''Urban Legend'' is the third

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

by American rapper T.I., released on November 30, 2004, through

Grand Hustle Records Grand Hustle Records (formerly Grand Hustle Entertainment), also known as Hustle Gang Music, is an Atlanta, Georgia-based hip hop record label, founded in 2003, by American rapper T.I. and his manager Jason Geter. Up until December 2012, the lab ...

and

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most im ...

. The album debuted at number seven on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 195,000 copies in its first week of release. It also debuted at number one on the

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...

and the

Top Rap Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...

charts. The album's official

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

, " Bring Em Out", was released on October 19, 2004 and became T.I. first's top 10 hit, peaking at number nine on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, while the second single, " U Don't Know Me", peaked at number 23 on the chart. The third single, " ASAP", reached number 75 on the chart, "Artist Chart History – T.I." on Billboard.com Neilsen Business Media, Inc., 2008. number 18 on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

and number 14 on the

Hot Rap Tracks Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by ''Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stati ...

charts. T.I. created a video for "ASAP"/"Motivation". However, "Motivation" only made it to number 62 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart music chart. The album features production provided by longtime collaborating producers

DJ Toomp Aldrin Davis (born August 2, 1969), professionally known as DJ Toomp, is an American record producer, songwriter, and DJ. DJ Toomp received his start in 1985, with Atlanta MC Raheem the Dream, producing Raheem’s self-titled record when he was ...

Jazze Pha Phalon Anton Alexander, (born April 15, 1974), professionally known as Jazze Pha ( ), is an American record producer, singer, songwriter and rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Sho'nuff Records, to wh ...

Lil Jon Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971) better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre cr ...

The Neptunes The Neptunes are an American songwriting and production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music video ...

, Nick "Fury" Loftin,

David Banner Lavell William Crump (born April 11, 1974), better known by his stage name David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Born in Brookhaven, Mississippi, Banner's family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, where he was raised. Ba ...

and Sanchez Holmes. New producers contributing to the album include

Daz Dillinger Delmar Drew Arnaud (born May 25, 1973), known professionally as Daz Dillinger (formerly Dat Nigga Daz and commonly Daz), is an American rapper and record producer. In the 1990s at Death Row Records, aided the catapult of West Coast rap and gang ...

Kevin "Khao" Cates Kevin "Khao" Cates is an American record producer and Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur from Montgomery, Alabama, United States. Cates rose to prominence for his early involvement with Hip hop music, American hip-hop recording artist T.I., T.I.’s re ...

KLC Craig Stephen Lawson (born July 15, 1969), known professionally as KLC, is an American record producer, DJ, and drummer. He found fame as a member of No Limit Records' in-house production team Beats by the Pound. Since leaving the label, he has ...

Mannie Fresh Byron Otto Thomas (born March 20, 1969), better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is an American music producer and rapper. He's best known for his productions on Cash Money Records releases, as well being half of the hip hop duo (alongside ...

Scott Storch Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. He started off as a keyboardist for the group the Roots. Early life Storch was born on Long Island, New York. He was raised in South Florida and Phi ...

and

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...

. Featured guests on the album include

Trick Daddy Maurice Samuel Young (born September 27, 1974), better known by his stage name Trick Daddy, is an American rapper from Miami's Liberty City. Early life Trick Daddy was born on September 27, 1974, at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. ...

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...

, B.G.,

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom h ...

, P$C,

and

Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include: * * * * * better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of h ...

Background

In March 2004, a warrant was issued for T.I.'s arrest after a violation of

probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...

that resulted from a 1997 arrest on

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...

distribution and the manufacturing and distribution of a

controlled substance A controlled substance is generally a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession and use is regulated by a government, such as illicitly used drugs or prescription medications that are designated by law. Some treaties, notably the Single ...

. He was sentenced to three years in

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...

. While imprisoned in

Cobb County, Georgia Cobb County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia, located in the Atlanta metropolitan area in the north central portion of the state. As of 2020 Census, the population was 766,149. Its county seat and largest city is Marietta. Along with ...

, he filmed an unauthorized

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

Recording

After T.I. received his sentence, he was granted a

work release In prison systems, work release programs allow a prisoner who is sufficiently trusted or can be sufficiently monitored to go outside the prison and work at a place of employment, returning to prison when their shift is complete. Some work release ...

program that allowed him to continue making music and proceeded to record several albums' worth of material. Recording sessions took place at P.S. West Studios, Silent Sounds Studios, and Stankonia Studios, all located in T.I.'s native

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital city, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton County, the mos ...

. One recording session took place at the Orange Grove Studios in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

Release and promotion

Singles

" Bring Em Out" was the first official single to be released from ''Urban Legend''. The single entered the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at number nine, it also charted at number six on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and at number four on the Hot Rap Tracks music chart. In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

the single entered the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

music chart at number 59. "Bring Em Out" became T.I.'s first top-ten single to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. "Bring Em Out" was certified gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies in the US. " U Don't Know Me" was the second official single from the album. It entered the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at number 23. It charted at number six on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number four on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, and number 65 on the

Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles sa ...

music chart. The song was nominated for

Best Rap Solo Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously, a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance. In 2003, this award was split into separate a ...

at the

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

, Best Rap Video at the

MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

and Street Anthem of the Year at the

Vibe Awards ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down production in ...

. It was certified platinum by the RIAA for selling over a million copies in the US. " ASAP" was the third and final official single from the album. It entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at number 75. It charted at number 18 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at number 14 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. allmusic ((( T.I. > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))/ref> It was certified gold by the RIAA for selling over 500,000 copies in the US.RIAA T.I. gold & platinum data
''RIAA''. Accessed October 11. On the B-side of the single the song "Motivation" appeared, which charted at number 62 on the

music chart.

Critical reception

Upon its release, ''Urban Legend'' received generally favorable reviews from most music critics.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

writer Andy Kellman opined that, "With all that chaos surrounding T.I., it's disappointing to hear him retracing his steps, rewriting old lines, developing with little progress. Perhaps it's asking too much to expect T.I. to show as much growth here as he did on ''

Trap Muzik ''Trap Muzik'' is the second studio album by the American rapper T.I., released on August 19, 2003, by Atlantic and his newly founded record label Grand Hustle. Due to the poor sales on T.I.'s first album, ''I'm Serious'' (2001), T.I. asked for a ...

'', but -- as is the case with

Jadakiss Jason Terrance Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper from Yonkers, New York. He began his career in the 1990s as a member of the rap trio The Lox, managed by Ruff Ryders and signed with B ...

-- remaining patient for that classic album (and you know he has one in him) is getting tough."Kellman, Andy. Review: ''Urban Legend''

. Retrieved on 2010-12-12. Chuck Mindehall of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

'', in his review of the album, wrote, "when .I.declares "I'm the King," you just about believe him."Mindenhall, Chuck
Urban Legend
Retrieved on 2022-06-02. Tom Breihan of the ''

Baltimore City Paper ''Baltimore City Paper'' was a free alternative weekly newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 1977 by Russ Smith and Alan Hirsch. The most recent owner was the Baltimore Sun Media Group, which purchased the paper in 2014 from Ti ...

'' stated that although "T.I.’s flow is more focused and confident than it was on his 2003 breakthrough, ''Trap Muzik'' ..the new album feels like a thrown-together collection instead of a unified work." Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews stated that "If .I.can stay clean and out of prison .. there seems to be no limit to how far he can go."Juon, Steve
Review: ''Urban Legend''
RapReviews. Retrieved on 2010-12-12.

Commercial performance

''Urban Legend'' debuted at number seven on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 195,000 copies in its first week. This became T.I.'s second US top-ten debut and first to top the latter. The album also debuted at number one on the US

chart. On March 3, 2005, the album was certified

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

(RIAA), for sales of over a million copies in the United States.

Track listing

Samples

"Tha King" *"King Of Rock" and "Hit It Run" by

Run-DMC Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history ...

"Prayin for Help" *"When I'm Gone" by

The Jones Girls The Jones Girls were an American R&B vocal trio of sisters from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Consisting of Brenda, Shirley and Valorie Jones, the Jones Girls first signed and recorded for GM Records in 1970. The trio were best known for th ...

"Why U Mad at Me" *"Bumpy's Lament" by

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songw ...

Get Loose *"Ready Or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love)" by

The Delfonics The Delfonics were an American R&B/soul vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Delfonics were most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include " La-La (Means I Love You)", " Didn't I (Blow Your Mind Thi ...

"Bring Em Out" *"What More Can I Say" by

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one o ...

"Limelight" *"I'll Never Let You Go" by

The Sylvers The Sylvers were an American R&B family vocal group from Watts, Los Angeles, California. The Sylvers were a popular act during the 1970s, recording the hit singles "Fool's Paradise", " Boogie Fever", and " Hot Line". Prior to becoming the Syl ...

Personnel

Credits for ''Urban Legend'' adapted from

. Credits: ''Urban Legend'' Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-12-12. * Kori Anders - Mixing Assistant *

Big Kuntry King Sean Merrett (born November 1, 1978), better known by his stage name Big Kuntry King, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is perhaps best known as a member of Southern hip hop group Pimp $quad Click, along with longtime friend and f ...

- Performer * Leslie Brathwaite - Engineer, Mixing * Greg Gigendad Burke - Art Direction, Design * Mike Caren - A&R, Engineer * Chris Carmouche - Engineer, Mixing Assistant * Kevin Cates - Producer * Jeremiah Claudius - Assistant Tracking Engineer * Andrew Coleman - Engineer * Kevin Crouse - Mixing * Lavell Crump - Producer *

- Producer *

- Producer * Fury - Producer * Brian "Big Bass" Gardener - Mastering * Jason Geter - A&R, Assistant Engineer, Executive Producer * Sanchez "RockHead" Holmes - Engineer, Producer * Cameron Huff - Engineer * Hannah Kang - A&R *

- Audio Production, Producer *

- Audio Production, Producer * James Lopez - Marketing * Tony Love - Bass, Guitar * Jonathan Mannion - Photography * Josh McDonnell - Mixing Assistant * Khary Menelik - Mixing Assistant *

- Producer * Zack Odom - Engineer * Peaches - Stylist * John Pirretti - Mixing Assistant * P$C - Performer * Bryan Pugh - Mixing Assistant * Ray Seay - Mixing * Cyrus Shamir - Engineer * Nico Solis - Mixing Assistant, Track Engineer *

- Audio Production, Producer * Storty B - Producer * Supa Engineer - Mixing *

- Audio Production, Producer * T.I.P. - Executive Producer * Phil Tan - Mixing * Tom Tapley - Assistant Engineer * Chris Theis - Mixing * Corey Williams - Engineer * John Frye-Mixing Engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

*
Urban Legend
' at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...

{{Authority control 2004 albums Albums produced by DJ Toomp Albums produced by David Banner Albums produced by Daz Dillinger Albums produced by Jazze Pha Albums produced by Mannie Fresh Albums produced by Scott Storch Albums produced by Swizz Beatz Albums produced by the Neptunes T.I. albums Atlantic Records albums Grand Hustle Records albums