As an artist, you can either follow the latest trend or set the standard.
Never one to march behind anyone else, rapper/songwriter/producer T.I. has crafted a standard-setting career that includes three Grammy Awards and status as a hip-hop icon. But that doesn’t mean the superstar is content to rest on those hard-won laurels.
“Doing music the way I’ve always done it would only have me receive the same amount of success I’ve had,” says T.I. “I firmly believe that to get something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done. So to be more successful, I needed to open myself up to other perspectives.”
And the King of the South is doing just that as he ramps up the next bar-raising phase in his storied career with Paperwork. The rapper’s ninth album is the first under the new alliance between T.I.’s Grand Hustle label and Columbia Records.
Coming off their winning collaboration on Robin Thicke’s international smash “Blurred Lines,” T.I. tapped Pharrell Williams as executive producer of Paperwork. The set also boasts Timbaland, DJ Mustard and longtime T.I. colleague DJ Toomp as producers. The aim: creative growth outside the box without alienating the rapper’s legion of fans.
“Aside from DJ Toomp, it’s the first time I’ve allowed a producer to come in and kind of shape my sound as he saw fit,” says an re-energized T.I. “You must find ways to reinvent yourself in order to remain relevant. And who better to help me than someone as passionate and talented as Pharrell? He found a way to bring a colorful, left-field approach to my blue-collar celebrity. Between his wings and my anchor, we balance each other out. That duality is what makes this project unique.”
And early signs show that T.I. hasn’t lost his touch. Already tipping the chart scales is Paperwork’s lead single “No Mediocre” featuring Australian rapper and T.I. protégé Iggy Azalea. Simultaneously whipping up its own buzz is street single “About the Money” featuring Young Thug.
Learn more at www.tipaperwork.com
