As the year comes to a close, T.I. looked back on 2012 and picked his five favorite albums. During an interview with Rap-Up.com, Tip picked some expected choices – B.o.B’s Strange Clouds, Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city – and named a few that missed the top of critics’ lists.
Starting out, he named his Grand Hustle signee B.o.B’s sophomore album as one of his top LPs. “The first one I can think of is B.o.B’s Strange Clouds,” he said. “It’s his sophomore album and oddly enough, I think this album was in some ways better than his first one. I think that he has definitely showed growth and evolution in his creative spirit. So I hear it and I acknowledge it and I salute it.”
The King of the South also went the standard route and chose K. Dot’s major label debut, explaining that he raps like he has an old soul. “Kendrick Lamar’s project was something that I expected it to be good, but I never expected it to be that good. So I think that the thought or the fact of the matter that he took me by surprise so much is probably what propelled him so far up over the top of my favorites. It sounds like he’s in the present but speaking with a voice from the past. He got a mid- to late-’90s flow on him, but his subject matter is present day. And his skill set is futuristic. That just provides for a wonderful collection of strengths that allow me to like him so much.”
Additionally, T.I. settled on Meek Mill’s Dreams & Nightmares, G.O.O.D. Music’s Cruel Summer and, of course, his own album Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head. Watch him explain his choices below.
RELATED:T.I. Recalls Working With Both Meek Mill & Dolla, Talks Hustle Gang Apparel
