Production was handled by several record producers, including Kannon "Caviar" Cross, Just Blaze, Mannie Fresh, Lil' C, Wyclef Jean, Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, Sedeck "All Hands on Deck" Jean, Keith "Lil' Wonda" Duplessis, Kevin "Khao" Cates, Timbaland, Bao Quoc Pham, Steve Holdren, Nate "Danja" Hills, The Runners, Tony Galvin, Eminem, Jeff Bass, and Keith Mack, among others.

received mixed reviews from music critics, but was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and selling over 470,000 copies in its first week.

Shortly after the release and major success of his 2006 efforts (his big screen acting debut ATL and his critically acclaimed fourth studio album King), T.I.

's friend, personal assistant, and an employee of his Grand Hustle Records, Philant Johnson was shot dead after a nightclub brawl between T.I.

Scott Storch, Mannie Fresh, and he stated that Wyclef Jean came through with some real worldly music and great vocals.

He confirmed that Akon had contributed to the album, along with most of the Grand Hustle Records producers including Kevin "Khao" Cates, Black Mob and others.

With such a high concept, he says that he's making sure to take extra time and critique every song to be sure he doesn't lose anyone, it'd be easy for me to go over people's heads," he rationalized.

The beat Mannie Fresh and his accomplice came up with is another energetic brouhaha in step with some of their proven street ditties such as "Top Back".

stated it's a record you wouldn't expect to hear him on, kinda like how you heard him on 'Smack That' for Akon or [Em's] 'Shake That' with Nate Dogg.

Show It 2 Me," which features Nelly, sounds like it could easily be a sequel to their previous teaming on Urban Legend's "Get Loose."

On that track, Tip talks about maturity, why he's now "too grown to be the life of the party," and how he has no time to argue with bouncers, overzealous fans or pestering playa haters.

is a concept LP on which the rapper uses both sides of himself — the suave, level-minded CEO and the 'hood-friendly former dope boy — to express his thoughts on everything from the Grammy Awards to sideways-talking bustas to making dough.

"This is my life, this is the struggle I had to go through to bring myself to release another album," said T.I., who lost both his newborn daughter and personal assistant within the last year.

The song was featured in the HBO series Entourage (Season 4, Episode 4) as the guys are in a club, it can be heard in the background.

After the sustained greatness through Trap Muzik, Urban Legend, and King, a fall-off of some degree had to be expected -- especially after reaching the top after a steady climb -- and that's exactly what happens.

tends to either reheat familiar material with less fire or tread dangerously close to unrelatable Kingdom Come-like "Look at who's obnoxiously shedding his underdog status!"

's honey-dripping Southern drawl and outlaw swagger is irresistible in bite-sized doses, but it isn't enough to sustain an entire album.

In the grand hustling tradition of half-assed concept albums, Vs. boasts an overarching premise that's fuzzy to the point of meaninglessness until the climactic final confrontation.

Maybe next time he'll finally wage combat with a more worthwhile adversary, like bloated album lengths or the homogenizing effects of major-label politics.

the unreformed hustler are two completely different entities, and that the strain of balancing the two personas is enough to tear Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. apart.

If the album's final stretch is meant to unite both sides, why do they confront each other in song only once, on the second verse of "Respect My Hustle"?

As a rapper, he's still a dominant voice; his slurry, guttural drawl is a great instrument, and always keeps it deep in the track's pocket, occasionally whipping out tricky double-time patterns or murmuring singsong melodies.

"[24] Colin McGuire of PopMatters states "Here, he overshadows any work he has previously done by keeping his Southern hip-hop roots intact while putting just enough attention on the hooks that one could easily find half of these songs that paint T.I.

It's more of a hastily assembled construct grafted onto the persona of a generic trap star who doesn't seem capable of taking real artistic chances.

"[27] Nick Marx of Tiny Mix Tapes noted "After reaching his creative apex, is there a more predictable and plodding step down for an artist than a concept album?

is mercifully light on the requisite skits illustrating its dichotomy, but you almost wish there were more of them to explain the album's weird alchemy of simultaneously overwrought and undercooked production and flaccid, self-absorbed lyricism.

"[28] Brendan Frederick of XXL Magazine notes "Atlanta rapper Clifford Harris opened this old wound four years ago on "T.I.

T.I.P.," a highlight from his sophomore opus, Trap Muzik, where T.I.P., his reckless, shit-talking core, battled T.I., the consummate professional/smooth operator.

After a tumultuous 2006 filled with highs (King solidified his place as one of hip-hop's illuminati) and lows (the senseless murder of his best friend), Tip re-examines his schizophrenic psyche on his fifth album, T.I.

[34] On August 30, 2007, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over a million copies in the United States.