Paper Trail by T.I
If you didn't know T.I in 2009, what rock were you living under?
Around the time of 2007 and 2009, there are few rappers who made bigger impacts on the game than the Atlanta native, Mr. TI himself. He was featured on tracks with Mariah Carey and blasting hit after hit on the Billboard with a variety of songs. If you didn't know him for is music, than you knew him for the stuff that was on the news.
A lot of things made T.I newsworthy during this time period. On the positive, he would be one of the first ever cash kings of Hip-Hop in 2007, as well as releasing the AKOO streetwear line of clothes. However, there were negatives as well. There was the death of his longtime friend and partner, Philant Johnson, in 2006. As well, he would be arrested for weapons charges. It's during the dark times that he wrote what could be considered his greatest work, Paper Trail.
It is sixteen songs and an hour thirteen minutes of swagger and repentance. It shows the true dichotomy of T.I at that time. He was a father and a man who needed to pay for his crimes, all the while, he was still the one who was handling the block.
Never mind what haters say, ignore them til they fade away, amazin they ungrateful after all the game I gave away
- T.I featuring Rihanna "Live Your Life"
He is accompanied by a slew of major artists on this project, including Rihanna and Jay Z, but still holds his ground with each. There are a numerous highlight tracks that continue to be remembered by fans across the world, including ''Live Your Life", "Swagga Like Us", "Dead and Gone" and the lead single, "Whatever You Like". While it isn't a perfect album, with a noticeable drop in energy near the middle of the project, it is still a solid effort that stands the test of time.
Overall this is a successful outing for T.I, garnering 8 out of 10 stars. It's a positive experience for anyone who takes the time to listen to it. It's meant to change you from beginning to end of the project. You should go into the project feeling braggadocious and powerful, but leave it reformed and understanding of the things you do and say. It's Hip-Hop in its purest form