Paper Trail [PA]

Performer: T.I.
Artist: Rihanna; Usher; Swizz Beatz; Kanye West; Lil Wayne; John Legend; Justin Timberlake
Producer: DJ Toomp; Danja; Swizz Beatz; Drumma Boy
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: After a year on lock-down for illegal machine gun possession, the self-proclaimed king of the south channels his personal strife into his introspective sixth studio album, PAPER TRAIL. The title stems from T.I.'s decision to return to writing his rhymes down on paper; the lyrical craftsmanship shows as the ATL icon delves into personal issues--speaking on his legal troubles ("Ready For Whatever"), his prison experience ("You Ain't Missing Nothing"), and his fallen homies ("Dead and Gone"). T.I. also collaborates with former rival Ludacris for the grandiose "On Top of the World," speaks on the cannibalistic relationship between rappers' personal lives and their art on "My Life Your Entertainment," and joins Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne for the bombastic posse cut "Swagga Like Us." Production comes courtesy of Drumma Boy, DJ Toomp, Rob Knox, Jim Jonsin, Just Blaze, and Swizz Beatz, among others. House arrest would likely slow anyone's daily routine. It probably played a factor in T.I.'s decision to write down his rhymes for the first time since his debut. A year of jail time on the horizon would, just the same, impact a writer's output, and it has done just that on Paper Trail. Plenty of these tracks have nothing to do with T.I.'s federal weapons conviction -- escapist fare like the number one Hot 100 single "Whatever You Like" and the mindnumbing "Porn Star," where he's barely coasting -- but there is a sense of urgency and a new dimension of self-reflection not touched upon throughout the holding pattern that was T.I. vs T.I.P. And when he's just battling, as on "I'm Illy," he reaches a level of indignant rage that manages to top that of "I'm Talkin' to You." The M.I.A.-sampling, Kanye West-produced "Swagga Like Us" features verses from Jay-Z, West, and Lil Wayne, but its chunky, rugged, alien beat could've hit even harder with just T.I., whose pent-up swagger makes for the best vocal fit. The cut with multiple features that is deserving of even more talk is "On Top of the World," where B.o.B. and (especially) Ludacris complement atypical wealth-related T.I. boasts like "Cousins in college -- where you think they get tuition from?" The production work also helps place the album above T.I. vs T.I.P.; Toomp's return provides some much needed punch, as does Danja's slow motion, almost bluesy, organ-drenched beat for "No Matter What." ~ Andy Kellman

Rolling Stone (p.125) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[C]atchy, tight, bombastic pop rap alongside a who's who of megastar guests." Entertainment Weekly (p.73) - "[T]he radio-friendly party anthems, flirty come-ons, collaborations with A-list pals, and outstanding production prove this beleaguered bad boy still knows how to have a good time." -- Grade: B+ XXL (Magazine) (p.121) - "[E]asily the most complex, introspective effort of his career....Throughout, the King shows off his newly developed ability for self-reflection." Blender (Magazine) (p.82) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "T.I. boasts one of gangsta rap's most mellifluous voices and more polysyllabic lexicons, and when he combines the two, he's dazzling, hypnotic, virtuosic."

Although T.I. was a player on the Atlanta rap scene as early as early as 2001, a less-than-stellar debut and a brief prison stint delayed his rise to fame until 2004 and the release of URBAN LEGEND. Featuring a host of top-shelf producers and guest MCs, the album was a hit, but was immediately eclipsed by its successor, 2006's KING, which debuted at number one on the Billboard pop charts. A tenacious performer and entrepreneur, T.I.'s career has been marked by an insatiable hunger for success throughout the entirety of the pop world. His profile was raised that much higher following his starring turn in the 2006 film ATL.

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