The ascendent career of Atlanta rapper-actor T.I. took a major setback over the past year when he was forced to serve a total of 10 months in prison and halfway house for a 2007 weapons charge.

Now that he's out, his creative life resumes, ironically enough, with an action caper where he plays a high-powered bank robber released from prison and ready for another score.

T.I., who made his film debut in "ATL" and followed that with a small role in "American Gangster," now assumes the role of Delonte "Ghost" Rivers in "Takers," a film he produced that opens today and co-stars Matt Dillon, Paul Walker and Idris Elba.

"They got me the script a few years back," he said in a recent phone interview, "and we began the dialogue, and the opportunity was presented for me to be a producer as well, so we just started putting the cast together and putting the film in motion."

He describes Ghost as a character who is "persistent, ambitious and dedicated to maximizing all opportunities." Whether he's a villain, T.I, added, "depends on your perspective. Some may say his actions were justified."

Also joining the cast is a fellow pop star, singer Chris Brown, who brought on his own legal troubles, plus a much more serious image hit, when he was charged with felony assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna.

Asked if the legal troubles of both "Takers" stars might affect the film, T.I. stated, "As of right now, I hadn't heard anything that would lead me to believe that it would."

If "Takers" is T.I.'s second order of business out of prison -- getting married to longtime girlfriend Tameka Cottle in July was his first -- the third one is wrapping up a seventh studio album that will be a tough act to follow. His last three all topped the charts, the most recent, "Paper Trail," producing such smash hits as "Whatever You Like," "Swagga Like Us" and "Dead and Gone."

For the album, due in October and titled "King Uncaged," his biggest problem is the whittling-down process.

"I recorded over a 110 songs," he said. "It just comes naturally. You hold on to them till it's time to use them. We now have to take the best from the selection."

Much of it was written before the prison term, as the prison atmosphere didn't turn out to be the most conducive for penning rhymes.

"The mood didn't strike me to create much," he said. "I just really tried to find ways to occupy my time in a positive way -- reading, working out and different athletic activities."

He wouldn't go into detail on the collaborations for "King Uncaged," not knowing what's going to make the cut, but it's been reported that they include the likes of Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Timbaland, Just Blaze and Kid Rock.

"I think it's more of a celebration than 'Paper Trail,' " he said of "King Uncaged." "I just take advantage of the opportunity to celebrate the things that are going well in life. It pushes the boundaries of what I consider my best work. I challenge myself to outdo my last project every time I do an album."

As for the pressure of working in the competitive arena of hip-hop, where careers have tended to be short, he said, "It's no more pressure than usual. Everyone who wakes up every day with the motivation to be the best at what they do, they share that pressure all the time -- if not from other people, then from themselves. That's natural."

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