# Us or Else: Letter to the System

Us or Else: Letter to the System is a compilation album by the American rapper T.I.. It was independently released on December 16, 2016, by Grand Hustle Records and Roc Nation. The project, which was initially issued as a Tidal exclusive, is an extended version of his EP, simply titled Us or Else (2016).
The project features an array of artists, including Hustle Gang affiliates Quavo, Meek Mill, Ra Ra, Gizzle, Tokyo Jetz, B.o.B, London Jae, Big K.R.I.T., Killer Mike and Charlie Wilson. The project's production was by The Digital Natives, The-Dream, Lil' C, Mars, Mike & Keys, MP808, Nottz, TBHits, Trev Case and others.

## Background

   You know Common and Outkast and Public Enemy and KRS-One and Lupe [Fiasco] and Kendrick [Lamar] -- those are the ones. I am just the supporting cast in this particular genre. I felt like more people who stand in my position should be saying something. It seems like the people who have the broad audiences... I guess for protection of their own success or legacy or brand, they chose not to say anything, and that it was I felt I didn't want to do.
On February 22, 2016, T.I. announced that he had signed a distribution deal with Jay Z's Roc Nation company. He also revealed that he was one of the new co-owners of the online streaming service, Tidal. On July 22, 2016, during an interview with Ebro in the Morning on Hot 97, he announced an EP, titled Us or Else. The EP was said to "be aimed at supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, and will speak explicitly about the twisted road race relations took in America to arrive at its current precarious state." The EP was also a response to the turmoil caused by the injustices going on in America, namely police brutality following the deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. The EP was released for streaming on September 23, 2016, by Tidal, and released to other markets on September 30. On December 16, 2016, without prior announcement or promotion, T.I. released Us or Else: Letter to the System.

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| HipHopDX | 4.3/5 |
| Pitchfork | 7/10 |
| Spinditty | 7/10 |
| Vice (Expert Witness) | (A-) |
The compilation received generally positive reviews from music critics and fans alike. Da'Shan Smith of Pitchfork wrote, "The bevy of showcasing guest appearances — from Jacksonville-based Tokyo Jetz's annihilating turn on "Lazy" to fellow Atlantian London Jae's raspy flow on the backwoods baptism of "Pain" — embody two core principles of BLM: community and the advancement of future generations. With his generosity, the self-proclaimed "Grand Hustler" is repositioning himself in the vein of someone like Dr. Dre, who in 2015 introduced the wider world to Anderson .Paak on Compton." Aaron McKrell of HipHopDX wrote, "Us or Else: Letter to the System equates in not only one of the year's strongest full-length projects but in Tip's discography as well. It's a suitable blend of his personal views to package aware commentary of our turbulent times in the United States in 2016."

## Personnel

Credits for Us or Else: Letter to the System adapted from AllMusic.
* Big K.R.I.T. – featured artist
* Derek Blythe – composer
* B.o.B – featured artist
* Trev Case – featured artist
* Trevor Case – composer
* Michael Cox – composer
* The-Dream – featured artist
* Lamar Edwards – composer
* John Groover – composer
* Clifford Harris – composer
* London Jae – featured artist
* Tokyo Jetz – featured artist
* Killer Mike – featured artist
* Gizzle – featured artist
* Jacquez Lowe – composer
* Translee Macklin – composer
* Quavious Marshall – composer
* Meek Mill – featured artist
* Terius Nash – composer
* Shauntrell Pender – composer
* Glenda Proby – composer
* Quavo – featured artist
* Ra Ra – featured artist
* Michael Render – composer
* Arthur Ross – composer
* B Rossi – featured artist
* Brandon Rossi – composer
* Justin Scott – composer
* Bobby Simmons – composer
* Mitchelle'l Sium – composer
* Rodriqueiz Smith – composer
* T.I. – primary artist
* Jayceon Taylor – composer
* Translee – featured artist
* Leon Ware – composer
* Robert Williams – composer
* Charlie Wilson – composer, featured artist

## Charts

| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) | 39 |

## Release history

List of release dates, formats, label, and reference :
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
| Various | December 16, 2016 | Streaming (Tidal exclusive) | Grand HustleRoc Nation | |
| Various | December 23, 2016 | StreamingDigital download | Grand HustleRoc Nation | |