Self-proclaimed ‘King of the South’ T.I. delivers plenty of worthwhile moments on his tenth studio album, ‘Dime Trap.’  

In the 00s, T.I. was one of the biggest, most popular, commercially successful rappers.  The self-proclaimed ‘King of the South,’ a Grammy-award winner, was definitely a fixture beyond the Atlanta rap scene.  The 10s haven’t been quite as kind, but that comes with age, and the ‘short shelf life’ that is the music industry these days, sigh.  Nonetheless, the King is back with a respectable new album in Dime Trap.

“Seasons”

✓ “Seasons,” featuring Sam Hook, serves as an enjoyable and respectable opening statement on Dime Trap.  Following an uncredited intro courtesy of Dave Chappelle, T.I. gets to work, spitting with agility over a soulful, organ, choral, and string-laden backdrop.  Hook amplifies the soulfulness on the chorus, particularly at the end. ✓ “Laugh at Em” continues a strong start to Dime Trap with dramatic, electrifying, minor-key production, courtesy of Cardiak and Just Blaze. In regards to the bars, T.I. continues to be ‘on fire’, filled with swagger.  No, perhaps he spits nothing we haven’t previously heard, but as they say, ‘it’s a vibe.’ 

T.I. continues a trend of ‘drip’ songs with “Big Ol Drip” featuring WATCH THE DUCK, who also happened to appear on Paperwork in 2014.  DUCK further amplifies the soulful dimension of the record with his distinct, gritty vocals.  The production itself has old-school qualities, combined with delightful southern rap cues – brassy synths and a sick beat. “Wraith” brings Yo Gotti for a meaningless, but undoubtedly pleasant banger.

“The Weekend”

“I got no time for the f**k-shit, I’m gettin’ money or die / Get the f**k on with distractions, I’m way too dope not to have it,” T.I. asserts on the first verse of ✓ “The Weekend”. One of the selling points is the pop-oriented, urban contemporary sounds with the electric guitar, piano; the riffs are pretty sweet. Young Thug handles the hook, adding his usual quirky, melodic approach:

“It’s goin’ down every weekend, hey, yeah
Malibu, top gone, everything for the weekend…
Summertime, bathin’ suit, jump in the pool for the weekend
I can make any b***h leave her man, just for the weekend…”

The groove doesn’t kick in until after :45. T.I. serves up an interesting flow on the first verse. Young Thug performs the second verse quirkily blending straight and pitched rhymes. The outro by T.I. is melodic. Victoria Monet adds to a long list of featured guests on Dime Trap.  She adds her smooth pipes to the reflective ✓ “The Amazing Mr. F**k Up.” This is a clear change of pace compared to the tracks that precede it, finding T.I. speaking about his growth as a person.   

“At Least I Know” is the longest song on Dime Trap, clocking in at nearly five-and-a-half minutes.  Even so, it has plenty of pros, including the one-of-a-kind pipes of Anderson .Paak on the chorus and sleek production. Dave Chappelle reappears on the intro of “What Can I Say,” once more uncredited.  He fuels T.I.’s fire on the rare solo track from the LP.

“Jefe”

✓ “Jefe”, featuring Meek Mill, commences with an intro that includes a Spanish woman being sexy, as well as a confident excerpt from Dave Chapelle (per the Genius annotation). Meek Mill takes the first verse, accompanied by Latin-tinged horns (think Mariachi), and minor-key production that’s perfect fuel for the fire.  Naturally, he’s ‘turned-up’, dropping an electrifying flow with flexing bars to match.  Eschewing a hook, T.I. segues on the second verse, confidently asserting, “Let me welcome you, get introduced to the king.”  Like Mill, he is fired-up, rapping with agility, southern accent and all, and flexing like a “boss.” Hey, the song’s called jefe, so the two rappers are living up to the title.

✓ “More & More” has a compelling case as the best banger on DIME TRAP. Featuring fellow southern rapper Jeezy, the record shines from the get-go, and serves as a tremendous follow-up to “Jefe.” “Pray for Me” featuring YFN Lucci slackens the pace a bit without sacrificing grit or toughness. T.I. doesn’t offer up a new script at this point, but his flexing is well received. 

“Looking Back” 

✓ “Looking Back” features some of the best production of DIME TRAP hands down.  T.I. rides he beat like a champ, which thrives off of soulfulness and southern vibes.  In addition to compelling bars, the repeated hook is highly effective – “Ay, tell me what you gon’ see when you looking back at yo’ life.” Interestingly, on “Light Day,” the rapper’s oldest son, 18-year old Messiah Harris, serves as the producer. “You,” featuring Teyana Taylor, finds the rapper spitting ‘real talk,’ including the eyebrow-raising lyrics, “Gotta claim ‘em, just like these so-called conservatives / Fight against the rights of homosexual, then go home and play with lil’ kid.” Fittingly, the London Jae feature, “Be There,” closes out the album. Once again, T.I. is reflective, particularly on the outro when he says, “Well, I’m sure the people who put crack cocaine in our communities infested us with all this hate, all these guns, all this violence, all this rage.”

Final Thoughts 

All in all, there’s plenty to like about Dime Trap.  T.I. delivers a well-rounded album that balances trap bangers and relevant personal and social issues. Is this the best, most memorable album that the ‘king’ has released? No, but it’s certainly worthwhile.

✓ Gems: “Seasons,” “Laugh at Em,” “The Weekend,” “The Amazing Mr. Fuck Up,” “Jefe,” “More & More” & “Looking Back” 

T.I. • DIME TRAP • Epic • Release: 10.5.18

Photo Credit: Epic