TI – Paper Trail (9-30-2008)

Posted on Oct 10 in Reviewsby adminPrint

As I’m pretty sure we’re all aware of TI is going to prison again and this time for a good year. To absolutely no one’s surprise the A-Town MC has decided to cut another album just in time for him to cash in on his superstar status before its off to the big house. I’m sure a lot of people out there might feel like what TI did or didn’t do was very stupid. I must say that I was one of those people who was like “why would you need so many big ass guns with silencers on them?” So needless to say I didn’t quite understand Tip’s logic. After an in depth listen to Paper Trail I must say that I have a better understanding of why he felt like he needed to beef up his protection. I still however don’t quite get the whole silencer logic though.

TI kicks off his sixth album with “56 Bars” of heat over an average sounding DJ Toomp beat even taking time to run down the list of MCs he is consistently mentioned in the same breath as. Producer Chuck Diesel laces a chant infested backdrop for TI to re-confirm his position on the bold “I’m Illy.” TI opens all the way up about his current legal situation on the pounding Drumma Boy engineered “Ready For Whatever.” On the sing songy “On Top Of The World” Ludacris guests with a very comical visual outlook on his prosperity.

TI continues to let out some of his deeper inner sentiments on the Rhianna assisted “Live Your Life.” Producer Danja laces an electric guitar heavy back drop as TI opens himself up even more about his current charges and legal situation on the emotion riddled “No Matter What.” A-Town crooner Usher lets his soul glow on the edgy “My Life Your Entertainment.” Swizz Beatz guests and helms the up tempo braggadocio swagger filled “Swing Ya Rag.” Drumma Boy laces the sorrow filled “You Aint Missin Nothin” where TI sends a special shout to all the homies on lock down of whom he will be joining shortly.

I hate to speculate but it sounds to me that TI heard all that shit Shawty Lo’s been poppin over the past few months. On the Drumma Boy produced “What Up, What’s Happenin” TI scathes all his haters with some of the album’s most potent dis bars. TI’s two sided brag lyrics come full circle on the DJ Toomp produced “Every Chance I Get” where the A-Town MC speaks candidly about more of his faceless haters. TI, Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne pulled off the all star song of the year with the heavily infectious fly nigga anthem “Swagger Like Us;” I’m sure you’ve heard it by now. 

After its all said and done Paper Trail turns out to be TI’s deepest effort to date. In the past TI was reduced to pretty much detailing his trappin days time and time again. This time around I guess he felt the need to explain why exactly it is he thinks the way he does. Sadly, by the end of Paper Trail, TI makes you feel him so much that you want to go out and purchase some big ass machine guns with silencers just for protection. I’m sure you took that as a joke but I’m seriously about to put a blunt in the air and ride down to Walgreens with my chic and some smaller guns and pick of some bigger bangers!

VERDICT – 16 / 20
LYRICS: 4
PRODUCTION: 4
DELIVERY: 4
CONSISTENCY: 4