
Following the solid T.I. vs. T.I.P., T.I. got arrested for trying to buy some big fuckin' guns. Money talked and he ended up getting 366 days and 1000 hours of community service. While on house arrest, he built an Eiffel Tower out of legos and recorded Paper Trail.
The title comes from T.I. going back to the old school method of writing his lyrics down on paper. Sitting down and editing his verses to perfection has resulted in T.I.'s best lyrical performance since Urban Legend. He sleptwalk through King and was half-woke for TIVSTIP. His underrated technical abilities have always taken the backseat to his ability to easily bounce complex rhyme patterns with his southern drawl. Here, he has returned to his Urban Legend ability to blend technical lyrics with substance, emotion, and relatability.
The production is typical of any recent Southern release: Great. Rhythmic, blaring synths and brutal drums. DJ Toomp's (absent from TIVSTIP) return is welcome, as he delivers the gutter 56 Bars & Every Chance I Get. Drumma Boy (producer of the year so far) shows some versatility in his four produced tracks, including the standout What Up, Whats Haapnin. Danja produces the multi-instrument lead single No Matter What. Other contributors include Kanye West, Swizz Beatz (worst producer alive), and Justin Timberlake.
It opens with 56 Bars and I'm Illy, a two headed battle-rap combo that establishes he can still talk shit with the best of 'em.
"Somebody betta tell 'em mayne
They swag owe my swag everythaing
Very plain to see you studied me awful hard
To the point that my swag need a bodyguard
I'd like a thank you card ordered, yall oughta be
Having yall swag send my swag an apology"
The best track, Ready For Whatever, comes next. Over a synthy guitar, he explains the reasoning for his convictions.
"I'm a father to my sons, asset to my community
Look all that I done, my good outweigh the negativity
Mentally, I was focused on not letting history
Repeat itself, thats why heat was kept in the vicinity
Yes officially, I broke the law, but not malicely
Through all of the publicity, was anyone considering
My position and the logic hid in my decision
But they caught me with 'em now I'm off to prison, period
But is it, the heart to understand if you listen
Either die or go to jail, thats a hell of a decision
But I'm wrong and I know it, my excuse is unimportant
I'm just trying to let you know, that I aint think I had a choice"
The rest of an album is a combination of enjoying the pleasures of life and analyzing the mistakes the he's made. Smash hit Whatever U Like is simply a warmer version of Lollipop and thats what makes it a great song and so much better than the original. He attempts to make the most of a shitty situation on "Live Your Life" and "My Life, Your Entertainment" which feature Rihanna and Usher, respectively. What Up, Whats Haapnin is an intense diss track aimed towards those who tried to keep him down (Shawty Lo, Ludacris, bloggers). Ironically, Ludacris is featured on the triumphant On Top of the World, dropping another great verse. Every Chance I Get is a balls-out (no homo) flossing track and T.I. throughly dominates the Kanye West produced Swagga Like Us, which also features West and the Carters.
It ends with three somber introspective tracks. SlideShow has TI analyzing his life and the decisions he made as a young buck. You Ain't Missin' Nothin' is a dedication to all his incarcerated comrades, seeing as he will be one of them soon. Dead and Gone has T.I. wiping his hands of his prior recklessness over a Justin Timberlake that sounds like one of Timbaland's "futuristic" tracks.
Paper Trail is one of the best releases so far this year and it would be the best and a classic if the lame commercial attempts Swing Ya Rag and Porn Star had been removed and the futuristic Let My Beat Pound would've been kept.
Overall: 9/10 - 4.5 - A
Best Songs: Ready for Whatever, I'm Illy, No Matter What
The title comes from T.I. going back to the old school method of writing his lyrics down on paper. Sitting down and editing his verses to perfection has resulted in T.I.'s best lyrical performance since Urban Legend. He sleptwalk through King and was half-woke for TIVSTIP. His underrated technical abilities have always taken the backseat to his ability to easily bounce complex rhyme patterns with his southern drawl. Here, he has returned to his Urban Legend ability to blend technical lyrics with substance, emotion, and relatability.
The production is typical of any recent Southern release: Great. Rhythmic, blaring synths and brutal drums. DJ Toomp's (absent from TIVSTIP) return is welcome, as he delivers the gutter 56 Bars & Every Chance I Get. Drumma Boy (producer of the year so far) shows some versatility in his four produced tracks, including the standout What Up, Whats Haapnin. Danja produces the multi-instrument lead single No Matter What. Other contributors include Kanye West, Swizz Beatz (worst producer alive), and Justin Timberlake.
It opens with 56 Bars and I'm Illy, a two headed battle-rap combo that establishes he can still talk shit with the best of 'em.
"Somebody betta tell 'em mayne
They swag owe my swag everythaing
Very plain to see you studied me awful hard
To the point that my swag need a bodyguard
I'd like a thank you card ordered, yall oughta be
Having yall swag send my swag an apology"
The best track, Ready For Whatever, comes next. Over a synthy guitar, he explains the reasoning for his convictions.
"I'm a father to my sons, asset to my community
Look all that I done, my good outweigh the negativity
Mentally, I was focused on not letting history
Repeat itself, thats why heat was kept in the vicinity
Yes officially, I broke the law, but not malicely
Through all of the publicity, was anyone considering
My position and the logic hid in my decision
But they caught me with 'em now I'm off to prison, period
But is it, the heart to understand if you listen
Either die or go to jail, thats a hell of a decision
But I'm wrong and I know it, my excuse is unimportant
I'm just trying to let you know, that I aint think I had a choice"
The rest of an album is a combination of enjoying the pleasures of life and analyzing the mistakes the he's made. Smash hit Whatever U Like is simply a warmer version of Lollipop and thats what makes it a great song and so much better than the original. He attempts to make the most of a shitty situation on "Live Your Life" and "My Life, Your Entertainment" which feature Rihanna and Usher, respectively. What Up, Whats Haapnin is an intense diss track aimed towards those who tried to keep him down (Shawty Lo, Ludacris, bloggers). Ironically, Ludacris is featured on the triumphant On Top of the World, dropping another great verse. Every Chance I Get is a balls-out (no homo) flossing track and T.I. throughly dominates the Kanye West produced Swagga Like Us, which also features West and the Carters.
It ends with three somber introspective tracks. SlideShow has TI analyzing his life and the decisions he made as a young buck. You Ain't Missin' Nothin' is a dedication to all his incarcerated comrades, seeing as he will be one of them soon. Dead and Gone has T.I. wiping his hands of his prior recklessness over a Justin Timberlake that sounds like one of Timbaland's "futuristic" tracks.
Paper Trail is one of the best releases so far this year and it would be the best and a classic if the lame commercial attempts Swing Ya Rag and Porn Star had been removed and the futuristic Let My Beat Pound would've been kept.
Overall: 9/10 - 4.5 - A
Best Songs: Ready for Whatever, I'm Illy, No Matter What