King (T.I. album)

King
Studio album by
T.I.
ReleasedMarch 28, 2006 (2006-03-28)
Recorded2005
GenreSouthern hip hop
Length75:41
Label
Producer
T.I. chronology
Urban Legend
(2004) 		King
(2006) 		T.I. vs. T.I.P.
(2007)
Singles from King
  1. "What You Know"
    Released: January 28, 2006
  2. "Why You Wanna"
    Released: April 18, 2006
  3. "Live in the Sky"
    Released: September 5, 2006
  4. "Top Back (Remix)"
    Released: December 12, 2006

King (stylized as King.), is the fourth studio album by American rapper T.I., released on March 28, 2006, through Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records. Recording sessions for the album took one and a half years to complete in late 2005 according to T.I. in an interview with MTV News. Production was handled by several high-profile record producers, including DJ Toomp, Just Blaze, Mannie Fresh, Swizz Beatz, Keith Mack, Travis Barker, The Neptunes, Kevin "Khao" Cates, Nick "Fury" Loftin, and Tony Galvin, among others. The album also serves as the soundtrack to T.I.’s feature film debut, ATL.[1][2]

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling over 522,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States, achieving respectable international charting and produced the two hit singles that attained chart success, including US Billboard hit singles "What You Know" and "Why You Wanna". It was certified gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), following shipment in excess of 523,408 copies in the United States.[3] The RIAA later certified the album platinum.[4]

Upon its release, King received general acclaim from music critics, earning praise for its varied musical style, opulent production quality, and T.I.'s dichotomous lyrical themes, and including the hit single "What You Know" where critics praised DJ Toomp's production for the single. The album also earned T.I. several accolades, including Grammy Award nominations for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Solo Performance, winning the latter for "What You Know". The album also appeared at the top of several publications year-end lists of top albums.

  1. ^ "'King' T.I. Holds Court". Billboard.
  2. ^ ""ATL" Merges Music and Film with Big Results".
  3. ^ Katie Hasty (April 5, 2006). T.I. Rules As 'King' of Album Chart Archived August 17, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Billboard. Retrieved October 9, 2008.
  4. ^ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Archived from the original on 2016-01-03. Retrieved 2009-03-01.