T.I. is a monster on the mic. There's a reason he's been able to call himself the King of the South for almost three decades. He's a trap pioneer, so much so that his breakout album is literally called Trap Muzik. That being said, TI is not limited to Southern fried instrumentals. The rapper recently went on Power 106.1 and dropped a head-spinning freestyle over production that is antithetical to what we expect. TIP showed fans that he could pivot towards G-Funk without missing a beat.
Adorned in a hoodie and sunglasses, TIP skated over the classic instrumental to "Dre Day" by Dr. Dre. "F*ck a player hater, I'm a mayor maker," he spits. "Out in L.A. laid up like I'm Ghost on Takers, know I'm staying with it." In the span of a couple lines, TI makes it clear that he's still the King. He also tips (no pun intended) his cap to the West Coast and references the 2010 film in which he starred, Takers. The rest of the freestyle follows this dense rhyming pattern. The instrumental changes halfway through TI's verse but he doesn't slow down.
TI Spit Bars Over A Classic Dr. Dre Instrumental
If anything, he picks up steam. "Old dime a dozen a*s n**ga you are not rare," he raps. "21 years in this motherf*cker, top tier. We are not peers, when we cheer it is not beer." He also incorporates the 21 from the previous line into a shoutout to 21 Savage, whom he affectionally dubs his "grandson." It's impressive to see TI adapt his flow and style so seamlessly, but it makes sense given what the rapper has in store for his next album.
He talked about the album on the Baller Alert Show back in 2023, and revealed a plan to experiment with different sounds. "I been making some music, and the music I’m making is… how can I say," he explained to the hosts. "It’s expanding beyond just the concept that I have. I’ve been making somewhat, I guess, more melodic, you know, more R&B vibes, Afrobeat-R&B vibe, party music."
TI hasn't provided updates on the album this year, but he has maintained that it will be his last. Kill the King, as it's been titled, will be a double album and a sendoff to the rapper's reign. "It’s time to evolve beyond a career as a rapper,” he stated to We In Miami podcast. If he's rapping like he is on this latest freestyle, fans are in for a classic.
