If T.I.’s growing presence in the film and stand-up comedy sectors of entertainment is not enough indication of his forthcoming exit from rap, then the latest update on his final album is a clear indicator.
His fans may still be wrapping their minds around the fact that he intends to hang his crown up as the King of the South, but, alas, it really is inevitable after a 20-plus-year run of supplying the industry with hits. In a new Baller Alert interview, T.I. spoke about the ongoing process of crafting his lyrical farewell. For starters, the body of work is very much still a work in progress. “I’m working my way up to it. I been making some music, and the music I’m making is… how can I say? It’s expanding beyond just the concept that I have for my last album,” said the Atlanta native.
Two years ago, T.I. spoke about retiring from the game, and in February, he made the idea real after revealing his final studio album would be titled Kill the King. “It’s a representation of killing the ego. I feel like the King of the South moniker, you know, is very egotistical, self-gratuitous, and it’s a persona that kind of enters the room before I do physically,” he said at the time. That concept remains unchanged, though the DNA of the project has morphed.
“So my last album is Kill the King, which will be, you know, it’s gon’ be edgy, energetic. It’s gon’ have a lot of Tip in it… but I’ve been making somewhat, I guess, more melodic, you know, more R&B vibes, Afrobeat-R&B vibe, party music,” he continued to explain in his latest update. “So I’ma end up doing two albums. One will be Kiss the King, and the other will be Kill the King.”
It remains unknown exactly when T.I. plans to roll out the new projects, but one thing is for certain: He is lacing fans with more than enough music to celebrate the end of a rap era. Check out the full interview below, where the three-time Grammy Award winner speaks about his new movie, Da ‘Partments, and his sons’, Domani and King Harris, burgeoning music careers.