T.I. - No Mercy (Atlantic) Released: 24/01/11

Behind bars yet again, T.I.’s latest offering comes at a time when the Atlanta representative seems to be more famous for his court appearances than his lyrical capabilities. Considered rap royalty by so many, Tip Harris and his humble beginnings as a drug dealer have come a long way. Having gone through a few high-profile rap beefs with both Lil’ Flip and Ludacris, an A-lister crammed failed debut album (‘I’m Serious’), and of course his arrest in relation to his attempt to purchase an arsenal of firearms, T.I. has been to hell and back but come out of it a solid individual.

Quite the wordsmith, it’s always been his in-depth storytelling and smoothly seductive vocals that has earned T.I. the moniker ‘King of the South’. His complex tales of ‘trapping’ in the ATL have always had a Biggie quality to them. Reinventing himself as each album drops, one minute he’s getting his gangsta on (‘24’s’), the next he’s paying homage to a great (Jay-Z) with the use of sampling (‘Bring ‘Em Out’), and the next he’s letting you know his career has taken off massively (‘Big Things Poppin’ (Do It)’). With no immediate underlining message heard on ‘No Mercy’, it’s more a coming of age for T.I. Now a budding movie star, respected emcee, and business entrepreneur, this album is exactly what fans needed and wanted to hear.

While the majority of the 16 tracks listed are just as epic as each other, none are as epic as the Dr. Luke produced ‘That’s All She Wrote’. Featuring Eminem, whose lyrical rampage takes you back to his ‘Just Don’t Give A ****’ days, the one two combination of the King of crazy alongside the King of the South is a force to be reckoned with. Don’t believe us? Here’s a line featured on the 5 minute rap master class, “Buy you a bag of Fritos? I wouldn’t let you eat the ****in’ chip on my shoulder.”

Bragging on the Pharrell assisted ‘Amazing’, lyrically Tip doesn’t do anything too special. However, the beat provided by Chad and P is a simplistic piece of hip-hop perfection. A few bells here, a steady paced drum loop there, is an updated reminder of what rap’s good old days birthed. Another example of this can be found on ‘Salute’. While lyrically the track does step it up a gear, again the production is the real stand out.

A favourite with the fans, ‘Castle Walls’ hears T.I. team up with Christina Aguilera. Whether you’re a hip-hop purist from the golden era, a hip-pop fan, or an occasional toe dipper in rap waters, you cannot deny the unbelievable outcome of such an unlikely pairing. An intimate look at life behind the glitz and glamour, T.I. addresses everything most celebs choose not to disclose. With Aguilera giving one of her best vocal performances of the past few years, her low key flow is both chilling and very compelling. Attempting to follow the same lines as ‘Castle Walls’, ‘Get Back Up’ is T.I.’s personal apology to his friends and fans for his recent prison stint. Sounding like a redemption song, due in part to the fact Chris Brown, who has had his naughty boy moments as of late, features on it, the track is just nowhere near as powerful, and to be honest, a tad bit cheesy.

Definitely one for fans of unfiltered hip-hop, ‘No Mercy’ has the odd slip up here and there but it doesn’t tarnish the reputation of the King of the South.