Planet Ill Breakdown: T.I.- I'm Back

Planet Ill Breakdown: T.I.- I’m Back

Posted On: March 9, 2010
Posted By: odeisel
Comments: 0

By Odeisel

Welcome back,
Your dreams were your ticket out.

Welcome back,
To that same old place that you laughed about.

Well the names have all changed since you hung around,
But those dreams have remained and they’re turned around.

Who’d have thought they’d lead ya (Who’d have thought they’d lead ya)
Here where we need ya (Here where we need ya)

Yeah we tease him a lot cause we’ve got him on the spot, welcome back,
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.-John Sebastian (Theme To Welcome Back Kotter)

We aren’t talking about the former sweat hog returning as a teacher to the classrooms he once terrorized. We’re talking about T.I. returning from a prison stay and a prolonged hiatus from the music that took him from the trap to the top. He may have left as the “king” but there are a number of figures that loom large presently including young Weezy, who follows T.I. prison path as of yesterday, his phenomenon apprentice Drake, whose thunder of a leak with “Over” was a bit muted by T.I.’s return, and emperor Jay, who seemingly won’t stop rocking till he retires…and won’t retire.

Despite the hypocrisy of court mandated community service, the chicanery of a reality show, whispers of possible snitching, and other detriments, the “king” returns in full splendor; seemingly immune to things that would have slowed the careers of a lesser personality. To a starving market of slave music rappers and dad mad glad bad sad lyricism T.I. delivers “I’m Back.” While it isn’t anything new, it shows no signs of rust on Mr. Harris.

In I’m Back he takes rappers from the “A” to task for presumably not holding it down in his absence and in the wake of himself, Wayne, Guccu and Lil Boosie losing their freedom. But never fear he’s back to tell you how to ball and how to get it how you live. Also take to task are the myriad posers who don’t bust their guns, have never caught a body or spent time in the trap (cue sarcasometer). He’s back to take them out the game too.

His delivery is strong but his voice is a bit muddier than usual. The rhyme scheme is similar in form and construction to songs like “Front Back.” The beat is T.I. beat X we’ve heard him rap over similar things before. In the end, “I’m Back offers us the same T.I. that we’ve grown accustomed to. After a year and change away that can be counted as a victory for him musically. Let’s see where he goes from here, now that he’s reestablished his center.

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