T.I.

Last month, T.I. was sentenced to three years in jail after violating his probation. And while the Atlanta-based rapper shares his rap sheet throughout his sophomore release, Trap Muzik, he also offers a bit of insight and advice. On "Doin' My Job," he muses that, like it or not, selling...

By Quibian Salazar-Moreno

May 20, 2004

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Last month, T.I. was sentenced to three years in jail after violating his probation. And while the Atlanta-based rapper shares his rap sheet throughout his sophomore release, Trap Muzik, he also offers a bit of insight and advice. On "Doin' My Job," he muses that, like it or not, selling drugs is a way of life in his hood, and on "Better Than Me," he encourages kids to stay in school, stay off the streets and make better choices than he did. T.I. takes a turn for the political on "No More Talk" as he discusses the ramifications of 9/11, the war on Iraq and the rappers who ignore it.

But rest assured, not everything is stone-faced here. T.I. finds time to romance the ladies on the Jazze Pha-produced joint "Let's Get Away" and on "I Still Luv You." And despite a few missteps -- "Let Me Tell You Something" finds him rhyming over a poorly looped Zapp & Roger sample -- the disc's production is tight, with contributions from David Banner ("Rubberband Man"), Kanye West, Lavell Crump, DJ Toomp and Benny Tillman.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.