The life of Atlanta's trapper-turned-rapper par excellence sure hasn't been any less hectic since the release of last year's somewhat under whelming T.I. vs. T.I.P. His swaggering new effort Paper Trail, recorded while Tip was on house arrest, shows an artist who has come full circle and is comfortable in his skin, finding a measured balance between hood anthems and radio-friendly ear candy.
Set to be serving a one year jail sentence next year, T.I. is certainly living for the moment throughout Paper Trail, showing a newly found enthusiasm after sleepwalking his way through parts of his drowsy last album. This is Tip-ified (I couldn't resist) by the appropriately-titled banger Live Your Life, where his confident delivery is further bolstered by Just Blaze's rousing sea of synthesizers and a spirited hook from pop princess Rihanna. On the note of coming full circle, it is heartening to hear T.I. and former rival for the crown Ludacris come together, bringing future superstar B.o.B. along too, for the Atlanta anthem On Top of the World.
While Tip does his share of celebrating and back-patting, as he has shown during his seven years in the rap game he doesn't take for granted the position he is in and appreciates the gravity of the legal troubles he has had, using it as a motivational tool. The lead single No Matter, easily one of the year's brightest moments, is his version of singing the blues, the airy guitar work complimenting his sobered delivery.
Being a T.I. release, and a celebratory one at that, he takes it to the club on more than one occasion. First there is the Swizz Beatz collabo Swing Ya Rag, a solid but by-the-numbers sequel to 2004's superior Bring Em Out. Then there is Whatever You Like, a track so sugary sweet that it is no shock that it is currently ruling the radio roost. Yes it is perfectly catchy and has a certain appeal but overall Whatever You Like, which is accompanied by possibly one of the corniest video's ever made, just doesn't sound like T.I. and thus is left sounding a little forced. Similarly, the monstrous collabo that is Swagga Like Us, with its M.I.A vocal snatch, is also omnipresent and hard to ignore, as T.I., Kanye, Jigga and Weezy get their superstar swagger on.
Amidst the heavyweight bravado are refreshing cuts like the reflective Slide Show, featuring the gifted John Legend and the hater-proof My Life Your Entertainment with Usher, a strong addition despite Tip dropping another nauseating Tupac comparison. To close the proceedings, the dynamic duo of Justin Timberlake and Timbaland drop by to return T.I.'s favour on the My Love-sounding Dead and Gone.
His public profile at an all-time high and creativity in tact, Paper Trail finds T.I. at his confident best, delivering the worthy follow to 2006's King that T.I. vs. T.I.P. should have been. If he keeps his act together and keeps recording material like this, the paper trail for T.I. could be unlimited.
Available through Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records
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