Forget his acting career; T.I.’s life has the real drama. Pinched for the illegal purchase of firearms, he faces a year in prison. Too bad for him, but it makes for a compelling storyline surrounding his sixth album, Paper Trail, much of which he wrote while under house arrest.
The strong work is at its most powerful when he avoids generalities and discusses his predicaments in detail, such as on “Ready for Whatever.” Explaining that, following the 2006 murder of his personal assistant and friend Philant Johnson, he felt vulnerable for himself and his children, he raps: “Either die or go to jail/That’s a hell of decision.” (He spends $500,000 a year on security, he adds.) In an era when real tragedy hits hip-hop artists and their families with some regularity—Juvenile’s 4-year-old daughter was murdered earlier this year—it’s easy to empathize with T.I., and the fact that he speaks so candidly about his missteps only adds to his appeal.
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While the rest of Paper Trail isn’t as emotionally powerful, it contains plenty of solid empowerment anthems (“No Matter What,” “Live Your Life,” “Swagga Like Us”) and first-rate bangers (“On Top Of The World,” “Whatever You Like”). These tracks show that T.I. isn’t just persevering in the face of adversity. He’s thriving.
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