T.I. — T.I. Vs. T.I.P.

On the first half of this album, the self-proclaimed "King Of The South" is T.I.P. On "Big Shit Poppin' (Do It)," his aggressive rap style is a huge departure from last year's bubblegum hit "Why You Wanna" from off of King. "You Know What It Is" (featuring Wyclef Jean), with its tough guy hook and popping crunk beat, is a guaranteed chart-topper. In these songs and "Watch What You Say To Me" (featuring Jay-Z), T.I. reminds us why he's the hottest southern rapper of the moment. But the T.I. portion of the album, featuring "My Swag," (also featuring Jean) and "Show It To Me" (with Nelly) are ridiculously boring and narcissistic, even for hip-hop's standards. Then, when T.I. and T.I.P. confront each other on "Respect This Hustle," the whole alter ego dichotomy thing is made even less clear. It's disappointing when the make-believe rapper is more interesting than the real one.

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