Trap Muzik (Deluxe Edition) [Deluxe Edition]

iTunes Review

This deluxe reissue of Atlanta rapper T.I.’s commercial and artistic breakthrough Trap Muzik displays T.I.’s clear influence on a host of emerging Atlanta trap and snap rap artists. On Trap Muzik T.I. succeeded in effortlessly fusing the frantic bounce tempos and slang heavy street narratives of his debut with the polished aesthetics of mainstream Hip-Hop. The jittery drum programming and chopped and screwed refrain of “Bezzle” referenced a host of longstanding Southern Rap tropes, from the slow rolling tempos of Houston’s Rap-a-lot family to the bass heavy club music of the now forgotten Atlanta rap pioneer MC Shy-D. And radio-ready tunes like the triumphant “Rubber Band Man” saw T.I. brokering an uneasy truce with the synth-heavy beats and anthemic choruses of mainstream rap. The results are never less than mesmerizing, as T.I. has the charisma and the talent to make this potentially awkward marriage of styles seem effortless.