• Record Label: Atlantic
  • Release Date: Mar 28, 2006
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 18
  2. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. T.I. is the whole package: gritty, smooth, smart, dangerous, introspective, and wise.
  2. T.I.'s Southern drawl bends pedestrian phrases into irresistible melodies hotter than the summer streets to come.
  3. From the thumping energy of the Just Blaze beats and fiery rap rhetorhic of "I'm Talkin' to You" to the smoothed soulful Khao Cates beats on the "miss you girl" narrative of "Hello," Atlanta's self-proclaimed king wears many different crowns and they all seem to fit him well.
  4. T.I.'s confidence seems effortless and second-nature, his self-aggrandizement turning relentless and convincing.
  5. The disc is all over the map, moving from booming dance cuts to gangsta fare, but it satisfies with crunk-tacular gems like "What You Know."
  6. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    Though long at 18 tracks, King's still got plenty of heavyweight hits. [31 Mar 2006, p.64]
  7. Even on the tracks with mediocre melodies and concepts, T.I. plugs away at the beat and never loses control of King.
  8. Spin
    83
    [He] still knows how to make palpitating street anthems. [May 2006, p.91]
  9. 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.
  10. The New York Times
    80
    Memorable refrains, hard beats, elegant rhymes: this album succeeds mainly by sticking to a simple but effective formula. [3 Apr 2006]
  11. Vibe
    80
    Sure, King's occasional lack of originality and sometimes sluggish wordplay could be cited. But that, of course, would only amount to throwing rocks at the throne. [May 2006, p.136]
  12. Blender
    80
    His sonorous, self-assured drawl adds an air of unflustered authority to his alpha brags, and he pours it into unexpected patterns. [Jun 2006, p.147]
  13. Urb
    80
    King as album title is ambitious and King as album finds T.I. firm-footed in his role as such. [May 2006, p.95]
  14. When T.I. is on, he’s really, really on, and, at several points, King lives up to its own hyperbole. It’s just that those points correspond precisely to the places where T.I. is actually talking about how great he is.
  15. King lacks an overall cohesiveness or direction.
  16. Billboard
    50
    Here, T.I. shows he can still dominate a song given quality production (Just Blaze, DJ Toomp), but the album does little to build on what we have heard before. [1 Apr 2006]
  17. An absence of memorable narratives, punch lines and wordplay makes the songs pass without distinction.
  18. Uncut
    40
    A slickly accomplished affair, rarely inspirational. [Jul 2006, p.101]
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 58 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 58
  2. Negative: 4 out of 58
  1. May 23, 2017
    8
    Great album. T.I. is a southern hip hop legend and this album shows that. If you haven't listened to it or T.I. at all you should fix that.Great album. T.I. is a southern hip hop legend and this album shows that. If you haven't listened to it or T.I. at all you should fix that.

    Best Songs: What You Know? / I'm Talkin' To You / Front Back
    Full Review »
  2. Mar 22, 2015
    9
    8.9/10..............................................................................................................................really dope album.
  3. Jul 8, 2013
    10
    King is something that hip hop has never heard before. It's never been attempted by any other artist, yet T.I. has perfected it and has hitKing is something that hip hop has never heard before. It's never been attempted by any other artist, yet T.I. has perfected it and has hit the game with an instant classic. The all time great artist is at the top of his game in the all time great album King. His unmatched lyrical ability and wordplay is on full display in this one. The sound and production in this album is a big contribution to what makes this an all time great and is the biggest stand out element in it. The features fit right in with the sound and theme of each individual song throughout. I didn't detect a single weak point in the entire album. The only ones that hate on this album, are people who know that they can't deny his proclomation of being King, in this album and throughout the course of his career. King is one of the greatest classics in the history of hip hop and will remain that way as long as it shall live. Full Review »