T.I.'s Paper Trail: A Review

Shortly before his incarceration on federal gun charges, T.I. released his sixth studio album Paper Trail - so named because its lyrics were composed on paper rather than in his head, as were his previous four albums. Married to A-list production and featuring some of the most popular rappers and singers in the music industry, the resulting album is more thoughtful, complex, and engaging than its immediate predecessor T.I. vs. T.I.P. (read review), largely because the rapper hews to doing what he does - making pop records, and largely avoids broader artistic ambitions.

While it may not feature a T.I. solo single as catchy as 2006's What You Know off of King (read review), No Matter What and What's Up, What's Happening trump Big Things Poppin in candor and sincerity if not catchiness. That honor goes to the monster single that outstrips all three: Swagga Like Us featuring rap heavyweights Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Lil Wayne over a sample of the instrumental and vocals for M.I.A.'s irresistible 2007 single Paper Planes; and T.I.'s quicksilver flow arguably outstrips them all - no small task. Other A-listers, like reigning pop princess Rihanna and the ever-popular Justin Timberlake lend their vocals for some of the album's more elaborate crossover records (Live Your Life featuring Rihanna relies heavily on a yodeling interpolation and Dead and Gone featuring Justin Timberlake has T.I. revisiting triple cadence flow).

But the flourishes, while welcome and appreciated, are unnecessary. After his somewhat disappointing fifth album, the rapper is focused on creating a raft of well-crafted records, and from the opening bars of the free form I'm Illy to the closing notes of Dead and Gone, he's succeeded. A bit more upbeat than much of his previous work, except perhaps King, T.I. is also clearly pensive about his fate; the album was written and recorded in the midst of all the legal wrangling. But rather than revisit the psychological underpinnings of his decision except in the most cursory fashion on No Matter What and Ready for Whatever, T.I. simply crafts a string of hits: On Top of the World with one-time foe Ludacris and protégé Bobby Ray, Porn Star, My Life Your Entertainment and Swing Your Rag with Swizz Beatz.

Though the rapper's legal troubles lead to a resurgence in catchy singles, the trial influences, yet does not dominate the album. T.I.'s Paper Trail is a winner for those who enjoy crossover rap records with just a skosh of artistic complexity.

View my other Associated Content music reviews here.