Asif Khan Inc.

Paper Trail – T.I.

The self proclaimed King of Southern Hip Hop releases his sixth studio album titled Paper Trail, the name of which probably owes its origin to the pieces of paper on which T.I. left trails of rap verses during the composition of this album (as opposed to his earlier practice of memorizing them). Disputes to his claims notwithstanding, he did release the Grammy nominated King in 2006 following it up with the schizophrenic T.I. vs. T.I.P. last year. This year however, it looks like he just might live up to the reputation again, more so because not just the public, but the jury has also taken notice by bestowing a Grammy nomination for the Best Rap Album. A tightly strung together concoction of beats put together in a groove, most of which are sure to keep a lot of feet busy, T.I. makes it a point to make this a declaration of everything which is absolutely grandiose, be it money, cribs, hoes or rides.

The album starts slow with the opening track 56 Barz, but hits with a resounding whammy on I’m Illy, which lays any traces of suspicion to rest, with verses that announce that the King is the coolest in the hood, and rightfully so. After this steady build-up, its time for some serious mean ass workouts, so in steps another nigga from the South in the form of Luda who together shouts out loud about being on Top of the World, although the peak is reserved for Live Your Life, the club friendly track featuring the petite Rihanna having already turned into a chart topper. The rest of the album is standard fare, barring Swagga Like Us (featuring fellow homies Kanye, JayZ and Weezy) and Dead and Gone (featuring Justin Timberlake), both of which do make their way out amongst the rest. Let’s hope the trail to the Grammies isn’t just paper light.