King (T.I. album)
Encyclopedia
King is the fourth studio album
by American rapper T.I.
, released on March 28, 2006 through Grand Hustle Records
and Atlantic Records
. Recording sessions for the album only took a year in a half to record towards late-2005, T.I. stated in an interview with MTV News
. Production was handled by several record producers, including DJ Toomp
, Just Blaze
, Mannie Fresh
, Swizz Beatz
, Keith Mack, Travis Barker
, The Neptunes
, Kevin "Khao" Cates, Nick "Fury" Loftin, and Tony Galvin, among others.
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
chart, selling over 522,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States, from the promotion of his hit debut film ATL
and the smash hit single, "What You Know
". It was certified gold
in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America
, following shipment in excess of 523,408 copies. It also achieved respectable international charting and produced the two hit singles that attained chart success, including US Billboard
hits "What You Know" and Why You Wanna
. The Recording Industry Association of America
has certified the album Platinum
.
Upon its release, King received general acclaim from music critics, earning praise for its varied musical style, opulent production quality, and T.I.'s dichotomous lyrical themes, and including the hit single "What You Know" where critics praised DJ Toomp
's production for the single. The album also earned T.I. several accolades, including a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
and a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
for the smash hit single "What You Know". He won the Grammy award for Best Rap Solo Performance for "What You Know". The album also appeared at the top of several publications year-end lists of top albums. Initially naming it one of the best albums of 2006, Pitchfork Media
placed the album at number 147 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s. Stylus Magazine
placed the album at number 14 on its list of their Top 50 Albums of 2006.
and the release of yet another major improvement 2004's success story Urban Legend
. The MC has been responsible for some of the most memorable rap singles of the decade. Those singles including 24's
, Rubberband Man
, Bring Em Out, U Don't Know Me
and the underappreciated ASAP amount to a run as impressive as anyone else's during the same years. Noteing that all those singles being successful on the Billboard Hot 100
.
Along with the success of his two successful albums T.I. had to deal with his legal issues
with the law from his past life those including being put behind bars for violating a probation
that resulted from a 1997 arrest on cocaine
distribution and the manufacturing and distribution of a controlled substance
.
With a warrant
issued in March 2004 for T.I.'s arrest after he violated his probation of the 1997 drug conviction. He was sentenced to three years in prison
. Only to be released one month later, to be granted a work release
program that allowed him to continue making music. Also being on probation stemming from a 1998 conviction
for violating a state controlled substances act and for giving false information. After being released on probation
, he earned a litany of probation violations in several counties around Georgia for offenses ranging from possession of a firearm
to possession of marijuana
.
Originally to be released as a soundtrack
to his big screen acting debut film ATL
starting himself T.I.
, but due to recording to much stuff worth of material he went on and proceeded to start recording his fourth album instead. In a brilliant move, T.I. decided not to release a soundtrack for his movie, ATL, instead making King the musical focus of the motion picture. With that, the album served as a solo joint for T.I. while receiving the same push of a movie soundtrack. That may have helped give T.I. the highest-selling debut
of his career.
T.I. confirmed that he was settling into his fourth solo album, which he would be calling King. The rapper said with a smile to expect a surprise on his follow-up to Urban Legend
. T.I. also stated that on this next album it's gonna be monumental. On November 4, 2005 while on tour with Young Jeezy
T.I. stated that he had begun recording for the album.
On January 10, 2006 it was said that T.I. teamed up with the Underground Kingz
for a Mannie Fresh
-produced remake of UGK's 1994 classic "Front, Back and Side to Side
". That was one of the first two singles from the album. The other record would be a song with the working title "Chirp Back" (however T.I.'s camp said that the title in all likelihood would be changed), which is produced by DJ Toomp
, best known for collaborating on T.I.'s biggest record "U Don't Know Me
". An earlier version of the new "Front, Back and Side to Side" — minus Pimp C
— appeared on the new T.I. mixtape
with DJ Drama
, Gangsta Grillz: The Leak, which came about after several songs from the King recording sessions leaked onto the Internet
. T.I. decided to take all the bootlegged
material and feed the streets; he's insisted that none of the songs on the mixtape would appear on King. Late last year of 2005, T.I. told MTV News
that he's recorded more than 70 songs for the album, and his rep said the MC recently went back into the lab and now had more than 100 songs to choose from. It was also said that one person who was excited about his work with T.I. was Swizz Beatz
, who produced Bring Em Out for T.I.'s 2004 Urban Legend
LP. Swizz Beatz confirmed he did four song for the album. Particularly a song called I Got That, Get It When You Need, it was later changed to Get It. T.I. later confirmed he was still in the process of finding the right mix of songs for the album and, apart from the two aforementioned singles, he was not sure yet which songs would make the cut.
While most of the songs from The Leak were strictly for the street, it was said that there would be two or three that would actually go on the album with a little remixing. For instance, a major R&B star who has had #1 album is going to be playing the piano
and singing
on "Live in the Sky
". Pimp C
's vocals will be added to "Front, Back, Side to Side," which already features T.I. and Bun B
and is a remake of UGK
's 1994 hit of the same name. In an interview with MTV
T.I. said that he was actually still recording songs for King and said he'll be making music right up to the deadline. On February 6, 2006 T.I. churned out roughly 65 tracks but only selected the hottest joints. In another interview with MTV T.I. stated and described the album King is like Trap Muzik
on steroids, he said. He also stated that everything you loved about his albums in the past has been reincarnated and hit with some nuclear sewage that made that shit mutate into something of catastrophic proportions. On February 21, 2006 T.I. talked about one of the songs that would be on the album that one was one of the more popular songs off T.I.'s The Leak CD is "Live in the Sky
", on which he sings the hook "Life's ups and downs, they come and go." Well, on his album King, T.I. will feature a reworking of the piano
-driven song with Jamie Foxx
singing the hook and playing the keys. T.I. stated that It's dedicated to his cousin Toot, who died right before Trap Muzik came out T.I. said. He also stated that "the song was also dedicated to his homeboy Jay-Ru, who died right before I'm Serious
came out. T.I. stated tt's about people's misperceptions of T.I. and his life. T.I. said How I feel, it's the exact opposite. It's a lot more problems than people may realize. I had to show them my life is not all that it's cracked up to be, he stated.
Toot is the same cousin who tried to steer T.I. toward positivity
and is most notably shouted out on "Rubber Band Man". Jay-Ru was a buddy T.I. used to hustle with. The two had a falling out and Jay-Ru died before the two had a chance to reconcile. "Me and Jay-Ru was still close partners," T.I. explained. We lived together, we was in the streets hustling together. I had got involved with my older son's mom at the time. I moved out of the apartment into my own spot with her. Me and Jay-Ru fell out about that it took a toll on me. To this day I still think about him, especially when I see his daughter T.I. stated. Securing Jamie Foxx on piano
wasn't too tough of a task, according to T.I. himself. I sent the word I wanted him to get on it and he got on it the next day, T.I. explained. I was thinking about everybody who could play the piano as well as sing, and Jamie was at the top of my list, T.I. added. T.I. said that he was just about done with his album, but he's not ruling out a last-minute guest appearance by Jay-Z
. Hov was supposed to get on a record called "Why You Wanna," but due to scheduling conflicts he didn't make it and Common took his place. The two hooked up while both were in Los Angeles
for the Grammys. T.I. would also have recording sessions for the album with record Producers Just Blaze
, Keith Mack, Travis Barker
, The Neptunes
, Kevin "Khao" Cates, Nick "Fury" Loftin and Tony Galvin.
in early-2006, T.I. used the leaked tracks, plus a few more new songs to make an album titled Gangsta Grillz: The Leak, which came about after several songs from the King recording sessions leaked onto the Internet.
" was the first official promotional single to be released from King. The single entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart at number 11. The single attained international charting. In the United Kingdom
the single entered the UK Singles Chart
at number 46. It featured Port Arthur
's own UGK
. It had small attention and has helped promote the album.
The song is the remake of UGK's 1994 single "Front,Back,Side to Side" from their album Super Tight
. The song was produced by Mannie Fresh
. "Ride with Me" was the second official promotional single from the album. The single entered the Hot Ringtones chart at number 21, and it charted at number 78 on the Pop 100
chart. The song was produced by Keith Mack. "Top Back
" was the third and final official promotional single from the album. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100
at number 29, it charted at number 13 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart, it charted at number 8 on the Hot Rap Tracks
chart, it charted at number 39 on the Pop 100
, it charted at number 39 on the Rhythmic Top 40, and at number 27 on the Hot Digital Songs
chart. It was produced by Mannie Fresh
and released as a single in a remixed version from the album Grand Hustle Presents: In Da Streetz Volume 4
. "Top Back" was already getting radio play in its original version before the remix was released. The song was used many times in Making the Band 4 as the contestants did several dances to the instrumental version of this song. The three promotional singles garnered little attention, but helped to promote not only the album, but also ATL
.
" was the first official single to be released from King. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100
at number 3, it charted at number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart, it charted at number 1 on the Hot Rap Tracks
chart, it charted at number 10 on the Pop 100
chart, it charted at number 2 on the Hot Digital Songs
chart, it charted at number 13 on the Hot Ringtones chart, it charted at number 42 on the Pop 100 Airplay
chart, it charted at number 2 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart, and at number 39 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart. The song also serves as the theme song to the 2006
film ATL
in which T.I. stars. "What You Know" won for "Best Rap Solo Performance
" and was nominated for "Best Rap Song
" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. What You Know" was performed at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
, where its music video was nominated for two awards. VIBE named T.I.'s "What You Know" as the Top Song of 2006. It was also ranked fourth on a similar list by Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/12769472/the_100_best_songs_of_2006/1, and was #1 in Muchmusic's
Top HipHop 2006 List. Pitchfork Media ranked "What You Know" #3 on their "Top Tracks of 2006" list, while T.I.'s collaboration on Justin Timberlake
's song "My Love" was ranked #1. The song is one of the most critically acclaimed of 2006 (arguably T.I.'s most critically acclaimed song), and is one of T.I.'s most successful. It has garnered a 5-star rating from Pitchfork Media
. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100
, and it also topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. It is ranked the 332nd best song of all time, 3rd of 2006, and 19th of the 2000s decade by Acclaimedmusic.net. In 2008, it was ranked number 68 on VH1
's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. The song was listed at #38 on Pitchfork Media
's top 500 songs of the 2000s. The critically acclaimed song is produced by DJ Toomp
from Zone Boy Productions, with additional keys by Wonder Arillo. It utilizes an interpolation of Roberta Flack
's version of The Impressions
's "Gone Away" and of the song "Hey Joe
", written by Billy Roberts
but popularised by Jimi Hendrix
. The track was rumored to be a diss song
directed at fellow Dirty South rapper Lil' Flip
. The song is also played during the end credits of ATL
. The song was a major smash during the spring of 2006. The Recording Industry Association of America
certified the single 2x Platinum
.
"Why You Wanna
" was the second official single from the album. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100
at number 29, it charted at number 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart, it charted at number 4 on the Hot Rap Tracks
chart, it charted at number 47 on the Pop 100
chart, it charted at number 39 on the Hot Digital Songs
chart, and at number 13 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart. The single attained respectable international charting. In the United Kingdom
the single entered the UK Singles Chart
at number 22, in Australia
the single entered the Australian Singles Chart at number 49, in Belgium
the single entered the Belgium (Ultratop
Flanders) chart at number 6, and at number 7 on the Belgium (Ultratop
Wallonia) chart. In the Netherlands
the single entered the Dutch Top 40
at number 43, in the Republic of Ireland
the single entered the Irish Singles Chart
at number 17, and in Switzerland
the single entered the Swiss Music Charts
at number 43. The single samples a slowed down keyboard chord from Crystal Waters
' "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)
". The chorus also interpolates Q-Tip
's vocals from Got 'Til It's Gone
with Janet Jackson
and Find a Way
with his group A Tribe Called Quest
. The song was produced by Kevin "Khao" Cates. The Recording Industry Association of America
certified the single Gold
.
"Live in the Sky
" was the third and final official single from the album. The single entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart at number 57. The single features Jamie Foxx
. The song is mainly about T.I.'s deceased family members and friends who have died in violence
, drugs
, and even tuberculosis
. An alternate version exists with varied lyrics, due to the explicit nature of the original track. The alternate version does not also include the third verse. The song was produced by Keith Mack.
, selling over 522,000 copies in its first week of release from the promotion of his debut film ATL
and the smash single, "What You Know
". It was certified gold
in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America
, following shipment in excess of 523,408 copies. The album also charted at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart, and at number one on the Top Rap Albums
chart. The Recording Industry Association of America
certified the album Platinum
.
King attained respectable international charting. In New Zealand
the album entered the New Zealand Albums Chart at number 2, in Canada
the album entered the Canadian Albums Chart
at number 24, in France
the album entered the French Albums Chart
at number 36, in Japan
the album entered the Japanese Albums Chart
at number 26, in Switzerland
the album entered the Swiss Albums Chart
at number 99, and in the United Kingdom
the album entered the UK Albums Chart
at number 83. In Canada
the Canadian Recording Industry Association
certified the album Gold
.
s. At Metacritic
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 77, based on 18 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". About.com
gave it four out of five stars, stating "with his swagger-jacking charm on the microphone
, and enough charisma
to convince you that he's really running things in his department, he just might be the Jay-Z
of the south. King is not only T.I.'s most captivating album so far, it's probably the best thing to come out of the "A-Town" lately. And, as Pimp C
explains on one of the album's many skits, a "king" is anyone that handles his business appropriately on the lyrical side of things, and many kings abound in southern rap
. With such foraying display of bravado, T.I. has rightfully earned his membership to hip-hop's elite. Royal salute!" Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave the album a 4.5 out of 5 praising the album's lead single "What You Know", and stating "T.I.'s fourth album isn't the leap forward he's been threatening to make, but it does carry the best set of productions
he has been given to work with, and it guarantees that he won't be leaving the singles charts any time soon." Blender Magazine
noted on T.I.'s status saying "Before his album sold a surprise half a million copies in its first week of release, T.I. was a Southern star who didn’t quite feel like one: He made up with irresistible hooks what he lacked in personality. Now he’s a national star who doesn’t quite feel like one. A breezily charismatic drug rapper, he’s like Jay-Z
without the worldview, Young Jeezy
without the gravitas; he still hasn’t distinguished himself as an artist worth exploring past the singles. Thankfully, he’s packed album No. 4 full of singles, which might be just as good. His sonorous, self-assured drawl adds an air of unflustered authority to his alpha brags, and he pours it into unexpected patterns. What he’s best at is craft—woozy refrains and hypnotic rhyme schemes—and his fleet of beats is impeccable, highlighted by the four-minute epic “What You Know,” which laces imperious synths with an intriguing wistfulness. Throughout, producers Just Blaze
, Swizz Beatz
and DJ Toomp
back T.I.’s self-deifying spiels with wild bombast: he’d seem a lot less kingly if it weren’t for his court."
Pitchfork Media
stated "T.I. has always been a great rapper, warm and fluid and confident, his loose elastic voice winding under tracks with force and finesse. Before every other mainstream rapper was talking about drugs
, he was doing it with a weary lived-in authority, proudly defiant and sheepishly defensive at the same time, bragging about getting money but lamenting the fact that he only had one way to do it. But great rappers don't always make great albums, and every one of T.I.'s previous full-lengths had a fatal flaw: desperate grabs at radio love, grossly insincere sex-jams, cobbled-together non-cohesion, or all three. Last summer, I thought Young Jeezy
's Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101
was the album T.I. should've made. Young Jeezy isn't half the rapper that T.I. is, but his album-- stunning in its focus and monolithic swagger and deeply nihilistic
in worldview-- had more cinematic sweep than anything his progenitor had ever done." Matt Cibula of PopMatters
described the album as a stunning classic saying that "Clifford “T.I.” Harris is one of America’s greatest songwriters. I’m not just talking about hip-hop, either—even if you add in all the other genres that people go all gaga over, T.I. strides this narrow world like a colossus. No one is smarter, no one constructs tighter songs, and no one has more ways to score. This is proven over and over again on King. T.I. is the whole package: gritty, smooth, smart, dangerous, introspective, and wise. And while it’s pretty early in 2006 to talk about albums of the year, this record says it’s time to start talking." Stylus Magazine
noted "T.I.’s path to a self-made mythology hinges not just on his ability to trumpet
himself, but to make his locale and history vital. King, T.I.’s latest, proves, among other things, that his legacy is tied into his town, and his town, Atlanta, is the true Southern metropolis: primal, spiritual, refined, and delicate at the same time. New Orleans may have the painful religious symbolism
, Memphis the working-class spirit, and Houston the expansive, halting sound, but Atlanta is the melting pot of bourgeoisie
, aristocracy
, and neighborhood hustlers. Lil Wayne
may be the chaperone of this coast, but T.I. is the CFO. Song to song production
is generally top-shelf. From barn-burning “Top Back” to the slyly tender “Gone,” every chime chimes when it’s supposed to, every snare clacks right into place. Individually, Grand Hustle in-house rising star Toomp
gobbles up the lion’s share of the praise: the cataclysmic “What You Know” and ostentatious “Bankhead” both soar. Mannie Fresh
and Just Blaze
inlay T.I.’s lines with velveteen
strings and swirling drums respectively. King isn’t complacent enough to act like all the wars are fought and all the gods are dead; T.I. sees his legacy and city very much up for grabs. A city, a scene and his legacy are unfinished, and while King won’t be T.I.’s last, or, hopefully, best section of his mosaic
, it’s the perfection of his aesthetic thus far."
The New York Times
called the album "Memorable refrains, hard beats, elegant rhymes: this album succeeds mainly by sticking to a simple but effective formula." Entertainment Weekly
stated "Though long at 18 tracks, King's still got plenty of heavyweight hits." The Village Voice
's Makkada B. Selah viewed that "Anyone disputing T.I.'s claim to the title "King of the South" has been summarily silenced by the pageant King's release. The self-proclaimed Dick Cheney of rap showcases many styles, each track here is a multi-layered, highly nuanced production." Sputnikmusic
's Joe Schmoh noted "T.I. has always been a prime example of an excellent mainstream rapper from the south. He exudes confidence with every single breath he breaths over the microphone, swinging comfortably from snare hit to snare hit like Tarzan of the beats. However, whether it’s Ludacris
, Rick Ross
, or T.I., the problems are all the same. T.I. has no idea at all how to balance an album together. At least he didn’t until he went towards recording King, an album whose title obviously aims towards magnum opus, a record that balances T.I.’s softer side done right with effortless gruff confidence placed on balling records. Basically, King shows T.I. ripping to his full potential. With women, he’s evolved into this sort of country gentlemen, and he shows this over swelling, swollen synthesizers that make his softer side truly something to behold. And yet, it seems like what the real shine still are the bangers. Even the weak tracks sound strong due to T.I.’s superfluous confidence. Normally, records like this just sound like wastes of good beats, but T.I. serves these beats with pure swag and rhythmic ability. He doesn’t even need to rhyme about anything important or relevant, he’s got enough fun punchlines
and self-confidence
to cover that up. T.I. manages to spend the entire record outshining every single guest, making every beat his own, and even being respectful to the ladies as opposed to misogynistic. Overall, a triumph." The Austin Chronicle's Robert Gabriel stated "Respected from East to West like he was running the Mob," T.I. ascends the throne of rap regality on his fourth LP. Consistent as it is tenacious, King's effortless flow over top-grade beats comes courtesy of Mannie Fresh
, Just Blaze
, and DJ Toomp
, and as the synth-laden "What You Know" has already made the job of radio programmers that much easier, T.I.'s transcends flash-in-the-pan status with a swagger unmatched in hip-hop. T.I.'s Southern drawl bends pedestrian phrases into irresistible melodies hotter than the summer streets to come."
placed the album at number 147 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s. In 2006 website MadeMan placed the album at number 1 on their list of 10 Best-Selling Rap Albums Of 2006. Spin
placed the album at number 14 on its 40 Best Albums list for 2006. Stylus Magazine
placed the album at number 14 on its list of their Top 50 Albums of 2006. About.com
placed the album at number 6 on their list of top 10 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2006. Paste
named it the 81st best album of 2006, on its list of their Top 100 Albums of 2006. Sia Michel of The New York Times
named it the 9th best album of 2006, on its list of Best Albums of 2006, also Kelefa Sannehof of The New York Times named it the second best album of 2006, on its list of Best Albums of 2006.
At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, T.I. was nominated with a total of three nominations, including Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
, Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
and Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
for the smash hit single "What You Know
". He won the Grammy award for Best Rap Solo Performance for "What You Know".
Front Back
What You Know
Why You Wanna
Get It
You Know Who
Hello
Bankhead
Drug Related
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American rapper T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
, released on March 28, 2006 through Grand Hustle Records
Grand Hustle Records
Grand Hustle Records is an Atlanta, Georgia-based record label formed in 2003 by Clifford "T.I." Harris and Jason Geter. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Artists:*P$C...
and Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. Recording sessions for the album only took a year in a half to record towards late-2005, T.I. stated in an interview with MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
. Production was handled by several record producers, including DJ Toomp
DJ Toomp
Aldrin Davis, better known as DJ Toomp, is an award-winning American record producer and DJ who works in Atlanta, Georgia. In the late 1980s he was MC Shy-D's DJ and went on tour with him and the 2 Live Crew as they performed at various venues across the country with other artists such as N.W.A...
, Just Blaze
Just Blaze
Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...
, Mannie Fresh
Mannie Fresh
Byron O. Thomas, better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is currently an artist and hip-hop producer who records for Def Jam South and his own division Chubby Boy Records...
, Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
, Keith Mack, Travis Barker
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
, The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
, Kevin "Khao" Cates, Nick "Fury" Loftin, and Tony Galvin, among others.
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling over 522,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States, from the promotion of his hit debut film ATL
ATL (film)
ATL is a 2006 American drama film, and the feature film directorial debut of music video director Chris Robinson. The screenplay was written by Tina Gordon Chism from an original story by Antwone Fisher, and is loosely based on the experiences of the film's producers Dallas Austin and Tionne...
and the smash hit single, "What You Know
What You Know
"What You Know" is a Grammy Award-winning multi platinum hip-hop song by the Southern hip-hop artist T.I., and the first official single from his 2006 album King. The song also serves as the theme song to the 2006 film ATL in which T.I. stars. The song peaked at number three in the US and was...
". It was certified gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, following shipment in excess of 523,408 copies. It also achieved respectable international charting and produced the two hit singles that attained chart success, including US Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
hits "What You Know" and Why You Wanna
Why You Wanna
"Why You Wanna" is the second official single from American rapper T.I. from his fourth album King. It was released in 2006. It samples a slowed down keyboard chord from Crystal Waters' "Gypsy Woman ". The chorus also interpolates Q-Tip's vocals from Got 'Til It's Gone with Janet Jackson and Find a...
. The Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
has certified the album Platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
.
Upon its release, King received general acclaim from music critics, earning praise for its varied musical style, opulent production quality, and T.I.'s dichotomous lyrical themes, and including the hit single "What You Know" where critics praised DJ Toomp
DJ Toomp
Aldrin Davis, better known as DJ Toomp, is an award-winning American record producer and DJ who works in Atlanta, Georgia. In the late 1980s he was MC Shy-D's DJ and went on tour with him and the 2 Live Crew as they performed at various venues across the country with other artists such as N.W.A...
's production for the single. The album also earned T.I. several accolades, including a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
and a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song was first awarded in 2004. It is a songwriting award given to all who wrote the lyrics and music of the song. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year...
for the smash hit single "What You Know". He won the Grammy award for Best Rap Solo Performance for "What You Know". The album also appeared at the top of several publications year-end lists of top albums. Initially naming it one of the best albums of 2006, Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
placed the album at number 147 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s. Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
placed the album at number 14 on its list of their Top 50 Albums of 2006.
Background
On a steady basis since 2003 with two successful albums released under his belt, with 2003's major success story Trap MuzikTrap Muzik
Trap Muzik is the second studio album by American rapper T.I., released on August 19, 2003 through his newly found record label Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records....
and the release of yet another major improvement 2004's success story Urban Legend
Urban Legend (album)
Urban Legend is the third studio album by American rapper T.I., released on November 30, 2004, through Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records...
. The MC has been responsible for some of the most memorable rap singles of the decade. Those singles including 24's
24's
"24's" is the first single off Atlanta-based rapper T.I.'s album Trap Muzik. The song, which on the surface seems quite basic, actually has an underlying theme of the need to seize a chance at wealth and prosperity. It was featured on the hit street racing game Need For Speed: Underground...
, Rubberband Man
Rubberband Man
"Rubberband Man" is the third single released from T.I.'s album Trap Muzik. Containing a sample of 'Go With Me' by Mannie Fresh, Production by David Banner was noted by music reviewers, particularly the ascending organ riff that has been described as 'hypnotic' and 'pure halftime show'. Upon...
, Bring Em Out, U Don't Know Me
U Don't Know Me (T.I. song)
"U Don't Know Me" is a 2004 rap song recorded by T.I. from his third album, Urban Legend. It made it to #23 in the United States. T.I. here addresses individuals who claim to be the author of his success or else wish to leech off of it. T.I. reminds his audience that his present staying power is...
and the underappreciated ASAP amount to a run as impressive as anyone else's during the same years. Noteing that all those singles being successful on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Along with the success of his two successful albums T.I. had to deal with his legal issues
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
with the law from his past life those including being put behind bars for violating a probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
that resulted from a 1997 arrest on cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
distribution and the manufacturing and distribution of a controlled substance
Controlled substance
A controlled substance is generally a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession, or use are regulated by a government. This may include illegal drugs and prescription medications ....
.
With a warrant
Warrant (law)
Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is...
issued in March 2004 for T.I.'s arrest after he violated his probation of the 1997 drug conviction. He was sentenced to three years in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
. Only to be released one month later, to be granted a work release
Work release
In prison systems, work release programs allow a prisoner who is sufficiently trusted or can be sufficiently monitored to leave confinement to continue working at his or her current place of employment, returning to prison when his/her shift is complete...
program that allowed him to continue making music. Also being on probation stemming from a 1998 conviction
Conviction
In law, a conviction is the verdict that results when a court of law finds a defendant guilty of a crime.The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal . In Scotland and in the Netherlands, there can also be a verdict of "not proven", which counts as an acquittal...
for violating a state controlled substances act and for giving false information. After being released on probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
, he earned a litany of probation violations in several counties around Georgia for offenses ranging from possession of a firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
to possession of marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
.
Originally to be released as a soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
to his big screen acting debut film ATL
ATL (film)
ATL is a 2006 American drama film, and the feature film directorial debut of music video director Chris Robinson. The screenplay was written by Tina Gordon Chism from an original story by Antwone Fisher, and is loosely based on the experiences of the film's producers Dallas Austin and Tionne...
starting himself T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
, but due to recording to much stuff worth of material he went on and proceeded to start recording his fourth album instead. In a brilliant move, T.I. decided not to release a soundtrack for his movie, ATL, instead making King the musical focus of the motion picture. With that, the album served as a solo joint for T.I. while receiving the same push of a movie soundtrack. That may have helped give T.I. the highest-selling debut
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of his career.
Recording
On April 20, 2005 in an interview with MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
T.I. confirmed that he was settling into his fourth solo album, which he would be calling King. The rapper said with a smile to expect a surprise on his follow-up to Urban Legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
. T.I. also stated that on this next album it's gonna be monumental. On November 4, 2005 while on tour with Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
T.I. stated that he had begun recording for the album.
On January 10, 2006 it was said that T.I. teamed up with the Underground Kingz
UGK
UGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas formed in 1987 by the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler . He then joined with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who became his longtime partner...
for a Mannie Fresh
Mannie Fresh
Byron O. Thomas, better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is currently an artist and hip-hop producer who records for Def Jam South and his own division Chubby Boy Records...
-produced remake of UGK's 1994 classic "Front, Back and Side to Side
Super Tight
Super Tight... is the second album by UGK. As of 2011, it has sold 374,985 copies.-Track listing:#"Return"#"Underground"#"It's Supposed to Bubble"#"I Left It Wet for You"#"Feds In Town" #"Pocket Full of Stones Pt. 2"...
". That was one of the first two singles from the album. The other record would be a song with the working title "Chirp Back" (however T.I.'s camp said that the title in all likelihood would be changed), which is produced by DJ Toomp
DJ Toomp
Aldrin Davis, better known as DJ Toomp, is an award-winning American record producer and DJ who works in Atlanta, Georgia. In the late 1980s he was MC Shy-D's DJ and went on tour with him and the 2 Live Crew as they performed at various venues across the country with other artists such as N.W.A...
, best known for collaborating on T.I.'s biggest record "U Don't Know Me
U Don't Know Me (T.I. song)
"U Don't Know Me" is a 2004 rap song recorded by T.I. from his third album, Urban Legend. It made it to #23 in the United States. T.I. here addresses individuals who claim to be the author of his success or else wish to leech off of it. T.I. reminds his audience that his present staying power is...
". An earlier version of the new "Front, Back and Side to Side" — minus Pimp C
Pimp C
Chad Lamont Butler , better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper, singer, and producer...
— appeared on the new T.I. mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
with DJ Drama
DJ Drama
Tyree Cinque Simmons better known as DJ Drama is an American hip hop artist and the official DJ for Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist T.I.....
, Gangsta Grillz: The Leak, which came about after several songs from the King recording sessions leaked onto the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. T.I. decided to take all the bootlegged
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
material and feed the streets; he's insisted that none of the songs on the mixtape would appear on King. Late last year of 2005, T.I. told MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
that he's recorded more than 70 songs for the album, and his rep said the MC recently went back into the lab and now had more than 100 songs to choose from. It was also said that one person who was excited about his work with T.I. was Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
, who produced Bring Em Out for T.I.'s 2004 Urban Legend
Urban Legend (album)
Urban Legend is the third studio album by American rapper T.I., released on November 30, 2004, through Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records...
LP. Swizz Beatz confirmed he did four song for the album. Particularly a song called I Got That, Get It When You Need, it was later changed to Get It. T.I. later confirmed he was still in the process of finding the right mix of songs for the album and, apart from the two aforementioned singles, he was not sure yet which songs would make the cut.
While most of the songs from The Leak were strictly for the street, it was said that there would be two or three that would actually go on the album with a little remixing. For instance, a major R&B star who has had #1 album is going to be playing the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
on "Live in the Sky
Live in the Sky
"Live in the Sky" is the fourth single released by T.I. from his album King. It features Jamie Foxx. The song is mainly about T.I.'s deceased family members and friends who have died in violence, drugs, and even tuberculosis. An alternate version exists with varied lyrics, due to the explicit...
". Pimp C
Pimp C
Chad Lamont Butler , better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper, singer, and producer...
's vocals will be added to "Front, Back, Side to Side," which already features T.I. and Bun B
Bun B
Bernard Freeman better known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern hip hop duo UGK . He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University located in Houston, Texas...
and is a remake of UGK
UGK
UGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas formed in 1987 by the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler . He then joined with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who became his longtime partner...
's 1994 hit of the same name. In an interview with MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
T.I. said that he was actually still recording songs for King and said he'll be making music right up to the deadline. On February 6, 2006 T.I. churned out roughly 65 tracks but only selected the hottest joints. In another interview with MTV T.I. stated and described the album King is like Trap Muzik
Trap Muzik
Trap Muzik is the second studio album by American rapper T.I., released on August 19, 2003 through his newly found record label Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records....
on steroids, he said. He also stated that everything you loved about his albums in the past has been reincarnated and hit with some nuclear sewage that made that shit mutate into something of catastrophic proportions. On February 21, 2006 T.I. talked about one of the songs that would be on the album that one was one of the more popular songs off T.I.'s The Leak CD is "Live in the Sky
Live in the Sky
"Live in the Sky" is the fourth single released by T.I. from his album King. It features Jamie Foxx. The song is mainly about T.I.'s deceased family members and friends who have died in violence, drugs, and even tuberculosis. An alternate version exists with varied lyrics, due to the explicit...
", on which he sings the hook "Life's ups and downs, they come and go." Well, on his album King, T.I. will feature a reworking of the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
-driven song with Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
singing the hook and playing the keys. T.I. stated that It's dedicated to his cousin Toot, who died right before Trap Muzik came out T.I. said. He also stated that "the song was also dedicated to his homeboy Jay-Ru, who died right before I'm Serious
I'm Serious
I'm Serious is the debut studio album by American rapper T.I., released on October 9, 2001 through Arista Records. The album spawned the eponymous single, which featured Jamaican reggae entertainer Beenie Man. His debut single, "I'm Serious," was released on June 26, 2001...
came out. T.I. stated tt's about people's misperceptions of T.I. and his life. T.I. said How I feel, it's the exact opposite. It's a lot more problems than people may realize. I had to show them my life is not all that it's cracked up to be, he stated.
Toot is the same cousin who tried to steer T.I. toward positivity
Positivity
"Positivity" is the first single off the album A New Morning by Suede, released on September 16, 2002 on Columbia Records. The single is a big departure from the sleazy rock characteristic of the previous two albums, and has a far more warm and acoustic sound to it...
and is most notably shouted out on "Rubber Band Man". Jay-Ru was a buddy T.I. used to hustle with. The two had a falling out and Jay-Ru died before the two had a chance to reconcile. "Me and Jay-Ru was still close partners," T.I. explained. We lived together, we was in the streets hustling together. I had got involved with my older son's mom at the time. I moved out of the apartment into my own spot with her. Me and Jay-Ru fell out about that it took a toll on me. To this day I still think about him, especially when I see his daughter T.I. stated. Securing Jamie Foxx on piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
wasn't too tough of a task, according to T.I. himself. I sent the word I wanted him to get on it and he got on it the next day, T.I. explained. I was thinking about everybody who could play the piano as well as sing, and Jamie was at the top of my list, T.I. added. T.I. said that he was just about done with his album, but he's not ruling out a last-minute guest appearance by Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
. Hov was supposed to get on a record called "Why You Wanna," but due to scheduling conflicts he didn't make it and Common took his place. The two hooked up while both were in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
for the Grammys. T.I. would also have recording sessions for the album with record Producers Just Blaze
Just Blaze
Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...
, Keith Mack, Travis Barker
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
, The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
, Kevin "Khao" Cates, Nick "Fury" Loftin and Tony Galvin.
Leaks
After half of the songs of the album leaked on the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
in early-2006, T.I. used the leaked tracks, plus a few more new songs to make an album titled Gangsta Grillz: The Leak, which came about after several songs from the King recording sessions leaked onto the Internet.
Promo singles
"Front BackFront Back
"Front Back" is the first promo and official single released from T.I.'s fourth album, King. It featured Port Arthur's own UGK. It had small attention and has helped promote the album....
" was the first official promotional single to be released from King. The single entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart at number 11. The single attained international charting. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the single entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number 46. It featured Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...
's own UGK
UGK
UGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas formed in 1987 by the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler . He then joined with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who became his longtime partner...
. It had small attention and has helped promote the album.
The song is the remake of UGK's 1994 single "Front,Back,Side to Side" from their album Super Tight
Super Tight
Super Tight... is the second album by UGK. As of 2011, it has sold 374,985 copies.-Track listing:#"Return"#"Underground"#"It's Supposed to Bubble"#"I Left It Wet for You"#"Feds In Town" #"Pocket Full of Stones Pt. 2"...
. The song was produced by Mannie Fresh
Mannie Fresh
Byron O. Thomas, better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is currently an artist and hip-hop producer who records for Def Jam South and his own division Chubby Boy Records...
. "Ride with Me" was the second official promotional single from the album. The single entered the Hot Ringtones chart at number 21, and it charted at number 78 on the Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
chart. The song was produced by Keith Mack. "Top Back
Top Back
"Top Back" is the fifth and final single by hip-hop artist T.I., from his album King. It was produced by Mannie Fresh and released as a single in a remixed version from the album Grand Hustle Presents: In Da Streetz Volume 4. "Top Back" was already getting radio play in its original version...
" was the third and final official promotional single from the album. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number 29, it charted at number 13 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart, it charted at number 8 on the Hot Rap Tracks
Hot Rap Tracks
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
chart, it charted at number 39 on the Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
, it charted at number 39 on the Rhythmic Top 40, and at number 27 on the Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart. It was produced by Mannie Fresh
Mannie Fresh
Byron O. Thomas, better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is currently an artist and hip-hop producer who records for Def Jam South and his own division Chubby Boy Records...
and released as a single in a remixed version from the album Grand Hustle Presents: In Da Streetz Volume 4
Grand Hustle Presents: In da Streetz Volume 4
Grand Hustle Presents: In da Streetz Volume 4 is a compilation album by artists of the Grand Hustle label.The compilation's lead single is T.I.'s "Top Back" remix, featuring Young Jeezy, Young Dro, Big Kuntry King, and B.G...
. "Top Back" was already getting radio play in its original version before the remix was released. The song was used many times in Making the Band 4 as the contestants did several dances to the instrumental version of this song. The three promotional singles garnered little attention, but helped to promote not only the album, but also ATL
ATL (film)
ATL is a 2006 American drama film, and the feature film directorial debut of music video director Chris Robinson. The screenplay was written by Tina Gordon Chism from an original story by Antwone Fisher, and is loosely based on the experiences of the film's producers Dallas Austin and Tionne...
.
Singles
"What You KnowWhat You Know
"What You Know" is a Grammy Award-winning multi platinum hip-hop song by the Southern hip-hop artist T.I., and the first official single from his 2006 album King. The song also serves as the theme song to the 2006 film ATL in which T.I. stars. The song peaked at number three in the US and was...
" was the first official single to be released from King. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number 3, it charted at number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart, it charted at number 1 on the Hot Rap Tracks
Hot Rap Tracks
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
chart, it charted at number 10 on the Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
chart, it charted at number 2 on the Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart, it charted at number 13 on the Hot Ringtones chart, it charted at number 42 on the Pop 100 Airplay
Pop 100 Airplay
The Pop 100 Airplay was a chart created in 2005 and released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It measured mainstream radio airplay, and was one of the three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Singles Sales and Hot Digital Songs charts, that determined the chart positions of singles...
chart, it charted at number 2 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart, and at number 39 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart. The song also serves as the theme song to the 2006
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
film ATL
ATL (film)
ATL is a 2006 American drama film, and the feature film directorial debut of music video director Chris Robinson. The screenplay was written by Tina Gordon Chism from an original story by Antwone Fisher, and is loosely based on the experiences of the film's producers Dallas Austin and Tionne...
in which T.I. stars. "What You Know" won for "Best Rap Solo Performance
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
" and was nominated for "Best Rap Song
Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song was first awarded in 2004. It is a songwriting award given to all who wrote the lyrics and music of the song. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year...
" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. What You Know" was performed at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
2006 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 31, 2006, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The show was hosted by Jack Black at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
, where its music video was nominated for two awards. VIBE named T.I.'s "What You Know" as the Top Song of 2006. It was also ranked fourth on a similar list by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/12769472/the_100_best_songs_of_2006/1, and was #1 in Muchmusic's
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
Top HipHop 2006 List. Pitchfork Media ranked "What You Know" #3 on their "Top Tracks of 2006" list, while T.I.'s collaboration on Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
's song "My Love" was ranked #1. The song is one of the most critically acclaimed of 2006 (arguably T.I.'s most critically acclaimed song), and is one of T.I.'s most successful. It has garnered a 5-star rating from Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and it also topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart. It is ranked the 332nd best song of all time, 3rd of 2006, and 19th of the 2000s decade by Acclaimedmusic.net. In 2008, it was ranked number 68 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. The song was listed at #38 on Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's top 500 songs of the 2000s. The critically acclaimed song is produced by DJ Toomp
DJ Toomp
Aldrin Davis, better known as DJ Toomp, is an award-winning American record producer and DJ who works in Atlanta, Georgia. In the late 1980s he was MC Shy-D's DJ and went on tour with him and the 2 Live Crew as they performed at various venues across the country with other artists such as N.W.A...
from Zone Boy Productions, with additional keys by Wonder Arillo. It utilizes an interpolation of Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
's version of The Impressions
The Impressions (American band)
The Impressions are an American music group from Chicago, originally formed in 1958. Their repertoire includes doo-wop, gospel, soul, and R&B....
's "Gone Away" and of the song "Hey Joe
Hey Joe
"Hey Joe" is an American popular song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and as such, has been performed in a multitude of musical styles by hundreds of different artists since it was first written. "Hey Joe" tells the story of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico...
", written by Billy Roberts
Billy Roberts
Billy Roberts is an American songwriter and musician credited with composing the 1960s rock music standard "Hey Joe"...
but popularised by Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
. The track was rumored to be a diss song
Diss track
A diss track or diss song is a song primarily intended to disparage or insult another person or group. While musical parodies and attacks have always existed, the trend became increasingly common in the hip hop genre as part of the hip hop rivalry phenomenon...
directed at fellow Dirty South rapper Lil' Flip
Lil' Flip
Wesley Eric Weston, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil' Flip, is a American multi-platinum hiphop artist best known for his singles Sunshine, "Game Over" and Rollin on 20's from the 2 Fast 2 Furious Soundtrack....
. The song is also played during the end credits of ATL
ATL (film)
ATL is a 2006 American drama film, and the feature film directorial debut of music video director Chris Robinson. The screenplay was written by Tina Gordon Chism from an original story by Antwone Fisher, and is loosely based on the experiences of the film's producers Dallas Austin and Tionne...
. The song was a major smash during the spring of 2006. The Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certified the single 2x Platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
.
"Why You Wanna
Why You Wanna
"Why You Wanna" is the second official single from American rapper T.I. from his fourth album King. It was released in 2006. It samples a slowed down keyboard chord from Crystal Waters' "Gypsy Woman ". The chorus also interpolates Q-Tip's vocals from Got 'Til It's Gone with Janet Jackson and Find a...
" was the second official single from the album. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number 29, it charted at number 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart, it charted at number 4 on the Hot Rap Tracks
Hot Rap Tracks
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
chart, it charted at number 47 on the Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
chart, it charted at number 39 on the Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart, and at number 13 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart. The single attained respectable international charting. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the single entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number 22, in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
the single entered the Australian Singles Chart at number 49, in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
the single entered the Belgium (Ultratop
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
Flanders) chart at number 6, and at number 7 on the Belgium (Ultratop
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
Wallonia) chart. In the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
the single entered the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
at number 43, in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
the single entered the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
at number 17, and in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
the single entered the Swiss Music Charts
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...
at number 43. The single samples a slowed down keyboard chord from Crystal Waters
Crystal Waters
Crystal Waters is an American dance music singer and songwriter.-Childhood and young adult life:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Waters is the daughter of Betty and Junior Waters, a famed jazz musician; her great aunt, Ethel Waters, was one of the first African-American vocalists to appear in...
' "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)
Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)
"Gypsy Woman " is a house music song by American singer Crystal Waters. It was written by Neal Conway and Waters and is the first single from her 1991 debut album, Surprise...
". The chorus also interpolates Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
's vocals from Got 'Til It's Gone
Got 'Til It's Gone
"Got 'til It's Gone" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson, featuring American rapper Q-Tip and Canadian singer Joni Mitchell. It was released as the lead single from Jackson's sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope .-Song information:...
with Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
and Find a Way
Find a Way
"Find a Way" is a 1985 single by Christian music singer Amy Grant. It was released as the first single from her Unguarded album. Also, "Find A Way" was Grant's first major single release, as it was issued in secular outlets by A&M Records along with the album...
with his group A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
. The song was produced by Kevin "Khao" Cates. The Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certified the single Gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
.
"Live in the Sky
Live in the Sky
"Live in the Sky" is the fourth single released by T.I. from his album King. It features Jamie Foxx. The song is mainly about T.I.'s deceased family members and friends who have died in violence, drugs, and even tuberculosis. An alternate version exists with varied lyrics, due to the explicit...
" was the third and final official single from the album. The single entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart at number 57. The single features Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
. The song is mainly about T.I.'s deceased family members and friends who have died in violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
, drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
, and even tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. An alternate version exists with varied lyrics, due to the explicit nature of the original track. The alternate version does not also include the third verse. The song was produced by Keith Mack.
Commercial performance
King debuted at number one on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling over 522,000 copies in its first week of release from the promotion of his debut film ATL
ATL (film)
ATL is a 2006 American drama film, and the feature film directorial debut of music video director Chris Robinson. The screenplay was written by Tina Gordon Chism from an original story by Antwone Fisher, and is loosely based on the experiences of the film's producers Dallas Austin and Tionne...
and the smash single, "What You Know
What You Know
"What You Know" is a Grammy Award-winning multi platinum hip-hop song by the Southern hip-hop artist T.I., and the first official single from his 2006 album King. The song also serves as the theme song to the 2006 film ATL in which T.I. stars. The song peaked at number three in the US and was...
". It was certified gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, following shipment in excess of 523,408 copies. The album also charted at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart, and at number one on the Top Rap Albums
Top Rap Albums
Top Rap Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks Rap and hip-hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart began publication for the week of November 13, 2004....
chart. The Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
certified the album Platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
.
King attained respectable international charting. In New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
the album entered the New Zealand Albums Chart at number 2, in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
the album entered the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
at number 24, in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
the album entered the French Albums Chart
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
at number 36, in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
the album entered the Japanese Albums Chart
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
at number 26, in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
the album entered the Swiss Albums Chart
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...
at number 99, and in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the album entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at number 83. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
certified the album Gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
.
Critical response
King received generally positive reviews from music criticMusic criticism
See also Music journalism for reporting on classical and popular music in the media.The Oxford Companion to Music defines music criticism as 'the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres'. In this...
s. At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 77, based on 18 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
gave it four out of five stars, stating "with his swagger-jacking charm on the microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
, and enough charisma
Charisma
The term charisma has two senses: 1) compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, 2) a divinely conferred power or talent. For some theological usages the term is rendered charism, with a meaning the same as sense 2...
to convince you that he's really running things in his department, he just might be the Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
of the south. King is not only T.I.'s most captivating album so far, it's probably the best thing to come out of the "A-Town" lately. And, as Pimp C
Pimp C
Chad Lamont Butler , better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper, singer, and producer...
explains on one of the album's many skits, a "king" is anyone that handles his business appropriately on the lyrical side of things, and many kings abound in southern rap
Southern rap
Southern hip hop, also called Southern rap, is a genre of American music influenced by hip hop that emerged from a late-1980s club-oriented vibe in southern U.S...
. With such foraying display of bravado, T.I. has rightfully earned his membership to hip-hop's elite. Royal salute!" Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave the album a 4.5 out of 5 praising the album's lead single "What You Know", and stating "T.I.'s fourth album isn't the leap forward he's been threatening to make, but it does carry the best set of productions
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
he has been given to work with, and it guarantees that he won't be leaving the singles charts any time soon." Blender Magazine
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
noted on T.I.'s status saying "Before his album sold a surprise half a million copies in its first week of release, T.I. was a Southern star who didn’t quite feel like one: He made up with irresistible hooks what he lacked in personality. Now he’s a national star who doesn’t quite feel like one. A breezily charismatic drug rapper, he’s like Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
without the worldview, Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
without the gravitas; he still hasn’t distinguished himself as an artist worth exploring past the singles. Thankfully, he’s packed album No. 4 full of singles, which might be just as good. His sonorous, self-assured drawl adds an air of unflustered authority to his alpha brags, and he pours it into unexpected patterns. What he’s best at is craft—woozy refrains and hypnotic rhyme schemes—and his fleet of beats is impeccable, highlighted by the four-minute epic “What You Know,” which laces imperious synths with an intriguing wistfulness. Throughout, producers Just Blaze
Just Blaze
Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...
, Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
and DJ Toomp
DJ Toomp
Aldrin Davis, better known as DJ Toomp, is an award-winning American record producer and DJ who works in Atlanta, Georgia. In the late 1980s he was MC Shy-D's DJ and went on tour with him and the 2 Live Crew as they performed at various venues across the country with other artists such as N.W.A...
back T.I.’s self-deifying spiels with wild bombast: he’d seem a lot less kingly if it weren’t for his court."
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
stated "T.I. has always been a great rapper, warm and fluid and confident, his loose elastic voice winding under tracks with force and finesse. Before every other mainstream rapper was talking about drugs
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
, he was doing it with a weary lived-in authority, proudly defiant and sheepishly defensive at the same time, bragging about getting money but lamenting the fact that he only had one way to do it. But great rappers don't always make great albums, and every one of T.I.'s previous full-lengths had a fatal flaw: desperate grabs at radio love, grossly insincere sex-jams, cobbled-together non-cohesion, or all three. Last summer, I thought Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
's Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101
Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101
-Samples:*"Go Crazy" contains a sample of " I Want to Go Back" by Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions.*"Talk to 'em" contains samples from "I Need You" by Frankie Beverly and Maze.-Chart positions:...
was the album T.I. should've made. Young Jeezy isn't half the rapper that T.I. is, but his album-- stunning in its focus and monolithic swagger and deeply nihilistic
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
in worldview-- had more cinematic sweep than anything his progenitor had ever done." Matt Cibula of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
described the album as a stunning classic saying that "Clifford “T.I.” Harris is one of America’s greatest songwriters. I’m not just talking about hip-hop, either—even if you add in all the other genres that people go all gaga over, T.I. strides this narrow world like a colossus. No one is smarter, no one constructs tighter songs, and no one has more ways to score. This is proven over and over again on King. T.I. is the whole package: gritty, smooth, smart, dangerous, introspective, and wise. And while it’s pretty early in 2006 to talk about albums of the year, this record says it’s time to start talking." Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
noted "T.I.’s path to a self-made mythology hinges not just on his ability to trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
himself, but to make his locale and history vital. King, T.I.’s latest, proves, among other things, that his legacy is tied into his town, and his town, Atlanta, is the true Southern metropolis: primal, spiritual, refined, and delicate at the same time. New Orleans may have the painful religious symbolism
Religious symbolism
Religious symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork, events, or natural phenomena, by a religion. Religions view religious texts, rituals, and works of art as symbols of compelling ideas or ideals...
, Memphis the working-class spirit, and Houston the expansive, halting sound, but Atlanta is the melting pot of bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
, aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
, and neighborhood hustlers. Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
may be the chaperone of this coast, but T.I. is the CFO. Song to song production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
is generally top-shelf. From barn-burning “Top Back” to the slyly tender “Gone,” every chime chimes when it’s supposed to, every snare clacks right into place. Individually, Grand Hustle in-house rising star Toomp
DJ Toomp
Aldrin Davis, better known as DJ Toomp, is an award-winning American record producer and DJ who works in Atlanta, Georgia. In the late 1980s he was MC Shy-D's DJ and went on tour with him and the 2 Live Crew as they performed at various venues across the country with other artists such as N.W.A...
gobbles up the lion’s share of the praise: the cataclysmic “What You Know” and ostentatious “Bankhead” both soar. Mannie Fresh
Mannie Fresh
Byron O. Thomas, better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is currently an artist and hip-hop producer who records for Def Jam South and his own division Chubby Boy Records...
and Just Blaze
Just Blaze
Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...
inlay T.I.’s lines with velveteen
Velveteen
Velveteen is a cloth made in imitation of velvet. Normally cotton, the term is sometimes applied to a mixture of silk and cotton. Some velveteens are a kind of fustian, having a rib of velvet pile alternating with a plain depression. This fabric has a pile that is short , and is closely set. It has...
strings and swirling drums respectively. King isn’t complacent enough to act like all the wars are fought and all the gods are dead; T.I. sees his legacy and city very much up for grabs. A city, a scene and his legacy are unfinished, and while King won’t be T.I.’s last, or, hopefully, best section of his mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
, it’s the perfection of his aesthetic thus far."
The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called the album "Memorable refrains, hard beats, elegant rhymes: this album succeeds mainly by sticking to a simple but effective formula." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
stated "Though long at 18 tracks, King's still got plenty of heavyweight hits." The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
's Makkada B. Selah viewed that "Anyone disputing T.I.'s claim to the title "King of the South" has been summarily silenced by the pageant King's release. The self-proclaimed Dick Cheney of rap showcases many styles, each track here is a multi-layered, highly nuanced production." Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
's Joe Schmoh noted "T.I. has always been a prime example of an excellent mainstream rapper from the south. He exudes confidence with every single breath he breaths over the microphone, swinging comfortably from snare hit to snare hit like Tarzan of the beats. However, whether it’s Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, Rick Ross
Rick Ross (rapper)
William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
, or T.I., the problems are all the same. T.I. has no idea at all how to balance an album together. At least he didn’t until he went towards recording King, an album whose title obviously aims towards magnum opus, a record that balances T.I.’s softer side done right with effortless gruff confidence placed on balling records. Basically, King shows T.I. ripping to his full potential. With women, he’s evolved into this sort of country gentlemen, and he shows this over swelling, swollen synthesizers that make his softer side truly something to behold. And yet, it seems like what the real shine still are the bangers. Even the weak tracks sound strong due to T.I.’s superfluous confidence. Normally, records like this just sound like wastes of good beats, but T.I. serves these beats with pure swag and rhythmic ability. He doesn’t even need to rhyme about anything important or relevant, he’s got enough fun punchlines
Punchlines
Punchlines was a comedy game show series that was produced by LWT and aired on the ITV network from January 3, 1981 until December 22, 1984...
and self-confidence
Self-confidence
The socio-psychological concept of self-confidence relates to self-assuredness in one's personal judgment, ability, power, etc., sometimes manifested excessively.Being confident in yourself is infectious if you present yourself well, others will want to follow in your foot steps towards...
to cover that up. T.I. manages to spend the entire record outshining every single guest, making every beat his own, and even being respectful to the ladies as opposed to misogynistic. Overall, a triumph." The Austin Chronicle's Robert Gabriel stated "Respected from East to West like he was running the Mob," T.I. ascends the throne of rap regality on his fourth LP. Consistent as it is tenacious, King's effortless flow over top-grade beats comes courtesy of Mannie Fresh
Mannie Fresh
Byron O. Thomas, better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is currently an artist and hip-hop producer who records for Def Jam South and his own division Chubby Boy Records...
, Just Blaze
Just Blaze
Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...
, and DJ Toomp
DJ Toomp
Aldrin Davis, better known as DJ Toomp, is an award-winning American record producer and DJ who works in Atlanta, Georgia. In the late 1980s he was MC Shy-D's DJ and went on tour with him and the 2 Live Crew as they performed at various venues across the country with other artists such as N.W.A...
, and as the synth-laden "What You Know" has already made the job of radio programmers that much easier, T.I.'s transcends flash-in-the-pan status with a swagger unmatched in hip-hop. T.I.'s Southern drawl bends pedestrian phrases into irresistible melodies hotter than the summer streets to come."
Accolades
The album appeared on several music critics' and publications' end-of-year albums lists. Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
placed the album at number 147 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s. In 2006 website MadeMan placed the album at number 1 on their list of 10 Best-Selling Rap Albums Of 2006. Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
placed the album at number 14 on its 40 Best Albums list for 2006. Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
placed the album at number 14 on its list of their Top 50 Albums of 2006. About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
placed the album at number 6 on their list of top 10 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2006. Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
named it the 81st best album of 2006, on its list of their Top 100 Albums of 2006. Sia Michel of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
named it the 9th best album of 2006, on its list of Best Albums of 2006, also Kelefa Sannehof of The New York Times named it the second best album of 2006, on its list of Best Albums of 2006.
At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, T.I. was nominated with a total of three nominations, including Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
, Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
and Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song was first awarded in 2004. It is a songwriting award given to all who wrote the lyrics and music of the song. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year...
for the smash hit single "What You Know
What You Know
"What You Know" is a Grammy Award-winning multi platinum hip-hop song by the Southern hip-hop artist T.I., and the first official single from his 2006 album King. The song also serves as the theme song to the 2006 film ATL in which T.I. stars. The song peaked at number three in the US and was...
". He won the Grammy award for Best Rap Solo Performance for "What You Know".
Track listing
(co.) Co-producerLimited edition DVD
A limited edition of King was released, featuring a DVD. The DVD contained:- Live concert footage from Houston, Texas.
- Music Video of Front BackFront Back"Front Back" is the first promo and official single released from T.I.'s fourth album, King. It featured Port Arthur's own UGK. It had small attention and has helped promote the album....
featuring UGKUGKUGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas formed in 1987 by the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler . He then joined with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who became his longtime partner...
. - A special slide show to accompany the audio of Drive Slow (Remix) (featuring Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, Paul WallPaul WallPaul Michael Slayton , better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper. He is currently affiliated with Swishahouse Records, having released several albums under the label as well as...
, GLCGLC (rapper)Leonard D. Harris is an American rapper from Chicago.-Early life:Leonard D. Harris found poetry and hip-hop at an early age and used both to cope with the passing of his parents. “As long as you’re talking about the negativity, you’re only attracting more negativity into your life. Stay positive. I...
, & T.I.).
Sample credits
King Back- Theme song from the film "The ExorcistThe Exorcist (film)The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
" - Excerpts from "Sting Of The Serpent" written by Ray Davies
Front Back
- Excerpts from "Front Back Side To Side" written by Chad Butler
What You Know
- "Gone Away" by Roberta Flack
Why You Wanna
- "Got 'Til It's GoneGot 'Til It's Gone"Got 'til It's Gone" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson, featuring American rapper Q-Tip and Canadian singer Joni Mitchell. It was released as the lead single from Jackson's sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope .-Song information:...
" by Janet JacksonJanet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
& Q-TipQ-Tip (rapper)Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest... - "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)"Gypsy Woman " is a house music song by American singer Crystal Waters. It was written by Neal Conway and Waters and is the first single from her 1991 debut album, Surprise...
" by Crystal WatersCrystal WatersCrystal Waters is an American dance music singer and songwriter.-Childhood and young adult life:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Waters is the daughter of Betty and Junior Waters, a famed jazz musician; her great aunt, Ethel Waters, was one of the first African-American vocalists to appear in...
Get It
- Excerpts from "Mollo Tutto" written by Enrico Simonetti, Antonio Murri, & Dino Verdi
You Know Who
- "Fight Back" by Solomon BurkeSolomon BurkeSolomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
, off the Cool Breeze OST (blaxploitation movie)
Hello
- "Hello, It's Me" by The Isley BrothersThe Isley BrothersThe Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
Bankhead
- "Exodus (Main Theme)"
Drug Related
- Excerpts from "Love Me Back" written by Willie Hutch
Personnel
Credits for King adapted from Allmusic.- Travis BarkerTravis BarkerTravis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
- Drums, Producer, Programming - Philip Botti - Executive Producer
- Leslie Brathwaite - Mixing
- Greg Gigendad Burke - Art Direction, Design
- Mike Caren - A&R
- Elliott Carter - Engineer
- K. Cates - Composer
- Spencer Chrislu - Authoring
- Nate Connelly - Assistant Engineer
- Geoff Countryman Flute
- Kannon "Caviar" Cross - Producer
- R. Davies - Composer
- Kevin "KD" Davis - Mixing
- K. DeanSwizz BeatzKasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
- Composer - David Dieckmann - Authoring
- Sean Donnelly - Design
- Mike EppsMike EppsMichael Elliot "Mike" Epps is an American stand-up comedian, actor, film producer, writer, singer, and rapper. He is best known for playing Day-Day Jones in Next Friday and the sequel-to-the-sequel, Friday After Next, and also starring alongside Ice Cube in All About the Benjamins...
- Performer - Mannie FreshMannie FreshByron O. Thomas, better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is currently an artist and hip-hop producer who records for Def Jam South and his own division Chubby Boy Records...
- Producer - John Frye - Mixing
- Nick Fury - Producer
- Tony Galvin - Producer
- Brian Gardner - Mastering
- Jason Geter - A&R, Executive Producer, Management
- GLCGLC (rapper)Leonard D. Harris is an American rapper from Chicago.-Early life:Leonard D. Harris found poetry and hip-hop at an early age and used both to cope with the passing of his parents. “As long as you’re talking about the negativity, you’re only attracting more negativity into your life. Stay positive. I...
- Performer - E.J. Gold - Composer
- Robert Gold - Photo Production
- C. HarrisT.I.Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
- Composer - L.D. Harris - Composer
- L. Hutson - Composer
- Just BlazeJust BlazeJustin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...
- Producer - Hannah Kang - A&R
- Gimel Keaton - Mixing
- Anthony Kilhoffer - Engineer
- Christian Lantry - Photography
- Lil Mack - Producer
- Dayna D'Mystro Staggs - Producer
- James Lopez - Marketing
- Keith Mack - Producer
- Glen Marchese - Mixing
- Manny Marroquin - Mixing
- Mike Mo - Assistant Engineer
- Dawaun Parker - Keyboards
- Orlando Rashid - Engineer
- Richard Reitz - Assistant Engineer, Engineer
- Tony Rey - Engineer
- Shorty B. - Bass, Guitar
- Swizz BeatzSwizz BeatzKasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
- Producer - Phil Tan - Mixing
- Alex Uychocde - Engineer
- C. WatersCrystal WatersCrystal Waters is an American dance music singer and songwriter.-Childhood and young adult life:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Waters is the daughter of Betty and Junior Waters, a famed jazz musician; her great aunt, Ethel Waters, was one of the first African-American vocalists to appear in...
- Composer - Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
- Producer
Chart positions
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
24 |
| French Albums Chart | 36 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
76 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
26 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
99 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
1 |
| US Billboard Top Rap Albums | 1 |
Certifications
| Territory | Certifier | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | CRIA Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Gold |
| United States | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Platinum |
Chart procession and succession
External links
- King at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- King at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...