2001 02 I m Serious T I released his debut album I m Serious in October 2001 through Arista Records Soren Baker May 12 2005 Taking the street route back Los Angeles Times Retrieved on 2009 The album spawned the eponymous single which featured Jamaican reggae entertainer Beenie Man His debut single I m Serious was released on June 26 2001 The single received little airplay and failed to chart The album featured guest appearances from Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes who called him the Jay Z of the South December 21 2004 Vibe Cover Story T I King of the South Vibe Retrieved October 9 2008 Jazze Pha Too Short Bone Crusher Lil Jon Pastor Troy YoungBloodZ and his southern hip hop group P C The album included production from The Neptunes DJ Toomp Madvac and The Grand Hustle Team Despite the album s guests appearances and production team the album peaked at number 98 and only sold 163 000 copies in the United States Critics pointed to the fact that many of the tracks sounded the same and that a few were blatant rip offs Jon Azpiri 2001 10 09 T I I m Serious Retrieved on June 21 2009 Other critics commented saying T I claims to be the king of the South but fails to show and prove He does however have potential If his talent ever matches his confidence he may be headed for stardom T I I m Serious Album Review Retrieved on June 21 2009