Ever since Jay-Z retired as "the best rapper alive," the hip-hop community has been lying in wait to see who will assume the vacant position. The West Coast has been preoccupied with hyphy and crumping, the East Coast is still in Jigga's shadow and the biggest star of the Midwest is too busy calling himself Jesus. But this battle has been hotly contested in the South. And the leading candidate is effervescent Atlanta rap star T.I.

The cocksure star's new album, King, is the finished product of a long transformation from rookie to rap royalty. He's progressed from songs like "Motivation" and "Get Ya Stuff Together" - blue-collar anthems directed at rivals - to newer songs like "What You Know" and "I'm Talkin' To You," which fixate on his rise to power. Even the introduction, "King Back," is a speech about a boy conquering the slums and becoming king. The song has the sound of regal importance with an inescapable flourish of trumpet trills and high notes that drop into a boisterous cacophony of bells and bass drum.

In his campaign for king of the South, T.I. has taken on some memorable foes. In 2004, he had a brief squabble with Ludacris over Southern dominance before he became embroiled in a confrontation with Lil' Flip (the first feud was considered a draw, while the second was a resounding victory for T.I.). Even when he had to do jail time for parole violation, he released mix-tapes telling everyone to get ready for his next project, Urban Legend.

The bout for No. 1 contender has broiled down to T.I. and the golden boy of New Orleans, Lil Wayne. Going for the gusto, Wayne proclaims himself to be the new best rapper alive on his last album, Tha Carter, Vol. II.

Not to be outdone, T.I.'s King is a proud, orderly album that announces his arrival into the top tier of MCs. With a flexible voice that effortlessly glides from quick punchlines to serious meditations on life and death, T.I. commands power in almost any situation.

Tagged as potentially the best rap album of the year and of his young career, King has a lot going for it. At a time when the South has basically taken over contemporary rap with unmitigated radio and video play and an Oscar, T.I. is taking advantage of a perfect storm.

The album features aesthetically pleasing production from some of the best producers the game has to offer. T.I. keeps it at the bottom of the map, working with Southern producers Mannie Fresh and DJ Drama, but he also avoids complacency by working with big-name East Coast producers Just Blaze and Swizz Beats. Many of the tracks juxtapose majestic horns next to the heavy percussion and up-tempo beats the South is famous for.

The whole album progresses like a small masterpiece, from the alluring organ sounds of "Front Back" and "Ride With Me" to the electric keyboard patterns of "Why You Wanna." There's glowing use of blaring horns on tracks like "Get it" and "Top Back," a backdrop that empowers his verses of gangsterism and street splendor.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, T.I. must be turning longtime hero Jay-Z bright red. T.I. is seen as the Southern version of Jay-Z; both have the same style, posing as clean-cut, well dressed gangsters. On Urban Legend, T.I.'s "Bring 'Em Out" contained a sample from Jay-Z's "What More Can I Say." Tellingly, the album cover for King looks conspicuously like the album cover from Jay-Z's The Black Album. With his swagger and five or six guaranteed-hit singles, T.I.'s reign ought to commence as soon as King drops into the stereo.

Music Review: 4 out of 5 stars