Personnel: T.I., Eightball, MJG, Bun B, Mac Boney (rap vocals); Charles Pettaway (guitar, bass); Michael Witwer (guitar); Jazze Pha (background vocals). Producers include: Grand Hustle, San Holmes, DJ Toomp, Benny Tillman, Kanye West. Recorded at Patchwerk Studios, Atlanta, Georgia. On the remarkably vulnerable "I Can't Quit," the second track on his sophomore release, TRAP MUZIK, T.I. observes "I'm this close to being a star and just this close to quitting." His 2001 debut, I'M SERIOUS, seemed a powerful can't-miss record with a title single featuring an ace turn by Beenie Man. While it didn't wholly miss, the single which should have been pumpin' around the world barely saw a lick of airplay, and while the album sold modestly, it didn't even approach the platinum level lesser talents achieved with ease. No matter though, T.I.'s back with a vengeance on TRAP MUZIK, an appealing melange of subtle beats and easy flows which belie the Georgia rapper's vast lyrical intellect. While there are aspects of the Dirty South in T.I.'s style, his world and his style are distinctly his own--incredibly unself-conscious but confident, observational, insightful, rough, and raw. This odd mix is best represented in the starkly honest "Doin' My Job," a cry for tolerance noteworthy for its lack of either cliche or treacle. The following track, the sexually laced banger, "Let's Get Away," could easily descend into a morass of silliness, yet somehow manages to remain organic. Hopefully, T.I. will not miss success again with TRAP MUZIK, but either way, the record makes it clear that quitting should not be an option.

• Genre: Pop
• Format: Vinyl
• Released: 10/26/2018