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57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hova may have anointed Wayne, but T.I. just staged a coup, September 30, 2008
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.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Passionate, Mature, and Innovative, October 15, 2008
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).
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Real Talk...Loved the Transformation, October 4, 2008
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.*
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