T.I. sounds 'Dead and Gone' on new album

Southern rapper T.I.’s new album, “No Mercy,” was supposed to be called “King Uncaged.” Unfortunately, following the rapper’s parole violation in October and its accompanying 11-month sentence, it was decided that the original title was uncomfortably ironic.

But even though “King Uncaged” did not see the light of day, T.I.’s latest effort is haunted by the ghost of what might have been. It is a thoroughly average album that teeters between sub-par glorifications of T.I.’s large living and awkward introspection.

The album gets off to a misleadingly good start with “Welcome To The World,” featuring Kanye West and Kid Cudi. It is a truly post-“My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy” song, and it is refreshing to hear T.I. rapping on West’s production. His typical self-hype gets new life on the track, a trend that unfortunately fails to deliver on its promise as the album progresses. One pattern does emerge, though: T.I. getting obliterated by his guests, as Kanye and Cudi, with his haunting hook, steal the track.

Eminem performs a similar trick on “That’s All She Wrote,” the album’s best song. Structured around a menacing guitar loop and low, thumping bass, it has the kind of sound that maximizes T.I.’s sneering swagger, his greatest strength. Even his singing is successful on the song, a rare occurrence. But just when T.I. seems to have triumphed, Eminem comes through with his usual double-time rage and steals the show. These killer collaborations, while marking high points on the album, also serve to highlight how unexciting T.I. is at times.

“That’s All She Wrote” marks another high point, a time when T.I.’s lyrics, delivery and production all align. But unfortunately, such moments come about as frequently as the alignment of the planets. These glimmers of hope are frustratingly tantalizing looks at what “King Uncaged” might have been as a triumphant comeback album. Even when a victorious T.I. does emerge, as on “Amazing” and “Lay Me Down,” the spark that used to separate the rapper from his peers is missing; he sounds more like a minor duke than “The King.”

A problem of length also plagues “No Mercy.” T.I. effectively dilutes himself by putting too many verses around overly lengthy hooks. T.I. has never been an amazing lyricist. His rhymes did not lure listeners because of their breathtaking originality or wit. But damn, he sounded cool. The swagger that so effectively propelled him to superstardom is missing from “No Mercy,” in which his flow is transformed into more of a disapproving amble. This is most apparent on “Everything On Me.” It is a huge track, full of pounding bass and swirling synths, the kind of thing T.I. used to devour. But here, the listener needs to excavate T.I. from the beat, a problem T.I. did not have in his prime.

T.I.’s attempts to get introspective on “No Mercy” are, at best, muddled. His version of reflection seems to be settling into the look-how-far-I-came rap trope and promptly riding it into the ground in the most cliched manner he can. It does not help that what often sounds like the exact same piano loop is recycled again and again for dramatic effect.

T.I. also cannot seem to make up his mind. Sometimes he owns up to his mistakes, head hung in submission as on the album’s cover. But then, often in the same song, the rapper cannot help angrily justifying himself. T.I. also claims to finally understand that he needs to turn around his life — an ironic sentiment given that he is now going back to jail. This is shown off in Drake’s baffling line on “Poppin’ Bottles”: “Probation is a bitch, but going back is not an option.” Did anyone actually listen to that before putting it on the album?

While “No Mercy” is by no means horrible, it is certainly not good. It is an unoriginal rehashing of T.I.’s career to date but does not have the things that made him famous in the first place. T.I.’s personality and delivery have always been more appealing than his actual lyrics, and both are notably absent on this album. It is a record buoyed by minor successes but bogged down in its own mediocrity and a lack of T.I.’s vital strut. Clifford Harris may not be giving us any mercy, but honestly, we didn’t need any anyway.

2 Paws

Pros Strong guests appearances and some cool beats, which would be a solid set of instrumentals.

Cons Very little to get excited about on this album.