T.I. Is Ready To Kick Hip-Hop 'Back In Gear' With Paper Trail

[Lunatic]

T.I. says he doesn't know when his Paper Trail LP will be released this year, but it was clear when he talked to us on Wednesday (February 12) that his competitive itch is coming out, though he's still on house arrest while awaiting trial on gun-possession charges.


"It's a lot of bullsh-- out right now," he told MTV News via phone from Atlanta. "I'm not gonna front. I feel it's definitely about time for somebody to come back out and kick this thing back in gear. The rotation is suffering right now. I intend to do something about it. It's just a matter of when."
In December, Tip sent a video message to his fans via his social-networking site, StreetCred.com, saying that he was 30 percent done with the album. He's obviously been putting in work since then.


"Everything's perfect, everything's perfect," Young Dro, T.I.'s childhood friend and Grand Hustle Records artist, insisted Sunday on the Grammy red carpet. "His mind's state is Paper Trail. Since he's been home, he's recorded like 50 songs. Plus, he's writing [rhymes on paper] now, so y'all in trouble."
One record that is a lock to make the album is "Let My Beat Pound."


"That's gonna be a big record," Tip said. "It's a different record. It's a record I approached differently, and it don't sound like a typical T.I. record. It's basically about when you got your first car, one of the first things was to make sure your [sound] system was right. The love for the boomin' system. It has the sentiments of LL Cool J's 'Boomin' System,' but it kind of sounds like a Sir Mix-A-Lot [song]. It's kinda got the mood and tempo of 'Posse on Broadway,' but it's outta here."


T.I. said it's doubtful that "Let My Beat Pound" will be the album's first single, but it'll definitely have a presence. "It'll probably serve the same purpose as 'Top Back' did on King."


Tip promised to give the fans a couple of singles when promotion for Paper Trail begins. "Yeah, I'm definitely gonna make sure you have enough, man," he said. "Nowadays, with the age of the computers, you gotta make sure people have more than one song, so they won't download your single then look away to somewhere else."



When he's not concentrating on music, Tip is spending time in his home theater. The DVD release of his last film, "American Gangster," is February 19. He said he was surprised that the drama was denied Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Actor for Denzel Washington, but he does relish the fact the movie went over so well with the fans.


"It's one of those movies that develop a cult following," he said. "Especially being a true story and having such phenomenal talent involved like Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe, Denzel, Cuba Gooding Jr., Idris Elba. It's got so many talented actors that .. [we] in the hip-hop culture saw ourselves represented. Even though it was in a different era, we were represented. It was flattering to me to see such a high-profile movie be dedicated to the Harlem era."



http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/158...213/t_i_.jhtml

[KURUPTION-81]

Hopefully he is focussed again as i didnt really rate TI v TIP

[Lunatic]

Hopefully he is focussed again as i didnt really rate TI v TIP

yeah i feel that. TI VS TIP was a decent album, didn't really "flow" for me though. Seemed more thrown together, ya know? The tracks were all pretty great individually (besides very few) but weren't AMAZING collectively (if that makes sense). Just didn't have an album feel to it (and I think that's what bothered most who LOVED "king"). I'd still put in bout 3rd in his catalog.

He writin his raps down again, that should be great. No artist should get away from that. Save the freestylin for when the time is right.

[Fuck Your Existence]

props Luna, Is Papertrail the "leftover" material from TI Vs. TIP?...I remember him sayin he could have dropped 2 discs if he wante.  Or is this more recent shit?

[Lunatic]

props Luna, Is Papertrail the "leftover" material from TI Vs. TIP?...I remember him sayin he could have dropped 2 discs if he wante.  Or is this more recent shit?

pretty sure its all gonna be recent shit. Since he been on house arrest, he announced it and has steadily been working on it. I'll be pretty surprised to see any 'old' material thrown on there.

[Fuck Your Existence]

good shit...i wanna know whos gonna handle the production...Also I say Fuck a feature..but i know he gotta get his Grand Hustle homies on but at least keep features at a minimum.

[Lunatic]

good shit...i wanna know whos gonna handle the production...Also I say Fuck a feature..but i know he gotta get his Grand Hustle homies on but at least keep features at a minimum.

same man. It's tough cause he can't have just anyone at his house. Gotta be ppl cleared by the courts. I guess he can have emailed beats, but I hope he keeps that to a minimum. Well his last 2 albums hasn't seen 2 many features.

[Styles1]

Hopefully he lets Toomp take the reigns...

[R1ZE]

i doubt we'll see a difference in his raps.

everyones claiming they dont write nowadays

[Lunatic]

Hopefully he lets Toomp take the reigns...

seriously. that'd be beyond words i can say lol.

[D~Nice]

Hopefully he lets Toomp take the reigns...

seriously. that'd be beyond words i can say lol.

Toomp and Just Blaze. That's all he needs.

[Lunatic]

Hopefully he lets Toomp take the reigns...

seriously. that'd be beyond words i can say lol.

Toomp and Just Blaze. That's all he needs.

yup. 1 or 2 from Khao as well.

[R1ZE]

+ Manny Fresh

[Chamillitary Click]

hope to hear some dope shit outta t.i., but it says how him and dro recorded like 50 songs since hes home. does that mean in the last month he just threw together a bunch of songs?

[Lunatic]

hope to hear some dope shit outta t.i., but it says how him and dro recorded like 50 songs since hes home. does that mean in the last month he just threw together a bunch of songs?

i don't think its 50 by him and dro, just 50 T.I songs. Think bout it, dude is home ALL THE TIME and has a studio in his home. He ain't doin shit but eatin, fuckin, recordin