It seems like he gets his tour money and has a base of fans that fuck with him, but I dont see him in the discussion anymore, even though he still has some of the best beats in the world and mostly makes good shit. He's also improved as a rapper SO MUCH. His last album was very good yet it came and went.

He's latching onto the new cats (Tyler, Kendrick) hoping their buzz rubs off, and it kinda feels desperate.

In fact, a lot of the biggest dudes from that era no longer count, even tho in a lot of cases, their music is still at least pretty good. I remember when Chamillionaire was the hottest new dude, and now dude puts out fire freestyles that no one ever talks about (for example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny6Vf00dfg0 - tell me this aint hot)

The rest of the Houston cats are done, some just don't know it yet.

T.I. is getting there outside of Atlanta, but still has a chance to revive himself with the right song or affiliation. Of course, his jail stints didn't help.

Perhaps thats just the cyclical nature of rap music these days. Music is consumed so fast that it's here today, gone tomorrow. Which makes the dudes who do find a way to still matter over a long period even more impressive.