’12 Best Albums: #3 T.I. Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head

Despite his run-ins with the law and underwhelming No Mercy, T.I. found redemption with last year’s release, Trouble Man. Marvin Gaye ushers in “The Introduction” but “Go Get It” proves T.I. needs no helping hands. Lyrically, Tip steps his rap game up. He’s confident (“G Season”), reckless (“Trap Back Jumpin” ) and even a bit arrogant (“The Way I Ride”). But trap muzik isn’t the only thing Cliff’s serving. His R.Kelly collaboration “Can You Learn” is on the easy on the ears. He allows Andre 3000 to bear his soul on “Sorry” and pacifies his crossover core with Cee-Lo  (“Hello”) and Pink (“Guns And Roses”). This time around, the Trouble Man did good.

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  1. Dashing says:

    Umm…..waay too high on the list.

    Decent album but not great.

    Sorry Lupe and Game fans. No love this year.

  2. adrian says:

    not a TI fan but this album is undeniable. Can You Learn, Wildside, and Way We Ride… solid with only a few missteps (and that’s just if you knit-pickin)

  3. Jackson says:

    I’m a hip hop journalist and I can tell you one thing : B dot = 0 objectivity…

  4. chiraq G says:

    he even had hits on the deluxe CD, he really put his foot in this album, glad i bought it. Glad to see TIP back. That Ross album was NOT the 4th best album of the year. it only had 3 decent songs on it.

  5. Dashing says:

    Did you hear anyone ever say the 3 best rap albums of 2012 were Kendrick, Nas, and T.I? That sentence has never been uttered. I guarantee that. Shit, even Ross woulda been a better call here.

  6. CaliSteppin says:

    Good pick! This album was flames! Its the King Bitch!

  7. yung says:

    ^trouble man shits on gfid

  8. Django says:

    No way was this better than GFID

  9. CaliSteppin says:

    Please Trouble Man shits on GFID

  10. Follow Me On Twitter @iCardsFan502 says:

    Kendrick and Nas will finish 1 and 2.

  11. p. dom says:

    I don’t really get how you can put an album that came out on December 18th, 2012 as one of the best albums of 2012. It only had 13 days to rock in 2012. That’s always been crazy to me about year-end lists. T.I.’s album should be considered for the 2013 list, if anything. It’s a cool album, but it’s certainly not a top three in a best-of list.

  12. J UK says:

    Couldn’t disagree more. Finding T.I. very annoying and none of the album was straight fire. Only track I fucks with is Sorry and I don’t need to say why….

  13. to dashing says:

    rick ross? lmao sounds like you know hip-hop…. and to jackson, if you are a journalist wheres you site so we can view what you say…everyone talks but no one backs it up

  14. Follow Me On Twitter @iCardsFan502 says:

    Kendrick and Nas will finish 1 and 2.and T.I. is deserving of 3.

  15. 50 cent says:

    I personally thought Jesus Piece was better then this.

  16. Beaming says:

    Dope album. Not in my personal top 3 but I deff respect this decision and see how this could be in peoples top 5 albums of the year. “Go Get it” really reminds me of the old TIP nice to see him back on his shyt.

  17. NYCown says:

    This should be #1 this album was great from start to finish! All he needs to now is put out “Can You Learn” single/video and back to number one he”ll go mainstream

  18. Solok says:

    lol @ Kendrick & Nas at top 2…
    especially since these niggas are Nas haters.
    this is RapRadar, you can expect a better list from MTV! I guarantee you it’s gonna be something stupid like young Jeezy or somethin

  19. Tbones says:

    This shit aint better than GFID. No fucking way, yall niggas is tripping. Cos niggas know u r on MMG dick dont mean u should rate his album behind TI

  20. S My D says:

    Where’s Habit’s and Contradictions?

  21. Word says:

    LMAO THIS SITE HATES GAME! Jesus Piece >>>>>>>>>>>>> Trouble man! I would LOVE for B. Dot or Big Homie to tell me why the album didn’t make this list? Jesus Piece was better than every album on this list except the top 2 which are certain to be GKMC and Life is Good! Jesus Piece was WAY better than that wack Slaughterhouse album. Shitted on Self made 2. Those albums should not have made this list. I don’t get how Game gets shafted AGAIN. I dont even think these guys put RED Album on the list last year, and THAT was a great album too.

  22. Kush says:

    Man…O.N.I.F.C got NO love. No best single for “work hard, play hard” no best album, no best verse for mmg compilation…..damn it man! the hate is real

  23. VANESSA says:

    THIS IS SCHOOLBOY Q’S SPOT.

  24. Dashing says:

    @to dashing, I’m not a huge Rick Ross fan, but I can be objective and recognize when an album has an impact and the fact is that Ross’ album has waay more of an impact than Trouble Man. 3 Kings, Sixteen, Hold Me Back, 911, So Sophisticated are bigger records than anything on Trouble Man.

    I like T.I more than Ross, respect him more, but this is not a better album. But it’s also not better than Game, Cruel Summer, Ab Soul, Killer Mike, and a lot of others…

  25. CaliSteppin says:

    @Word it wasnt better than Trouble Man but I agree with you that it needed to be on this list. Take out Self Made 2 and the pop ass SlaughterHouse album. Insert Jesus Piece and Lupe’s album or Ab-Soul’s

  26. Dashing says:

    By the way, “In the A” on Big Boi’s album and “Big Beast” on Killer Mike’s album were better T.I. songs than 90% of this album.

  27. S My D says:

    @VANESSA 3Hunna

  28. Bang says:

    hate it or love it this was a top 5 album..he even had the 4th highest selling solo rap album with NO radio hit. TIP really is the OG come back kid in Hip Hop.and this is basically TIP at his worst yet he still comes in at #3..KING and Paper Trail were his peak.GFID is Ross’ peak and he still cant fuck with this

  29. jobie says:

    Jesus piece was a great album! GREAT! TIs was very good but honestly doesn’t compare. Jesus pices needed a spot on this list. Listen through it! the beats were all fire. He held a concept throughout. His album was an experience. Much like kendricks. It wasn’t just a collection of good songs. It was an album. Trouble man had some good songs but as an album it was just okay

  30. BBGUN says:

    I agree wit this spot. The fact of the matter is Trouble Man was a complete body of work and GFID was full of holes.

  31. quese says:

    This was my number 1 nas album is proli gonna be 2 and kdot 1

  32. KillaK says:

    I really wasn’t feeling this album at all. It was Ok but really not that great.

  33. General says:

    Well deserved.

  34. What’s funny is that when T.I put out his first leaks from this album this site and the people who write for it were talking funny about the album. Suggesting that it looked like it was over for T.I.

    This is a good album. Really reminds me of that early T.I. & ya gotta love that cover!
    Not top 3 t ho

    Good Album could have been higher, Ab Soul and Lupe should be here and boot that Self Made crap out of here.

    @p0is0nedkoola
    Lester Bangs of Hip Hop
    I got nothing

  35. bronx says:

    this wasnt half as good as paper trail? HAS T.I LOST IT? WRONG MUSIC PICKS? yea i giuess so because he still prove he got it with few songs on there

  36. Marko V says:

    Reminds me of early T.i.? Well that shud be reason alone to not give this album a high ranking. Smh yes I own the album because its a part if Hip Hop history I can play for my kids and tell the stories surrounding the artist and what lead to the creation however I think dude played it safe. He went back to old T.I. Talkin bout money drugs and guns like he ain’t got a show on T.V. wit his wife and kids. Personally the growth and maturity shown on the tube wuda made for a better album. Which makes me say he either sold out or just Cudnt think on that level creatively. No way in hell a grown man sounds like a teenager and that’s why people eventually dismiss rap cuz it caters to the youth to the point of coonery and emasculation. I expected more and got wat I been having in my collection.

    @remarkoble1

  37. yung says:

    @Dashing what impact are you talking about? GFID has zero impact besides disappointing damn near everyone I heard acknowledge it

  38. yung says:

    @Dashing and what are you talking about “bigger records” T.I.’s records charted higher (dont think ross charted at all) wtf is this nigga talking about?

  39. M.T says:

    Trouble Man is definitely top 3. I almost lost hope in T.I but he delivered. “Guns and Roses”, ‘Go Get it”, and “Hallelujah were my favorite tracks. THE KING IS BACK!

    Wasnt feeling Game’s Jesus Piece but it shoulda been on this list. Self Made 2 was aight but it def shouldnt be in the “best albums” category.

  40. Detroit Murda City says:

    Lil Wayne Best eva

  41. Q says:

    No Game huh? Fuck this homo site je5us piece shits on this

  42. NYCown says:

    Do you bitches listen to the music or do you just skim threw it??? I encourage all you negative people to find a song On The TROUBLEMAN album that’s not a good… Tip said it best “So use to hate appreciation is a odd feeling”…. I relate to dude i guess if you wasnt out there in that shit then a lot of the shit he say might go over the average nigga head, If not making them pop hiphop #1s a lame will say negative shit (1.CAN YOU LEARN, 2.WILDSIDE,3.CRUSIN,4.WHO WANT SOME, 5.GUNS&ROSES) huge songs that’s should be singles come on man not to mention the ones he already put out this nigga put together a classic should be number 1 Kendrick or Nas had that many hits on they shit

  43. NYCown says:

    ^^6.Trap Back Jumpin 7.Go Get It 8.Sorry 9.Hello 10.Ball ,

  44. K.I.N.G says:

    niggas dickriding that jesus piece hard, the shit is fuckin trash, damn

  45. NYkidd says:

    Jp is real hiphop u trash fuk boy game killed that streets have spoke

  46. Ri Ri's butt says:

    Big homie B dot ……why u hate the Game ft nas lol

  47. LouisDaKing says:

    Men I see peoplke talking about jesus piece from the game but wtf jesus piece is not an album when u put more feat on a solo album even more than a group like mmg album or good music it’s a compilation not an album ! and T.I. deserve it his album is Great #3 is the right place way better than rick ross

  48. JE5US * PIECE says:

    @Louisdaking sum ft were one or two wrds he spit more then anybody and killed all his ft it was smart of dude to put all em ppl to show he can out spit and even take they style and do it better that nigga Game is dat nigga

  49. JE5US * PIECE says:

    Ti is one of my all time favs but Game had a better album

  50. T.I’s Trouble Man was a great album. And everyone talkin bout that Game Jesus Piece album.. LMFAO!!! That album was trash yo.. Trouble Man>>>>Jesus Piece.

    Even da Bonus tracks on Trouble man was skrait fire.
    “Parlay” wit D.O.P.E and “Check this, Dig That” wit Trae were straight bangers!

    Tip takes a dump on almost every rap album of 2012 even tho it came out 13 days before the year’s end.

  51. Reply says:

    @Jordanmamba24 u have no clue wat your talking about take a nap bitter guy.

  52. HOVA says:

    This piece of trash can’t be better than God Forgives, I Don’t. The features on this album saved it big time.

  53. AiRmax95 says:

    @reply agree

  54. Wil o says:

    I would say TI 1, Kendrick 2, Nas 3

  55. R Mcrd says:

    The ghost writing scandal and nas fairy tale stories hurt his ranking…. TI’s content pound for pound is real life with the street cred to back it up.

    TI #1
    Kendrick #2
    Not sure on Nas due to ghost writers.

  56. Tirell90 says:

    It’s funny how everyone is a music critic just because you don’t like someones music doesn’t mean it’s bad I think the album sales should do the talking. I won’t listen to no country music but I bet it’s a 100 white people square dancin to that shit right now.

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