The King is back, but just because he's learned a lesson doesn't mean he's abdicating the throne. Storm the castle, and he might just have to defend himself.

Story by Toshitaka Kondo; Art by Jose Parlá; Photography by Brooke Nipar; Styling by Anoma Ya Whittaker; Grooming by Keka of The Look Agency, Inc.

The last time T.I. got down with Complex—in September 2007—he was wrapping up one hell of a two-year run, with platinum plaques for his previous two albums and an acting career on the upswing. Barely a month later, he would find himself facing a 30-year bid for federal weapon charges. Sure, he used his pre-trial house arrest to record his most personal and successful album ever (Paper Trail). And yeah, he managed a nifty plea deal that landed him a mere 10 months in jail. But he was still off the streets for almost a year. So while his agenda is full—his highly anticipated comeback, King Uncaged, drops in August—He needs to be a different man. He's taken his tale of reform on the road since his release, and his narrative is unwavering: no he won't be getting into trouble again. Yes, those days are behind him. It's a kinder, gentler Tip. Of course, a few days later, he releases the mixtape Fuck A Mixtape, where he repeatedly mentions that he doesn't have guns anymore...but he'll still stab the shit out of someone. Being a different man has its limits.

On Paper Trail, you wrote your rhymes on paper for the first time since your debut. How about for King Uncaged?

T.I.: Nah, I switched it back up—at that time I was looking for something different. So now I already had that different sound. I wrote ideas down, but not complete songs. Ideas, lines, titles, songs, thoughts about hooks.

You don't seem like a "raps in your BlackBerry" type.

T.I.: I'll give you an example. [T.I. shows his BlackBerry. The Memos section has various entries with titles like "Lines," "New," and "Songs," which has collections of bars written.] I'll [write] about six bars and when I get in the booth, I'll stop there and then complete it. Most of these came to me when I was on a plane or in the car.

How has having such big pop smashes on your last album influenced your musical direction on this album?

T.I.: There was a whole new audience introduced to T.I. by records like "Live Your Life" and "Dead and Gone." I don't think that I can properly maintain that same fan base if I don't cater to them at some point. I got records that are way more left-field, mainstream, and universal than I've ever had. I got records that would be equivalent to Usher doing "OMG" with Will.i.am. I got a record called "Out of Control" that RedOne did. It's a party record; Nelly said it sounded like Las Vegas club music.

The last time you were on our cover, you mentioned retirement. Three years later, on "I'm Back," you mention retiring again.

T.I.: I'm kickin' 30 down this year, so it's about time to start thinking about an exit strategy. I'm not saying this is my last album or the next album is my last album, but I don't see myself rappin' for 10 or 20 more years. Although I could. Let's say I do it for five more years, and after that, when I do an album, it'll be an event. It's not going to be day in, day out. Maybe every two or three years, a world tour, the whole shebang.

But you see artists like Jay-Z making great albums at 40.

T.I.: It can be done, but at the same time, Jay's method is for Jay. I ain't seen nobody else take that model and use it to their advantage.

Eminem is still making great music at 37. He's pushing the boundaries when most people have fallen off.

T.I.: True, but if I do that at that late an age, I'm taking away from all the other opportunities that I have. I want to have an Oscar by then. I want to have made my mark in film as a producer and actor by the time I'm Jay's or Eminem's age.

As you get older, have your musical tastes changed?

T.I.: I do listen to some rock. I like Maroon 5 a lot. I try to get into stuff like The Fray. I dig the Gorillaz. I didn't listen to their whole album, but all the shit that comes out I fuck with; I dig the movement and the whole idea of it. I think the shit is creative.

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