T.I. announces he’s retiring from music: “It’s time”
T.I. has revealed he’ll be retiring from music following the release of his next album.
The Atlanta rapper is planning to drop his new album, Kill the King, led by his recent single ‘Let Em Know’.
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the 2026 Grammy Awards, he announced that it will be his final project.
“It’s a blessing, man. ‘Let Em Know,’ produced by Pharrell. My first single off my final album,” he said. “I’m gonna be done. They should know it. I’ve said it before. It’s time,” he said.
He continued, “I think I have many gifts that God has given me that I can spend more time and attention on, and spend more time at home with my family and my grandchildren. It’s plenty stuff to do.”
T.I.’s final album, Kill the King, will serve as his first LP in six years following The L.I.B.R.A. in 2020.
Speaking to TMZ about the album title, he said, “I feel like the King of the South moniker is very egotistical, self-gratuitous, and it’s a persona that kind of enters the room before I do physically Big Boi cautioned me of [the title] back when I was coming onto the scene. Big Boi said, ‘It sounds cool. I like it. But understand when you are the king, you put a big bullseye on your back.’”
He added, “You can’t look for no favours. Life is a game of chess, and the name of the game is called Kill the King. That’s what you’re setting yourself up for.”
T.I. previously claimed he was retiring from performing in 2024, telling 96.1 The Beat, “I appreciate y’all for offering me my last working gig because I do not need the money anymore, and I will not be performing. I don’t want to do it anymore. I don’t want people to pay me to hop around and sweat for their entertainment anymore.”