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| Artist: T.i. |
| Format: | CD |
Marketplace Buying Choices
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Product Summary
Song Listing
| "I never wanted to be predictable or pre-determined, for somebody to think of me and automatically say 'This is him, this is his arena, this is his lane.' I can do what I wanna do." --T.I. |
Album Notes and Credits
Notes & Personnel Info |
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Personnel: Ricco Barrino (vocals); Stevie Salas (guitar, guitars); Ghislaine Fleischmann, Eliza Cho, Michelle Bishop, Igor Szwec, Emma Kummrow, Gregory Teperman (violin); Peter Nocella, Carol Briselli (viola); James J. Cooper III (cello); Canei Finch, David Siegel (keyboards). |
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Audio Mixers: John Frye; Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica; Robert Marks; Ryan West; Supa Engineer "Dura"; Andrew Dawson; Jean-Marie Horvat; Ray Seay; Leslie Brathwaite. |
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Recording information: Baseline Recording Studios, New York, NY; Echo Studios, Atlanta, GA; Logic Studios, Milan, Italy; Record Plant Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; SoundTrap Studios, Atlanta, GA; The Hit Factory Criteria, Miami, FL. |
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Photographers: Sydney Margetson; Darren Ankenman. |
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Arranger: Larry Gold. |
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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. |
Producer: Chuck Diesel; Mike Caren; Rob Knox; James Rosser; Rob Gold; Just Blaze; Justin Timberlake; Kanye West; Swizz Beatz; Jim Jonsin; Elvis Williams; Chuck Diesel; Mike Caren; Rob Knox; James Rosser; The Individualz; DJ Toomp; Danja; Just Blaze; Kanye West; Swi |
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Engineer: James Rosser; Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica; Rob Marks; Paul Foley; Josh Gudwin; Derrick Selby; Matteo Bolzoni; Elliott Carter; Jeff Chestek |
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Musical Guests | |
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B.O.B. |
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Ludacris |
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Rihanna |
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Usher |
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Swizz Beatz |
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Kanye West |
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Lil Wayne |
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John Legend |
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Justin Timberlake |
Compilation Appearances
Associated Artists and Works
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DJ EFX |
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Drama (DJ Drama) |
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Jay-Z |
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Killer Mike |
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Lil Wayne |
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Ludacris |
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OutKast |
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PSC (Pimp Squad Click) |
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Shawty Lo |
Technical Info
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Release Date : 09/30/2008 |
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Original Release Date : 2008 |
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Catalog ID : 511265 |
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Label : Atlantic |
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Number of Discs : 1 |
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Studio/Live : Studio |
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Mono/Stereo : Stereo |
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SPAR Code : n/a |
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UPC : 00075678993107 |
Professional Reviews
- 3 stars out of 5 -- "[C]atchy, tight, bombastic pop rap alongside a who's who of megastar guests."
- "[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
(p.121)
- "[E]asily the most complex, introspective effort of his career....Throughout, the King shows off his newly developed ability for self-reflection."
(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."
Bio
T.I.Father, astute businessman, fashion icon, King of the South, future Hollywood A-Lister, and hip-hop standard bearer. With all these titles, no wonder Atlanta, GA native Clifford Harris needs two monikers to tell his whole story. And with the release of T.I. vs. TIP, we get both sides of one of contemporary music's most compelling characters.
"It's really a conceptual LP," T.I. explains. "Some would say I have a dual personality: calm, cool, collected one minute, and ready to take somebody who violates' head off the next. I'm just taking the time out to illustrate both my personas. T.I. is definitely more laid back, more on the business side; he's a more suave cat. He came out on songs like "Let's Get Away," "Why You Wanna," and "Get Loose." Tip, that's a cat that's somewhat of a loose cannon. He's been reflected on records like "U Don't Know Me," "Bring Em Out," "Rubber Band Man," even "Soldier" with Destiny's Child."
In reality, for those who really know him, T.I. has been called Tip way longer than he has by the stage name the world is familiar with. Tip is the name he's had since he was a child. It wasn't until later in life, when he signed his first record deal with Arista Records, that he had to drop the 'P' and switch to T.I. - because the label was also home to the more established MC at the time, Q-Tip, from the legendary rap group A Tribe Called Quest.
Since his 2001 debut LP, I'm Serious, T.I. has become one of the rare hip-hop artists who can not only say that his fan base and his record sales have increased with each new release, but that the critical accolades have continued to flow as well. His hard work and consistency was finally recognized earlier this year with the most high-profile nods of praise in his career so far - a pair of Grammy Awards.
In 2006, T.I. - who was given the nickname King of the South by fans and his peers years ago - graduated to the next level of royalty, King of Rap. His fourth Grand Hustle/Atlantic album in five years, King, was by far the top-selling hip-hop album of the year and if you had an ear to the streets, undoubtedly the most-played. At the same time, Tip proved to be just as potent a guest star, with cameos that dominated radio and music video outlets, including his appearance on Justin Timberlake's Grammy-winning "My Love."
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