“Heavy is the head that wears the crown” and, for years, T.I. has proclaimed himself king. Albeit a self-proclamation, T.I. has endured countless bouts of savagery and, with Paper Trail, it would only seem fitting that his rule would, again, come into question.
“Facing all kinds of time” T.I. knows what lies ahead of him, as far as his upcoming incarceration is concerned, so rather than going quietly into the night, this album serves [momentarily] as his will and testament. Will it fall on deaf ears? Only time will tell but, for now, sit back, relax, and follow the trail to find out.
While last year’s T.I. Vs. T.I.P. was a commercial success, it was also considered “safe” by many. Without question it was a step back from KING and it left a lot of people wondering if T.I. had gone Hollywood. Sadly, I think that is the case because, again, Paper Trail follows that same formula. Songs such as “Whatever You Like” and “Live Your Life” only further that notion, however, T.I.P. is in full effect and it’s refreshing to hear him breathe life into tracks such as “I’m Illy” and the album intro “56 Bars”. Clearly, T.I.’s alter ego, T.I.P., is his saving grace and as to why he caters more to the T.I. crowd is beyond me. Trap Muzik is still his best album to date and until he smartens up and realizes that fans respect his prowess on the mic [more] as T.I.P., he’ll never be mentioned among the elite. At least in my eyes anyway.
Switching gears, Paper Trail is another step back for T.I. and will do little for his career. You would think, considering his situation, that this would be his most important album to date; but, throughout the 16 track opus, you never really get the feeling that T.I. put everything he had into this. Songs like “Porno Star” are laughable and that’s only the half of it.
The entire middle portion of the CD is strictly for the radio, but things pick up ever so slightly on the Swizz Beatz produced “Swing Ya’ Rag”. Trying to recreate the same magic the two had with “Bring ‘Em Out”, Swiss and T.I. do a good job here and gives hope for the album yet. Following suit, “What Up, What’s Happening” bangs heavy in true T.I.P. form but it’s the Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Lil’ Wayne featured “Swagga Like Us” that steals the show. From there, the album drags once again but closes nicely with the Justin Timberlake featured “Dead and Gone”. I don’t know what it is about these two artists, but their chemistry together is undeniable. Justin’s vocals compliments T.I.’s rhymes well and it just makes for one hell of a track.
So, in conclusion, Paper Trail has a few bright spots here and there; but is nothing spectacular to say the least. If anything, this sub par effort can be attributed to a lack of time but, still, that’s no excuse for T.I. to put out anything of lesser quality. “In order to understand my train of thought, you would have to put yourself in my position. You can’t expect me to think like you, cuz my life ain’t like yours” T.I. states on “Ready for Whatever” and that’s exactly the kind of effort he should’ve put forth with Paper Trail. A few tracks here and there is not acceptable, so to support mediocrity would be hypocritical on my part. Therefore, to those that choose to follow this Paper Trail, be sure you know where it leads because it's not to a life behind bars. Think about it.
“Facing all kinds of time” T.I. knows what lies ahead of him, as far as his upcoming incarceration is concerned, so rather than going quietly into the night, this album serves [momentarily] as his will and testament. Will it fall on deaf ears? Only time will tell but, for now, sit back, relax, and follow the trail to find out.While last year’s T.I. Vs. T.I.P. was a commercial success, it was also considered “safe” by many. Without question it was a step back from KING and it left a lot of people wondering if T.I. had gone Hollywood. Sadly, I think that is the case because, again, Paper Trail follows that same formula. Songs such as “Whatever You Like” and “Live Your Life” only further that notion, however, T.I.P. is in full effect and it’s refreshing to hear him breathe life into tracks such as “I’m Illy” and the album intro “56 Bars”. Clearly, T.I.’s alter ego, T.I.P., is his saving grace and as to why he caters more to the T.I. crowd is beyond me. Trap Muzik is still his best album to date and until he smartens up and realizes that fans respect his prowess on the mic [more] as T.I.P., he’ll never be mentioned among the elite. At least in my eyes anyway.
Switching gears, Paper Trail is another step back for T.I. and will do little for his career. You would think, considering his situation, that this would be his most important album to date; but, throughout the 16 track opus, you never really get the feeling that T.I. put everything he had into this. Songs like “Porno Star” are laughable and that’s only the half of it.
The entire middle portion of the CD is strictly for the radio, but things pick up ever so slightly on the Swizz Beatz produced “Swing Ya’ Rag”. Trying to recreate the same magic the two had with “Bring ‘Em Out”, Swiss and T.I. do a good job here and gives hope for the album yet. Following suit, “What Up, What’s Happening” bangs heavy in true T.I.P. form but it’s the Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Lil’ Wayne featured “Swagga Like Us” that steals the show. From there, the album drags once again but closes nicely with the Justin Timberlake featured “Dead and Gone”. I don’t know what it is about these two artists, but their chemistry together is undeniable. Justin’s vocals compliments T.I.’s rhymes well and it just makes for one hell of a track.
So, in conclusion, Paper Trail has a few bright spots here and there; but is nothing spectacular to say the least. If anything, this sub par effort can be attributed to a lack of time but, still, that’s no excuse for T.I. to put out anything of lesser quality. “In order to understand my train of thought, you would have to put yourself in my position. You can’t expect me to think like you, cuz my life ain’t like yours” T.I. states on “Ready for Whatever” and that’s exactly the kind of effort he should’ve put forth with Paper Trail. A few tracks here and there is not acceptable, so to support mediocrity would be hypocritical on my part. Therefore, to those that choose to follow this Paper Trail, be sure you know where it leads because it's not to a life behind bars. Think about it.
Rating: 6.0 headphones out of 10
1 comments:
I love this dude. His music is so damn real.
Post a Comment