into “Life” and “Death,” another into “War” and “Peace.” Often, successful rappers don’t crumble; they splinter.
So now it’s T. I.’s turn. Last year he released his glorious fourth album, “King”: a thunderous disc full of virtuoso rhymes that became the top-selling rap album of 2006. (Though, to be honest, there was scant competition.) Last week the follow-up, the disappointing “T. I. vs. T. I. P.,” arrived on the Internet, illegal but ubiquitous; the official version arrives in shops today, from Atlantic Records. Fans can choose their cover: a pinstriped T. I. or a sweatshirted T. I. P. But the music is the same, and so is the face, plus or minus a scowl.
This splintering began when T. I. was Clifford Harris, a skinny hustler from the Bankhead neighborhood in Atlanta. As a boy he was known as Tip, which became T. I. P. after he started rapping, and then T. I. after he got a major record deal. In 2003 he released his second album, “Trap Muzik,” which included “T. I. vs. T. I. P.,” the song that gave his new album its title. Even then, T. I., the ambitious hip-hop star, was trying to tame T. I. P., the impetuous kid from Bankhead.
In 2004, just as “Trap Muzik” was exploding, T. I. went to prison for violating his probation (he had been convicted of a drug charge in 1998); thanks to a work-release program, he was back within a few months. And on June 24 he reportedly got into a fight with Ludacris’s manager, Chaka Zulu; T. I. and Ludacris had previously feuded and reconciled, or so it seemed. Apparently T. I. P. just won’t stay gone.
Even so, T. I. has clearly grown more comfortable in his role as a bankable star. Like any rapper aiming for world domination, he has a record label (Grand Hustle) and a budding film career (he played the lead role in last year’s “ATL”). And while his new album includes plenty of rhymes about the good times and bad deeds, it also includes “Help Is Coming,” in which he tries to reassure nervous Atlantic executives. This is the hip-hop equivalent of a PowerPoint presentation: “They say the market share’s down — so? I ain’t affected/Tell the label relax, and they don’t need to stress/Yeah, just cut the check and I’ll handle the rest.”
T. I. is one of the last rap stars standing, a dominant figure at a time when record sales are falling fast and hip-hop sales are falling faster. (Last year no hip-hop album, not even “King,” was among the 10 top-selling CDs.) And like just about every popular rapper since the 1980s, he is both a sign of the times and an anomaly. He is part of a wave of beat-savvy Southern rappers (many based in Atlanta) who have reimagined the genre over the last decade. But he’s also an old-fashioned lyricist, obsessed with verbal density; Pharrell famously said, “He’s like the down-South Jay-Z.”
You might even say that T. I. has triumphed by turning Jay-Z’s style inside out. Jay-Z knew how to hide sound in sense. His lyrics often sounded like plainspoken prose; it was only later that you noticed the hidden rhyme patterns and rhythms. By contrast, T. I. hides sense in sound. His lyrics often sound like singsong chants; it’s only later that you notice the hidden intricacy of the words.
That approach was evident in “What You Know,” a club-crushing hit from “King.” While synthesizers sizzled, he used his raspy drawl to deliver a series of taunts and threats:
See all that attitude’s
Unnecessary, dude.
You never carry tools.
Not even square — he cube.
Listeners transfixed by his entertaining interjections (“O.K.?!”) and exaggerated pronunciation might easily have overlooked the rigorous poetic construction. But that’s a neat little quatrain: four lines, six syllables apiece, each building to an trisyllabic oblique rhyme. Somehow, T. I. delivers supertechnical raps without ever sounding as boring as that last sentence.
That’s why the new album is so puzzling. Compared with the reckless bombast of “King,” this album’s first single, “Big Things Poppin’ (Do It),” sounds pretty tepid. The follow-up, “You Know What It Is,” has a beautifully slithery beat by Wyclef Jean and his production team (which almost makes up for Mr. Jean’s faux-Jamaican patois), but the song is more elegant than thrilling. And it’s hard not to compare it with last year’s “What You Know,” especially since the title includes the same three words.
Thus the personality split: it’s a tool that rappers often use when they find themselves getting too complacent, or too self-conscious, or both. Scrappiness used to be one of T. I.’s greatest assets, and he made his name with brash street tales, many of which revolved around the cocaine trade. (On an early mixtape, he announced, “I got a thick, rich mixed bitch, handling bricks/And a quick-witted slick clique to manage the chick.”) He cleans up nice, but he needs someone to do his dirty work.
So he brought back T. I. P., who takes over “Act I,” as he calls it. That’s where you’ll find those first two singles, as well as “Hurt,” a surprisingly strong Busta Rhymes collaboration (it’s refreshing to hear both of them sounding so belligerent), and “Watch What You Say to Me,” a laid-back (but tough-talking) track with Jay-Z. It’s also where you’ll find “Da Dopeman,” which might be the most depressing song on the album: you can almost hear a sigh as T. I. — sorry, T. I. P. — rehashes a subject he once seemed to relish. This is his first album without Toomp, the Atlantan who produced many of his defining hits (including “Motivation,” “U Don’t Know Me” and “What You Know”), and Toomp’s devastating electronic tracks are sorely missed.
For Act II, T. I. takes over. There are dull collaborations with Eminem (who seems to know how bored he sounds) and Nelly, along with a rote seduction song (“Don’t You Wanna Be High”) and that PowerPoint spiel. Finally it’s time for “Act III — The Confrontation,” in which our two heroes finally come face to face to hash out their differences.
All this split-personality stuff is patently absurd (just try not to smirk or squirm when T. I. P. tries to get T. I.’s attention by yelling, “Meet me at the mirror, man!”), though evidently it’s a common enough response to the impossible demands of hip-hop, which more or less requires its stars — even, or especially, the veterans — to say ridiculous things, and mean them. T. I. is 26, but all the big-name guests on this album are well over 30, and it seems as if he’s already worried about aging gracefully.
At times his high-concept gamble comes close to paying off. When T. I. and T. I. P. square off in the second verse of “Respect This Hustle,” it’s worth the wait. T. I. P. complains that people are talking about him, but T. I. urges him to interpret that as a sign of respect:
T. I.: “Don’t take it personal — people wanna be close to folk/What you think the television and the posters fo’?”
T. I. P.: “Man, I’m claustrophobic.”
T. I.: “Well, you need to see a doctor fo’ it/And I ain’t jokin’ — you close, Tip, and you ’bout to blow it.”
In the end, though, clever plotting and sharp dialogue aren’t enough, especially not without more exciting beats than these. What’s missing, most of all, is the savage glee with which T. I. once attacked his foe Lil’ Flip, unleashing a torrent of insults that effectively ended Lil’ Flip’s career. The album’s three acts make the division too clear; separating the tycoon from the troublemaker diminishes them both.
No matter what happens with this album, T. I.’s career is nowhere near done; he remains one of the best and slickest rappers alive, and even hearing him spin his wheels is a joy. But what comes next? How does the self-proclaimed “King of the South” raise the stakes? That’s one question that the hotheaded T. I. P. can’t answer, and neither can Jay-Z, Nelly, Mr. Jean, Busta Rhymes or Eminem. T. I. will have to figure it out by himself.
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By far the most accurate review of T.I.
What do you guys think?
Ok let me sum it up like this…. T.I. or Tip sucks! This album is a total mess!!! King of the South???? GTFOH!
While I haven’t heard it yet, this line pretty much did it for me. “The album’s three acts make the division too clear; separating the tycoon from the troublemaker diminishes them both.” I love TI, but that quote just might keep me from turning my $9.99 over to Best Buy today.
I GOTTA COP…T.I HASNT LET ME DOWN YET…I GOT FAITH IN YOU T.I…
Well this isn’t the best album that is out but it is the only hip hop album that is worth listening to.
The next rap album that is probably worth checking out that is coming out soon is Three 6 mafia.
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Stallion on Jul 3rd, 2007 said:
The next rap album that is probably worth checking out that is coming out soon is Three 6 mafia.
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Hell no.. Kayne to the West
The-Xfacta - The reason I didn’t mention Kanye West because I wasn’t talking about albums that are being released in the fall. I think the next established rapper to release an album next is Three 6 Mafia.
T.I. Fan ALL DAY!!!!!!!!
Sure, he put waaaaay too much hype around the whole split personality shii, and yea, it didn’t come out the way I might have expected, but what are you going to do… Not EERY album can be like King, or (my personal favorite) Trap Muzik. T.I. vs. T.I.P is good and I think with a few more listens, I think I could love it. Honestly, as an ALBUM? This shit don’t work, listening to it song after song, it doesn’t really flow. But each TRACK? That’s what’s fire.
Man, if only he brought what brought to the ACT I Track through the whole album… that woulda been perfection in my eyes.
Still. It’s worth the money. Get your ass in gear and GET IT!
Too much bark, not enough bite.
Oh well, he’ll still sell.
I got my chance to listen to this albumn yesterday.
I think TIP upgraded his self. I love the “my type” that record shows the real human ,family man in him. IF YOU listen closely. The other ones are just banging!
i think this ablbummm is greatttttttttttttttt i jus got it today and this may hit the top mannnnnnnnn yeaaaaaa
t.i. is jus too gud
I’m definitely picking the album up. This was a great nonbiased look at a body of work. As a fan of TI/ TIP since the beginning I’m coppin’ it.
a t i, i hear you the king of the south. well i’m from the south. you aint king of shit nigga
ti vs tip is not what i expected at all, what happened to the ti that did trap muzik and urban legend, this cd dont seem like he utilized all of his skills because we all know he could have done better, but he’s still one of the best
I would have to say I was just a lil upset with this CD. After I spent my money on “In da Streetz”1,2,and3, “Im Serious”, “Trap Muzik”, Urban Legend”, and “King” I was sure he wouldn’t let me down with this one. I need him to definantly rethink some things and come back harder. I am such a big fan of T.I. duh or else I wouldn’t have spent all that money on him but I will not settle for less than what I am used to gettin. I wouldn’t trash “T.I. VS. T.I.P” but I expect way better product and lees hype for the next one…
R U SERRIOUS!!!!? King of the south is and will always be Flip. U question that just pick up “buy the car”, “Buy the house” or “diamonds n your face” three of the most unheard albums nationally but famous to Texas. Those albums went gold!!! and they were only sold in Texas! Now thats king shit! Sony did not promote him good. tHey only released two videos from “u gotta hear me” and it still went platinum! Check out “I need mines” coming out next month and well see who’s really doin it. He just signed with asylum rec. and your sure to see good collabs with UGK, paul wall and camron. Now thats hot. I think TI is goin over the hill since the best asset to his camp left. You will never hear the kind of stuff your used to hearing from TIP. Cherish the old and respect the new era: Texas rappers, UGK, Paul Wall,DJ SCREW(R.I.P.) Mike Jones(punk), Slim Thug, Lil Flip, Chamillionare, Zro(fire tracks!), Tum tum, Chalie Boy,Big Pokey, HAWK(R.I.P) Big tuck, and of course Scarface! You aint trill ATL.
R U SERRIOUS!!!!? King of the south is and will always be Flip. U question that just pick up “buy the car”, “Buy the house” or “diamonds n your face” three of the most unheard albums nationally but famous to Texas. Those albums went gold!!! and they were only sold in Texas! Now thats king shit! Sony did not promote him good. tHey only released two videos from “u gotta hear me” and it still went platinum! Check out “I need mines” coming out next month and well see who’s really doin it. He just signed with asylum rec. and your sure to see good collabs with UGK, paul wall and camron. Now thats hot. I think TI is goin over the hill since the best asset to his camp left. You will never hear the kind of stuff your used to hearing from TIP. Cherish the old and respect the new era: Texas rappers, UGK, Paul Wall, DJ screw R.I.P.()Mike Jones(punk), Slim Thug, Lil Flip, Big pokey, Chamillionare, Zro(fire tracks!), Tum tum, Chalie Boy, Big tuck, and of course Scarface! You aint trill ATL.
Download mp3 album T.I. vs T.I.P. (T.I., 2007)
LIl Flip used to be my favorite and basically the only rap I bought period as Im not exactly a thug lol, however, I am a product of my enviornment and rap is religion in some of the place here in ATL. I tried defending Flip for a minute (once again Im from ATL), but TIP killed his career. Whether you like Flip or not its hard to look at him or listen to his albums and take them seriously now. Rap for the most part is a novelty in my opinion and truthfully, the best players are the ones who actually lived the life. I related to Flip in a way cause his music was different and seemed much more mature. It doesn’t matter any more because TIP has such a bigger fan base and is the undisputed “king” of the south, at least. Yeah, Texas rap is great and UGK are my favorites. Its obvious that Texas and Georgia are the biggest states in rap today (sorry New York, its over for now haha), but I have to defend my native state when I say that ATL crushes ya’ll. More air play, bigger names, and far greater sales. Plus we have the King whether T.I. vs. T.I.P. sales or not…
Hey XFacta, you on cocaine? T.I. is the best rapper in the game today (and he will be for a while)! This is a fantastic album (better than King)! So stop the fuckin’ drugs (they kill people you know)!
yall need 2 look out for mans eminems album coming soon…………… king mathers
or still shady will be possible titles
Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan this album is da fire on the real flip aint no king of da south far from it but yeah this is like one of da best albums out this year besides that usda album
Well i think dis album was da shit T.I. came out strong in dis one
and dat track wit busta and sombody else was murda listen hear xfactor
U R ON DRUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!! and yeah when shady is relesed he gunna rock
the game w8 and c
j stone is a hater. AND TI IS FUCKEN FINE
crazy album