T.I falls to the #10 Spot

'Hottest MCs In The Game': The Countdown Begins! And #10 Is ...

T.I. was a top-spot contender last year, but legal woes have forced the MC to scale back his output.

By Shaheem Reid

In summer 2007, the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust sat down and had another controversial roundtable debate. Unlike previous discussion, the trustees devised a list of not the greatest ever, but the Hottest MCs in the Game right then. The rankings were based on lyrics, flow, impact on the game, success and swagger.

The roundtable recently reconvened and came up with a brand-new list of Hottest MCs. Our experts used the same criteria, but only judged on the past year of hip-hop. Check back Thursday morning to find out who's #9, Friday morning for #8 -- and see the whole list right after the show on Friday night! "The Hottest MCs in the Game" airs on MTV Friday at 10 p.m. ET.

Flame Thrower: T.I.

Why He's Hot
Hold up. Just last year, T.I. was up for debate to be #1, and now he slips to #10? What happened? First of all, let's be clear: Tip's decline in ranking has nothing to do with his skills. We all know that he is still one of the best in the business. Unfortunately, since almost topping the last list, Tip had to take an unforeseen, unwelcome hiatus when he was arrested in November on a slew of gun charges, leading to more than six months of house arrest. Promotions for his platinum T.I. vs. T.I.P. came to an end. The kibosh was put on the single "Hurt" and its video. Any chance of dropping another LP at the top of '08 was thwarted quick. Movies, endorsements — everything shut down. He says his arrest probably cost him between $10 million and $12 million. Musically, he was inactive for months while many of his peers continued to put out sterling material.

In March, he pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to more than 1,500 hours of community service. He still faces a reported year in prison. But Tip didn't fall completely off the map during his time on the bench. He brought several thousand fans to the Web site StreetCred.com simply by posting a video message telling folks he was OK. Tip's swag was at Hugh Hefner level, talking to his fans via webcam in a robe and slippers. In March, he dominated headlines simply by taking his family to church and speaking on the serious issue of AIDS prevention.

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