T.I.

If not necessarily a moral virtue, T.I.'s arrogance is at least an artistic asset. No rapper since Jay-Z has been so adept at super suave self-promotion ("King Back") and generalized trash-talking ("I'm Talking to You"). The secret is that T.I. cuts his braggadocio with liberal doses of humor, and having super-producers Just Blaze and Swizz Beats on your side doesn't hurt.

The third album from T.I. won't do much to answer doubters who've chalked the Atlanta
MC's success up to his compelling life story (he's gone from rags to riches to jail and back)
and to his thug-in-aviator-shades good looks, rather than his presence on the mike. On
King, former "Rubber Band Man" Clifford Harris flips between aggro chin-checker ("I'm
Talkin' to You" is spoiled by way-too-busy production from Just Blaze) and sexe... More >