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T.I. - Paper Trail
- Clifford Harris, known as rapper T.I., was arrested on two felony charges in 2007: possession of three unregistered machine guns, as well as two silencers, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He faced up to 15 years in prison, but settled for a plea bargain that sentenced him to a year and a day in jail, 1,500 hours of community service, and a $100,000 fine.
In the midst of his public court case, T.I. released his sixth studio album, Paper Trail, on Sept. 30, 2008.
T.I. explains what motivated him to purchase weaponry on “Ready for Whatever.” Over a tormenting beat he defiantly shouts, “either die or go to jail, that’s a hell of a decision/ But I’m wrong and I knew it/My excuse is unimportant . . . I didn’t think I had a choice.” He sheds light on his positive side when he describes himself as “a father to my son, asset to my community/Look at all I’ve done, my good outweigh the negativity.”
T.I. further gets introspective on the Justin Timberlake-assisted “Dead and Gone.” He discusses how minor conflicts can grow into irrational violence alongside catharsis from Justin Timberlake.
After purging his soul, T.I. displays his lyricism on “Every Chance I Get” when he brags, “I give it to ‘em straight/You cut it with baking soda.” He further proves his lyrical wit on “I’m Illy” when he raps, “Cake like Entenmanns/blowin’ that celery/stacking that cash like U.S. Treasury.”
T.I. lavishes women on his second single, “Whatever You Like,” and gives life lessons to his fan base on his follow-up, Rihanna-featured sixth single, “Live Your Life.” However, on “Swagga Like Us,” which features hip-hop giants Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne, T.I. is overshadowed by their star power.
He embarrasses formal rap rival Shawty Lo on the aggressive “What Up, What’s Haapnin’.” T.I. proves that he is not a rapper to make a mockery of.
T.I. stands out on his solo tracks, but even some of those songs are blunders. On the cliché “Porn Star,” T.I. makes a torpid pander to females. Many of his songs with guest appearances, notably features from Ludacris, Swizz Beatz and Usher, add little substance to the album.
T.I. is engaging when he delves deep into his soul, but is otherwise predictable. The excessive amount of guest features on his album overshadows his own voice. Overall, Paper Trail fails to match the media hype of his criminal charges. T.I. will begin his sentence on May 26, 2009, and perhaps deliver a higher concentration of thought-provoking material when he gets out.
Reviewer: Michael Mandelkern
new
Reviewer's Rating: 6.5
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
Added: 20-May-2009
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