Spring Break
REVIEW: T.I. still king of the South
4 out of 5 stars
Stephen Ortiz
Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: Focus
Even the law can't slow T.I. down.
Despite facing legal troubles last year after being arrested for possession of machine guns (not to mention that he's a convicted felon for previous arrests), the rapper born Clifford Harris returns strong on his sixth album, "Paper Trail," although something is different about the self-proclaimed king of the south. His swagger is still intact, his southern drawl still drags his rhymes in style but it seems as if he has a new outlook on life.
On more than one occasion throughout "Paper Trail," T.I. references to his recent arrest and you know what? He admits that he was guilty for what he did (a plea he made in court), and said he deserves to be punished, which is especially refreshing coming from a rapper (looking at you, DMX).
Now onto the music. "Paper Trail" is a great representation of what T.I. is all about. It has the classic down south beats and features the perfect balance of guest artists (among the featured are Usher, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna and Jay-Z) and solo tracks. The album's first two singles, "Whatever You Like" and "Live Your Life," have already raced up the charts and for good reason - they depict the always pleasant, bragging mentality of T.I.
Other highlights include the similar-to-"Live Your Life"-but-still-fun "On Top Of The World" featuring Ludacris. Pretty much any song laden with "Hey!" or "Oh!" in the background is sure to be a hit and this is no exception. It's upbeat, it's clever and a lot of fun.
The album's third slated single, "What Up, What's Haapnin,'" a diss song addressed to all haters, taps classic T.I. cuts like "What You Know," but is overshadowed by more of the original sounding tracks such as the Kanye West-produced "Swagga Like Us." The song features arguably the three biggest names in hip-hop today - Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Kanye West - with A-list verses.
While there are some forgettable moments (the girl chasing "Porn Star" and the quirky "Swing Ya Rag"), "Paper Trail" is as solid as an album anyone could have produced knowing that they'll be in jail for the next year. But despite maintaining a sunny disposition throughout, you can't help but feel that T.I. wishes some things didn't go the way they did as he raps on the album's finale, "Ever had one of them days you wish you woulda stayed home?"
Despite facing legal troubles last year after being arrested for possession of machine guns (not to mention that he's a convicted felon for previous arrests), the rapper born Clifford Harris returns strong on his sixth album, "Paper Trail," although something is different about the self-proclaimed king of the south. His swagger is still intact, his southern drawl still drags his rhymes in style but it seems as if he has a new outlook on life.
On more than one occasion throughout "Paper Trail," T.I. references to his recent arrest and you know what? He admits that he was guilty for what he did (a plea he made in court), and said he deserves to be punished, which is especially refreshing coming from a rapper (looking at you, DMX).
Now onto the music. "Paper Trail" is a great representation of what T.I. is all about. It has the classic down south beats and features the perfect balance of guest artists (among the featured are Usher, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna and Jay-Z) and solo tracks. The album's first two singles, "Whatever You Like" and "Live Your Life," have already raced up the charts and for good reason - they depict the always pleasant, bragging mentality of T.I.
Other highlights include the similar-to-"Live Your Life"-but-still-fun "On Top Of The World" featuring Ludacris. Pretty much any song laden with "Hey!" or "Oh!" in the background is sure to be a hit and this is no exception. It's upbeat, it's clever and a lot of fun.
The album's third slated single, "What Up, What's Haapnin,'" a diss song addressed to all haters, taps classic T.I. cuts like "What You Know," but is overshadowed by more of the original sounding tracks such as the Kanye West-produced "Swagga Like Us." The song features arguably the three biggest names in hip-hop today - Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Kanye West - with A-list verses.
While there are some forgettable moments (the girl chasing "Porn Star" and the quirky "Swing Ya Rag"), "Paper Trail" is as solid as an album anyone could have produced knowing that they'll be in jail for the next year. But despite maintaining a sunny disposition throughout, you can't help but feel that T.I. wishes some things didn't go the way they did as he raps on the album's finale, "Ever had one of them days you wish you woulda stayed home?"
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