|
Paper Trail | 
 enlarge | Artist: T.i.
Label: Grand Hustle/Atlantic
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $12.49
You Save: $6.49 (34%)
New (42) Used (9) Collectible (1) from $10.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  86 reviews
Sales Rank: 106
Format: Enhanced, Explicit Lyrics
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.3
MPN: 512267
UPC: 075678989797
EAN: 0075678989797
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
|
| Tracks:
| • | 56 Bars (Intro) | | • | I'm Illy | | • | Ready For Whatever | | • | On Top Of The World(feat. Ludacris and B.o.B.) | | • | Live Your Life (feat. Rihanna) | | • | Whatever You Like | | • | No Matter What | | • | My Life Your Entertainment (feat. Usher) | | • | Porn Star | | • | Swing Ya Rag (feat. Swizz Beatz) | | • | What Up, What's Haapnin' | | • | Every Chance I Get | | • | Swagga Like Us T.I. and Jay-Z (feat. Kanye West and Lil' Wayne) |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
T.I. has grown to truly be one of his generation's most captivating speakers. Whether he's conversing frankly with a room full of youth about the positive side of staying in school and following their dreams, or moving tens of thousands at one of his concerts, the audiences are immediately engrossed by the King of the South's words. T.I., here delivers his most potent and important LP to date; 'Paper Trail.' The title is a direct reference to T.I.'s return to literally writing down his lyrics- a practice he hasnt engaged in since his debut. By going back to the basics T.I. has evolved into a better MC. The album features guest appearances and production by Lil Wayne. Rihanna, Usher, The Dream, Fall Out Boy, Kanye West, B.O.B, John Legend, DJ Toomp, Swizz Beatz, Drumma Boy, & Danja. This is the explicit version.
Album Description
Explicit Version.T.I. has grown to truly be one of his generations most captivating speakers. Whether he's conversing frankly with a room full of youth about the positive side of staying in school and following their dreams, or moving tens of thousands at one of his concerts, the audiences are immediately engrossed by the King of the South's words. T.I., here delivers his most potent and important LP to date; Paper Trail. The title is a direct reference to T.I.'s return to literally writing down his lyrics- a practice he hasnt engaged in since his debut. By going back to the basics T.I. has evolved into a better MC. The album features guest appearances and production by Lil Wayne. Rihanna, Usher, The Dream, Fall Out Boy, Kanye West, B.O.B, John Legend, DJ Toomp, Swizz Beatz, Drumma Boy, & Danja. 16 tracks.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 81 more reviews...
 Hova may have anointed Wayne, but T.I. just staged a coup September 30, 2008
50 out of 54 found this review helpful
Ostensibly, "Paper Trail" is a reference to T.I. taking the time to put his thoughts on paper rather than relying on spontaneity and his mental notebook for his lyrics. Having listened to the album closely I'd like to draw two additional meanings from the title, each alluding to our old friends T.I. and T.I.P. First, there is a set of songs on this album that read unmistakably like pages from a diary, songs that are deeply personal and insightful. The second "Paper Trail" is simply money, and it inspires a set of songs about the fun and the swagger that comes with fortune. On "Paper Trail," T.I. expertly walks the line between relevance and entertainment, and delivers a magnum opus.
Four tracks best illustrate the lyrical diary I gleaned from this album. Lead single "No Matter What" is a window into T.I.'s time under house arrest and is astounding in its sincerity and lyrical complexity, he raps "Even though it's heavy, the load I'll still carry it/ Grin and still bear it, win and still share it/ Apologies to the fans, I hope you can understand it/ Life can change directions, even when you ain't plan it." "Ready for Whatever" is a stunningly honest explanation of his weapons charges, "Yes officially I broke the law, but not maliciously/...Either die or go to jail, that's a heck of a decision/ But I'm wrong and I know it, my excuse is unimportant." "Slide Show" blessed by John Legend is likely the most inspirational rap track of the year, on which T.I. advises his fans, "Don't forget that impossible is nothing, your environment is irrelevant/ Just don't let your emotions, overpower your intelligence/ Refuse to give up, Your mistakes don't define you/ They don't dictate where you're headed, they remind you." "Dead and Gone" with Justin Timberlake calls on listeners to let cooler heads prevail in tense situations, "No more stress, now I'm straight/ Now I get it, now I take/ Time to think before I make mistakes, just for my family's sake." These four tracks, and additionally "Live Your Life" and "You Ain't Missing Nothin", represent T.I.'s nuanced understanding of not only rap and music, but of life itself.
T.I.P. and the financially-focused half of the album come into sharp relief on more carefree tracks including hit single "Whatever You Like." "Swing Ya Rag," which will have even the most jaded gangster on the dance floor also falls into this category as does "Every Chance I Get." One would be remiss to not mention goliath record "Swagger Like Us" featuring Kanye West, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne (obligatory verse ranking: Tip, Hov', Weezy, `ye).
In sum, this album manages to cater to both listeners that are looking for a message and those looking for an escape. It is not without its problems (how "Porn Star" made the album over the leaked "Like I Do," I'll never know) but a T.I. album with a blemish outshines 99% of records today. Personally, it is my album of the year.
Passionate, Mature, and Innovative October 15, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I will say right now that I am NOT a hip-hop or rap fan. Or at least, I wasn't until I picked up this CD, no lie there. It started with not being able to get "Whatever you like" out of my head, which lead to sampling bits and pieces of upcoming tracks like "Dead and Gone," and "Live your Life," both of which I thought were amazing. I decided that I should get the album from the one song and two snippets I heard.
It was well worth it. In fact, for 10 bucks I thought I should have paid more. There are definitely some weaker titles but a lot of stand out ones as well. I'm not huge on collabs, but I feel that the partnerships/ collaborations T.I. made in this album really did what they were supposed to- expose listeners to different sides of T.I. and range, and accentuate the respective performances. In songs like "Live your Life," "My life your entertainment," and "Slide Show," the collaborations are with some interesting artists not really predictable to former T.I. listeners. The styles mix together incredibly, and accentuate the style of both performers/ several performers (Swagga like Us)
My favorite thing about this CD is the passion T.I. brings to the table in songs like "Dead and Gone" and "Ready For Whatever," (my favorite song on the CD). He actually raps about stuff, imagine that. In "Ready for Whatever" he elaborates on his jail sentence and his motivations behind his actions in a compelling depiction of his state of mind. The songs all encompass his state of mind at different times in his life, some dealing with the death of his friend, some dealing with his jail sentence, some dealing with the pressure he faces from his peers.
Trust me, not many of the tracks on this CD are REALLY about impressing girls with cash, riding in nice cars, and showing off jewelry like some older T.I. songs.
It's unfortunate that he went through what he went through legally, but I believe it has made him a stronger artist with experience and personal strife underneath his belt.
An extremely personal album, completely worth BUYING (not downloading).
No Matter What, This Album Is Great October 2, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Without a doubt, one of the best Southern Rappers that went from "Urban Legand" to "King" to appearing on songs by Justin Timberlake, R. Kelly and Dj Khaled and combining street smart attitude with commercial appeal. His last album "T.I VS T.I.P" from last year went even further with a concept between the split personality T.I and T.I.P but while it had some of the best productions of last year (especially from Danja) the concept was old news and it didn't work out that well either since the diffrence between the two was ice thin and T.I didn't stick to the concept on all songs either. Just one year after he's dropping a new album called "Paper Trail". It may look strange that it's successor is dropping so fast but alot of things happened in T.I life during the last year. He was arrested for weapon possesion and will eventually be serving 1 year in jail. In the meantime he's been in house arrest writing down his lyrics (the first time since his debut) and partly writing songs about his reflections about his life and his crime, which is rare for T.I. But as usual, the album offers much more, we got the club songs, the radio hits, the #1 single "Whatever You Like" and some battle songs aswell. The production is good as always and feature guys like Danja, Dj Toomp, Jim Jonsin, Drumma Boy and Swizz Beatz to mention a few. What is there to expect from "Paper Trail"? is it as good as it sounds on the same level as "King"? Let's read on to find out.
The album opens up with a freestyle intro called "56 Barz" which is mostly braggadoccio with a repetitive DJ Toomp beat. "I'm Illy" is simular in conent to the intro, but the beat is a little better. For instance, He's saying that he's the best rapper since Tupac. New star producer Drumma Boy is next out with a very nice cut called "Ready For Whatever" that is a mix between computer beats and guitar riffs and stand out as alot of his productions, keep his name on your mind. The lyrics are also very personal since they reflect the weapon charges aswell as the man behind it and the reasons why it happened and his anxiety to go to jail. A definite standout. "On Top Of The World" a modern Hip Hop song with heavy bass and electro beats feature Ludacris and B.o.B on the hook. Both of the rappers deal with fame and success. Good song aswell, especially the verse by Luda. "Live Your Life" with Rihanna on the hook and a production or theft by Just Blaze who borrows the entire song from Moldavian pop group O'Zone's "Dragostea Din Tei". Just Blaze use to be bad when he borrowed every good 70's Soul song but this is the most unoriginal yet. The lyrics on the other hand are good aswell as Rihanna's hook. "Whatever You Like" is currently topping the Billboard chart making it T.I's biggest hit to date. It's a commercial cut with alot of swagger for the ladies, with Jim Jonsin as the producer. Recently he also produced Lil Wayne's "Lollipop". No one can deny this is another winner.
When You thought things couldn't get better comes the best song, the Danja produced "No Matter What" is unusual for him but is driven by an emotional bluesy guitar riff and computer beats. T.I reply to doubters of his credability and tells us his story of who he is and where he came from. One of his alltime best aswell as one of his deepest. Drumma Boy is back with a R&B influented song with omnipotent Usher Raymond on the hook. This songs deals with the down and lows of being a celebrity. Another potential single. The Lil' C produced "Pornstar", is creative in production and not as naughty as the title would refer to, just another song for the ladies. Infact it's quite enjoyable, especially the hook from Ricco Barrino (Yeah he's Fantasia's brother). "Swing Ya Rag" is a standard Swizzy production (him also chanting the hook), with brassy horns and marching beats. It's a deja vu but way better then the average Swizzy song lately. It's purpose? Get up and dance. More from Drumma Boy on "What's Up, What's Happening" a diss on Shawty Lo which is quite good aswell. Dj Toomp is back on "Every Chance I Get" that shows T.I's rougher sides, some people are gonna like this for sure I found it rather annoying. "Swagga Like Us" produced by Kanye West samples a part from M.I.A and also shows that West is trading Soul for Pop. It also feauture Jay-Z and Lil Wayne and a West using the Audio Tune. They declare they got swagga and that's why they stick around why others dissapear. Although it looks good on paper, the hook here is almost unbearable. "Slide Show" a duet with John Legend is a very personal song once again and T.I talks about chosing the rigtht path in life. While Legend is a good vocalist, It could've been more of a hit with someone with a more pop-oriented voice. Even more from Drumma Boy on "You Ain't Missin Nothin" A reflective song for the people locked up or formerly locked up. This one is slow and a little jazzy and sound nothing like Drumma Boy, let alone Hip Hop. The closer "Dead Gone" was produced and feature Justin Timberlake. It's a somber mid tempo with a fast rapping T.I saying that he's rougher sides are gone and that he's a new man. Good way to end the album.
Overall, Perhaps this is the best T.I album to date. It's both commercial and reflective with a good mix between modern futuristic productions and some more unusual suprises. It's the the most personal T.I album to date and after listening to his last album it would almost look impossing to archive. I'm surprised and overwhelmed and enjoying most of the songs of this album. Although I hardly give commercial Hip Hop albums high votes I'm willing to make and exception here because of the factors involved and the incredible progress that T.I made from his last album. For the first time in a while there is a rapper combining commercial appeal with personal integrity. This album is gonna entertain all kinds of people and it's easy to get into aswell. 4'5, a must check out.
Real Talk...Loved the Transformation October 5, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've had some up and down moments with T.I. I can't stand the b-word tracks or the ones about killing this person or that person, so his last album didn't resonate with me well. However, I truly enjoyed "Trap Muzik," "Urban Legend" and "I'm Serious" because he kept fighting that line between positive and negative. I respect this cat for being realistic enough to understand he has flaws and mature enough to try to correct them (not to mention he's not bad on the eyes AND his swagger is impeccable). "Swagger of a college student" was my favorite line probably because it surprised me. On past albums, he seemed to act like school was in the way and he'd made money without it, but on this one, he talked about putting family members through college and just that one line showed me he now understands the value of education. I respect that, especially considering he's going around to schools to talk about rising above negativity. I don't know if T.I. will view prison like the Game did and think it was a wake-up call, but this whole album seemed like a wake-up call, in my opinion.
I enjoyed every single beat, lyric (minus the "I'll f--- your b----" on "Every Chance I Get" because it was just uncalled for and typical. It sounded like he had venom with that and was talking about someone specifically, so maybe in that case, it was called for. Either way, I didn't care for that song. Too much braggadocia, and that's not something I can bump too), and so far the videos too. I do like "Ready for Whatever" with him explaining to us his state of mind during that weapon lawsuit. I vibed with that one immediately, and I hope people really listen to it, especially the end.
"What's Up, What's Happenin'" is hot, along with his other single "Whatever You Like." I was stunned when I saw Ludacris on the album. Much respect for that one because I really enjoy both lyricists. "Slide Show" was another track where he had a sitdown with himself, and I really think dudes (or ladies) living the street life will be able to get with this one. However, I liked "You Ain't Missing Nothing" the most because I've never heard a track like this talking about the mindset of someone in prison and how they feel like life is passing them by. It reminded me of a few people I know, hoping they "do their time, don't let their time do them."
Excellent album. With all the guest appearances, you'd think that would drown T.I. out, especially with heavy hitters like Ludacris, Usher, Swizz Beatz, Jay-Z, Kanye West, John Legend, and Justin Timberlake, but somehow it didn't. They complimented T.I. well, but everybody fell back when it was necessary for T.I.P. to step to the plate. This one outweighs all the rest. *clapping my hands for T.I.*
Kudos from a lapsed Hip-Hop fan.... October 6, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Rakim, Gang Starr, KRS-One and Nas were the soundtrack to the formative years of my life and I got so sick of the garbage in contemporary rap that I totally abandoned the format, renouncing urban radio altogether and blocking BET, MTV and VH-1 from my cable box. It was too hard to tell when one Lil' Wayne song ended and the next T-Pain song began.
Over the weekend while riding in a friend's car, I heard what I thought was a new Rihanna song, "Live my Life". The "guest rapper" (Yes, I knew it was T.I.) dropped this gem, "...the spirit of a hustler and the swagger of a college kid." I thought to myself, "Hey, I could get with lyrics like that."
When I got home I looked it up on Rhapsody and found the album "Paper Trail". Whoa! I am off the bench, put me in the game coach! This album is fantastic. The production values are outstanding, surpassing any album in any genre that I've heard in years and the lyrics and themes for a fist full of tracks are top notch as well. "56 Bars", "Whatever you Like", "No Matter What", "Swagga Like Us", "Slide Show" and "Dead and Gone" are all true bangers that will stand up to the best.
In short, this album turned this hip-hop agnostic into a true believer.
|
|
|
|
Powered by Search-Save.com
| |
