By Hardcore Critic
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
No rapper has overcome the obstacles T.I. has. Admittedly, a lot of these obstacles were caused by T.I., but few are able to take responsibility and move on the way he did. Coming out of prison, T.I. knew he had to come correct with his music in order to gain his spot back.
Acknowledging all the trouble he caused, T.I. launched his Trouble Man album series, starting off with Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head. Over the course of his career, leading up to Paper Trail, T.I. showed growth. In the hip hop industry, showing growth is often confused with leaving your roots behind.
T.I. managed to bridge the gaps from his previous albums on Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head with such tracks as “Trap Back Jumpin’,” countering them with “Love This Life.” While each track came together for a different reason, in the end the final result was a balanced album from T.I.
Obviously, T.I. is not the same T.I. he was four years ago. Due to the changes in the game and the new names, T.I. is no longer the biggest rapper out. Also, with his experiences changing who he is, T.I. does not deliver the way he once did and he now has the “family man” title to keep in mind with his growing television career. Personally, T.I. has evolved and it has trickled into his music, though he found himself trying to appeal to everyone.
Had the competition not been so stiff, with great albums from Nas, Rick Ross, Big Boi, Wiz Khalifa, and Game, along with many others, T.I. could have possibly ended 2012 with the year’s best album. Regardless, Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head is a great body of work that describes T.I.’s state of mind, as he bounced back from his ordeal. Mixing the old with the new, boasting A$AP Rocky and Andre 3000 on his album, T.I. showed why he has been “king” for as long as he has.
Hip Hop Vibe’s Rating: 7/10
