T.I. says his forthcoming album, Kill the King, will feature a collaboration that connects him with one of hip-hop’s most influential producers. The Atlanta rapper recently confirmed that Dr. Dre contributed a track to the project, bringing together an unexpected lineup that also includes Anderson .Paak and a singer known as Stallone. According to T.I., the record came together through a straightforward exchange that evolved into a full collaboration.
“Dr. Dre blessed me with a record,” T.I. said while discussing the project. “It happens to have Anderson .Paak on it and a young lady by the name of Stallone. It’s a dope record. It’s called ‘Where I’m From.’ Dope record.” The rapper described the process as collaborative but efficient, beginning when Dre shared the track and invited him to contribute.
“He sent it to me, and I went to the house, and I laid it,” T.I. explained. “And then I laid another verse, and I went back.” For him, revisiting a song multiple times is part of the process of refining it. “It’s always for the best outcome, for the betterment of the record,” he said. “I’m always for someone who I know is dedicated to making the absolute best sh*t we can make.”
Why T.I.’s Kill the King Could Mark the End of an Era
The album itself has been in progress for several years, though a release date has not yet been announced. Earlier this year, T.I. offered a first glimpse of the project with the single “Let ’Em Know.” Around the same time, he suggested that Kill the King may mark a turning point in his career, describing it as the final album he plans to release before stepping back from music.
The title of the project carries a deeper personal meaning for the rapper. T.I. has long been associated with the phrase “King of the South,” a nickname that became central to his public identity. Over time, however, he began to reconsider the weight that label carried.
Reflecting on the name, he recalled advice he once received from the OutKast rapper Big Boi. “Big Boi said, ‘It sounds cool. I like it, but understand when you are king you put a big bullseye on your back.’” The message stuck with him. “Life is a game of chess,” he remembered Big Boi saying. “And the name of the game is called Kill The King.”
