The L.I.B.R.A. is the eleventh studio album by American rapper T.I. It was released on October 16, 2020, via Grand Hustle Records and Empire Distribution. The title, which references T.I.'s zodiac sign, libra, also doubles as an acronym for "Legend Is Back Running Atlanta".[2] The album, which was initially titled Love & Liability, serves as the final installment of a trilogy, that was preceded by Paperwork (2014) and Dime Trap (2018).
| The L.I.B.R.A. | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 16, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2018–2020 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 68:12 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| T.I. chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The L.I.B.R.A. | ||||
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Production on the album was handled by record producers such as Hitmaka, 9th Wonder, June Jenius, Cardiak, Juicy J, David Banner, Lil' C, Thaddeus Dixon. The album features guest appearances from 21 Savage, 42 Dugg, Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, Eric Bellinger, Jadakiss, Jeremih, John Legend, Killer Mike, Lil Baby, London Jae, Mozzy, Rapsody, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, Young Thug, and comedian Ms. Pat, among others.
Preceded by two singles, "Ring" and "Pardon", the album peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 chart and number nine on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States.
Background
editUpon signing a recording contract with Columbia Records and releasing his ninth album Paperwork in October 2014, T.I. revealed that Paperwork is part of a trilogy and would be followed up with The Return and Love & Liability.[3] During an interview with Life+Times, T.I. said the next album, or rather, "second act" is The Return, and following that, the "third act" is called Love & Liability. According to T.I. the former is going to be reminiscent of his second album Trap Muzik (2003), while the latter is going to be "like a gangster version of 808s & Heartbreak".[4] In a 2017 interview on The Breakfast Club radio show, T.I. spoke on his trilogy of albums: "I got, like, two, I got, this next album and two, I got three more albums in my head, conceptualized. […] The next one is more like trap music. It’s Trap Muzik 2017. And the one after that, it’s gonna be more like a, uh, love as it pertains to a dope boy."[5] When speaking on Love & Liability, which ultimately became The L.I.B.R.A., T.I. said “Love & Liability is the story of a young man, who is a solid cat, but his heart finds him in relationships with people who he probably shouldn’t be in relationships with, because of the people they’re in relationships with.[6]
Release and promotion
editIn October 2020, T.I. revealed that he teamed up with AllHipHop for a stimulus package giveaway: “Since [Donald Trump] said he ain’t giving them stimuluses out until after the election, alright...cool. I’m just gon’ pick up a little bit, man,” he said in the video clip. “We got y’all. Don’t even trip.” All interested fans had to do was vote on their favorite songs from each of T.I.'s previous studio albums in the leadup to the release of The L.I.B.R.A. In total, $12,000 was on the line as one lucky fan was randomly selected to win $1,200 each day.[7][8]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 70/100[9] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [10] |
| Beats Per Minute | 76%[11] |
| HipHopDX | 4.1/5[12] |
| Pitchfork | 5.4/10[13] |
The L.I.B.R.A. was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 70 based on four reviews.[9]
Riley Wallace of HipHopDX found the album "could have benefitted from a few snips here and there, but overall it's a reasonably satisfying listen and a tangible reminder that the self-proclaimed King Of The South hasn't lost his edge".[12] Chase McMullen of Beats Per Minute wrote that the project is "a generous, compulsively enjoyable statement, unburdened of commercial pressure in a way that's all too rare in this numbers game".[11] AllMusic's Fred Thomas wrote: "The entire record is a victorious display of self-celebration, but the impact of T.I.'s years in the rap game are felt most directly on tracks where he's matching wit and lyrical dexterity with rappers from the generation that directly followed him".[10] In a mixed review, Trey Alston of Pitchfork resumed: "these songs introduce nothing new to T.I.'s story or sound, but they're exactly what you'd expect to find 13 tracks deep into a curated rap playlist on a streaming service".[13]
Commercial performance
editThe L.I.B.R.A. debuted at number 18 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 23,500 album units.[14]
Track listing
editCredits are adapted from Tidal.[15]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The L.I.B.R.A. Introduction" (featuring Ms. Pat) |
|
| 3:08 |
| 2. | "Hit Dogs Holla" (featuring Tokyo Jetz) |
|
| 2:01 |
| 3. | "Ring" (featuring Young Thug) | 2:54 | ||
| 4. | "Pardon" (featuring Lil Baby) |
|
| 4:19 |
| 5. | "On the Hood" (featuring 42 Dugg and Mozzy) |
|
| 4:04 |
| 6. | "Moon Juice" (with Snoop Dogg featuring Jeremih) |
|
| 3:35 |
| 7. | "Air & Water Interlude" (featuring Rapsody) |
|
| 1:39 |
| 8. | "Hypno" (featuring Rahky) |
| Juicy J | 2:20 |
| 9. | "1/2 Ticket" (featuring London Jae and Conway the Machine) |
|
| 3:28 |
| 10. | "Respect the Code" (with Rick Ross featuring Kes Kross) |
| MyGuyMars | 3:35 |
| 11. | "Put Some on It" |
|
| 2:24 |
| 12. | "Family Connect" (featuring Domani) |
| Messiah | 3:27 |
| 13. | "Make Amends" (featuring Benny the Butcher and Jadakiss) |
| Thaddeus Dixon | 3:44 |
| 14. | "Fire & Earth Interlude" (featuring Ernestine Johnson Morrison) |
|
| 2:00 |
| 15. | "Pantone Blue" (featuring Alec Beretz) |
|
| 4:20 |
| 16. | "Horizons" | 9th Wonder | 4:04 | |
| 17. | "How I Feel" (featuring Eric Bellinger and Killer Mike) |
|
| 5:22 |
| 18. | "We Did It Big" (with John Legend) |
|
| 5:19 |
| 19. | "Thank God" (featuring 21 Savage) |
| 4:38 | |
| 20. | "Deyjah's Conclusion" |
|
| 1:40 |
Personnel
editCredits for The L.I.B.R.A. adapted from AllMusic.[10]
- 21 Savage – Featured Artist
- 42 Dugg – Featured Artist
- Eric Bellinger – Featured Artist
- Benny the Butcher – Featured Artist
- Alec Beretz – Featured Artist
- Conway the Machine – Featured Artist
- Domani – Featured Artist
- Jadakiss – Featured Artist
- London Jae – Featured Artist
- Jeremih – Featured Artist
- Killer Mike – Featured Artist
- John Legend – Primary Artist
- Lil Baby – Featured Artist
- Ernestine Johnson Morrison – Featured Artist
- Mozzy – Featured Artist
- Ms. Pat – Featured Artist
- Rahky – Featured Artist
- Rapsody – Featured Artist
- Rick Ross – Primary Artist
- Snoop Dogg – Primary Artist
- T.I. – Primary Artist
- Tokyo Jetz – Featured Artist
- Young Thug – Featured Artist
Charts
edit| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[16] | 18 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[17] | 9 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[18] | 3 |
References
edit- ^ Ashie, Kotey (October 16, 2020). "T.I.'s kids, Deyjah and Domani Harris, are featured on his new album 'The L.I.B.R.A.'". BCK. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ Lavin, Will (September 27, 2020). "T.I. announces new album 'The Libra (The Legend Is Back Running Atlanta)'". NME. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ "T.I. Speaks On Next Two Albums, "The Return" & "Love & Liability"". Hotnewhiphop.com. October 24, 2014. Archived from the original on September 13, 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ^ "T.I. Reveals Plans To Release "Gangster Version" Of Kanye West's "808s & Heartbreak"". Hiphopdx.com. October 24, 2014. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ^ Jones, Biz (February 3, 2017). "T.I. Announces Final Album Title: "I'm Ready To Get The Hell Outta Here"". SOHH.com.
- ^ "T.I. Plans on Releasing A "Gangster Version" of Kanye West's '808's & Heartbreak' - XXL". October 24, 2014.
- ^ Jawnson, Kershaw St (October 6, 2020). "T.I. and AllHipHop.com Gives Away $12K in The L.I.B.R.A. Stimulus Package". AllHipHop. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
- ^ "T.I. Announces 'The L.I.B.R.A' Release Date and $12,000 'Stimulus Package' Giveaway". BET.
- ^ a b "Critic Reviews for The L.I.B.R.A. - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c Thomas, Fred. "The L.I.B.R.A. – T.I. | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
- ^ a b McMullen, Chase (October 19, 2020). "Album Review: T.I. – The L.I.B.R.A. | Beats Per Minute". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ a b Wallace, Riley (December 5, 2020). "Review: T.I.'s 'The L.I.B.R.A.' Is Proof The Self-Proclaimed King Of The South Hasn't Lost His Edge". HipHopDX. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Alston, Trey (October 22, 2020). "T.I.: The L.I.B.R.A. (The Legend Is Back Running Atlanta)". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ "T.I.'s "The L.I.B.R.A" Sells 23K in the First Week". HNHH. October 24, 2020.
- ^ "Try the TIDAL Web Player". listen.tidal.com. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- ^ "T I Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
- ^ "T I Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
- ^ "T I Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2020.