Paper Trail | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 30, 2008 | |||
Recorded | 2007–2008 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 73:17 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
T.I. chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Paper Trail | ||||
|
Paper Trail is the sixth studio album by American rapper T.I., released September 30, 2008, on Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records. He began to write songs for the album as he awaited trial for federal weapons and possession charges. Unlike his past albums, he wrote his lyrics down on paper, which he had not done since his debut album, I'm Serious (2001).
The album features guest appearances from rappers Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Ludacris, along with singers Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Usher and John Legend, among others. The production on the album was handled by many high-profile record producers, including Nard & B, Rob Knox, Danja, The Runners, Toomp, Drumma Boy, Kanye West, Lil' C, Polow da Don, Jim Jonsin, Just Blaze, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Timbaland, Tha Bizness, Khao, Swizz Beatz, Blac Elvis and many more.
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 568,000 copies in its first week, becoming T.I.'s highest debut sales to date, and the fourth highest debut of the year. The album was eventually certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It received generally favorable reviews from critics, and is T.I.'s most successful to date. [1] The album spawned eight singles, four of which reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, with two singles peaking at number one.
On November 12, 2007, while awaiting a trial for federal weapons charges, T.I. announced he had been writing songs for a new album to be entitled Paper Trail. He wrote his lyrics down on paper, which he had not done since his debut album, I'm Serious . [2] The album highlights his "fear, anger and guilt" as he awaited trial. [3]
T.I. recorded nearly 100 tracks during the production for Paper Trail, [4] including a collaboration with Fall Out Boy on a track entitled "Out in the Cold". [5] However the song was left out of the final cut, but T.I. told MTV that he may add some of the cut tracks to his next album. [6] On August 22, 2008, the songs "Like I Do" featuring The-Dream, "Let My Beat Pound", "My Life Your Entertainment" featuring Usher, and "Swagga Like Us" were all leaked online. [7]
The album was scheduled to be released in September 2008, but was subsequently moved up to an August 12 after the release of the promotional and lead single "No Matter What" and high demand of the album. At the time, T.I. said that the first single may have been "Top of the World", originally featuring B.o.B and Kanye West, explaining that the song was "a reflective song about our humble beginnings and how far we've come". [8] The album was pushed back for a release date of September 2, then September 9 and to its final release date of September 30, 2008, in the US. [9] The album was first released on September 29, 2008, in continental Europe. [10]
The first single released from the album was a song titled "No Matter What". It was posted on StreetCred's website on April 29, 2008, as a promotional recording, then released as a single on May 6, along with a music video, which he premiered on MTV's FNMTV. [11] The song narrates T.I. rising above his misfortunes, including a prison sentence for weapon charges. [12]
On August 19, 2008, the album's lead single "Whatever You Like", was made available for digital download. [11] The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 2008, and set a new record for biggest one-week jump to the top position, going from number seventy-one to number one, becoming his first number one song on the chart as a lead artist and best opening-week sales by a rap track since Nielsen SoundScan began compiling download data in 2003. [13] T.I. announced that he was "ecstatic" and "overjoyed" after setting a record for the biggest jump to top of the Billboard Hot 100. [14]
After the success of "Whatever You Like", iTunes published the release dates for the upcoming singles, "Swing Ya Rag" on August 26, "What Up, What's Haapnin'" on September 2, and "Ready for Whatever" on September 23, 2008. [11] [15] Additionally, a song titled "Swagga Like Us", featuring T.I., Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Kanye West - which samples "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. - was then released as a single on September 4, for Paper Trail and debuted in the Hot 100 at number five. [7]
The album's seventh single, "Live Your Life" featuring Rihanna, broke T.I's own record for biggest leap to number one, when it jumped from number eighty to number one on the Hot 100, giving T.I. his second Hot 100 number one as a lead artist, and Rihanna her fifth overall. The song also set a first week digital record, when it sold 334,000 digital downloads in its first week of availability, a record that was previously held by Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body." [16]
The eighth single was confirmed to be "Dead and Gone" featuring Justin Timberlake, by the song's co-producer Rob Knox. [17] T.I. himself later confirmed the release of the single. [18] The song was charted by Billboard before the announcement of the single. The song reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 27, 2009. [19] Overall, eight songs from the album charted on the Billboard Hot 100, including "56 Bars (Intro)", "I'm Illy" and "My Life Your Entertainment", despite not being singles. A music video was released for the song "Slide Show" which highlighted a photo collage that followed T.I.'s career as a recording artist. The track "Every Chance I Get" was featured on the promotional trailer for Armored starring Columbus Short.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 74/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [20] |
The A.V. Club | B+ [21] |
Blender | [22] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [23] |
The Guardian | [24] |
MSN Music (Consumer Guide) | A− [25] |
Pitchfork | 6.2/10 [26] |
Rolling Stone | [27] |
Slant Magazine | [28] |
USA Today | [29] |
Paper Trail was met with positive reviews. [30] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 74, based on 19 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". [30] Several critics praised the production on the album; Andy Kellman of AllMusic noted that DJ Toomp's and Danja's production appearance provided "some much needed punch", which placed the album above T.I.'s previous album, T.I. vs. T.I.P. . [20] Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly said that the "outstanding production" proved that T.I. "still knows how to have a good time". [23] Wilson McBee of Slant Magazine called the songs produced by Toomp the "vintage T.I.", describing the sound as "ecstasies of sweltering synth lines, ground-shaking 808 patterns and breathless verbalizing". [28] However, McBee felt that the songs that were directly about T.I.'s prison sentence for weapons charges ("No Matter What", "Ready for Whatever") were among the weakest on the album, saying that "admitting guilt, making excuses and expressing no regrets falls flat". [28] Sharing a similar sentiment, Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone called the songs "mostly dispenses with the Tupac-wannabe gangsta-confessor pretensions to deliver catchy, tight, bombastic pop-rap alongside a who's-who of megastar guests", saying that T.I. was a "well-oiled hit machine who's more fun than deep". [27]
Newsday 's Glen Gamboa gave Paper Trail a B rating and commented that "[T.I.] is still bouncing between pop-leaning hip-hop anthems [...] and spare, often violent, tales of crime and brutality". [31] Michael Saba of Paste said that, "Even with the burden of sloppy crossover tracks, Paper Trail has enough standout moments for T.I.’s throne to remain secure for now." [32] Shannon Barbour of About.com said that, "Regardless of the outcome of reality, Paper Trail is a solid combination of rhyme, repentance, swagger and substance." [33] People magazine gave the album four out of four stars, saying that the album was "a near-perfect hip-hop album for 2008." [34] In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau called Paper Trail an "expediently excessive piece of rich-get-richer" and gave it an A− rating, [25] indicating "the kind of garden-variety good record that is the great luxury of musical micromarketing and overproduction. Anyone open to its aesthetic will enjoy more than half its tracks". [35]
According to Nielsen SoundScan, Paper Trail sold 357,000 copies in the United States in the first three days of its release. [36] Ultimately, the album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 568,000 copies in its first week. [37] This became T.I.'s third consecutive US number one debut and the fourth highest debut of 2008. In its second week, the album remained at number one on the chart, selling an additional 177,000 copies. [38] In its third week, the album dropped to number two on the chart, selling 131,000 more copies. [39] In its fourth week, the album dropped to number three, selling 93,427 copies. [40] The album ended up spending a total of 55 weeks on the chart. [41] On August 26, 2009, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over two million copies. [42]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "56 Bars (Intro)" | DJ Toomp | 3:04 | |
2. | "I'm Illy" |
| Chuck Diesel | 4:07 |
3. | "Ready for Whatever" |
| Drumma Boy | 5:14 |
4. | "On Top of the World" (featuring B.o.B & Ludacris) |
| Nard & B | 5:00 |
5. | "Live Your Life" (featuring Rihanna) |
| 5:39 | |
6. | "Whatever You Like" |
| Jim Jonsin | 4:12 |
7. | "No Matter What" |
| Danja | 4:42 |
8. | "My Life Your Entertainment" (featuring Usher) |
| Drumma Boy | 5:13 |
9. | "Porn Star" (featuring Ricco Barrino) |
| Lil' C | 3:32 |
10. | "Swing Ya Rag" (featuring Swizz Beatz) |
|
| 3:20 |
11. | "What Up, What's Haapnin'" |
| Drumma Boy | 5:21 |
12. | "Every Chance I Get" |
| DJ Toomp | 4:50 |
13. | "Swagga Like Us" (with Jay-Z featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne & M.I.A.) |
| 5:28 | |
14. | "Slide Show" (featuring John Legend) |
|
| 3:43 |
15. | "You Ain't Missin' Nothing" |
| Drumma Boy | 5:10 |
16. | "Dead and Gone" (featuring Justin Timberlake) |
|
| 5:00 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
17. | "I Know You Missed Me" | 3:14 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
17. | "Collect Call" (featuring Mitchelle'l) |
| Nard & B | 4:38 |
18. | "I Know You Missed Me" |
| Two Band Geeks | 3:12 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Live Your Life" (featuring Rihanna) |
|
| 5:39 |
2. | "Dead and Gone" (featuring Justin Timberlake) |
|
| 5:00 |
3. | "Whatever You Like" |
| Jim Jonsin | 4:12 |
4. | "Remember Me" (featuring Mary J. Blige) |
|
| 4:05 |
5. | "Hell of a Life" | 4:17 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [68] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [69] | Platinum | 80,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [70] | Gold | 7,500^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [71] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [72] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Turning Point is the second studio album by American recording artist Mario, released by J Records on December 7, 2004 in the United States. A R&B record with heavy elements of soul and hip hop music, it involves a diverse roster of collaborators including Scott Storch, Lil Jon, The Underdogs, Carvin & Ivan, and Sean Garrett. The album guests include Cassidy, Juvenile, Jadakiss, T.I. and Baby Cham.
Urban Legend is the third studio album by American rapper T.I., released on November 30, 2004, through Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records. The album debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200, selling 193,000 copies in its first week of release. It also debuted at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and the Top Rap Albums charts.
Get Rich or Die Tryin' is the debut studio album by American rapper 50 Cent. It was released on February 6, 2003, by Interscope Records, Eminem's Shady Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records. After signing with Eminem, 50 Cent also worked heavily with Dr. Dre acting as the album's executive producers, who worked to combine the gangsta rap and R&B combo prevalent in New York hip hop. Additional production is provided by Mike Elizondo, Sha Money XL, Mr. Porter, Rockwilder, Dirty Swift, Megahertz, and more.
T.I. vs. T.I.P. is the fifth studio album by American rapper T.I., released on July 3, 2007 through Grand Hustle Records, Asylum Records and Atlantic Records. Recording sessions for the album took a year and a half to record towards early 2007, as T.I. stated and confirmed in an interview with MTV News. Production was handled by several record producers, including Kannon "Caviar" Cross, Just Blaze, Mannie Fresh, Lil' C, Wyclef Jean, Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, Sedeck "All Hands on Deck" Jean, Keith "Lil' Wonda" Duplessis, Kevin "Khao" Cates, Timbaland, Bao Quoc Pham, Steve Holdren, Nate "Danja" Hills, The Runners, Tony Galvin, Eminem, Jeff Bass, and Keith Mack, among others. Notably, it is also his first album not to feature production from his frequent collaborator DJ Toomp.
Little Voice is the second and major-label debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, which was released on July 3, 2007 on the Epic Records label. Six of the tracks are re-recorded studio versions of songs from her previous album, Careful Confessions. A two-disc special edition of Little Voice with live acoustic tracks was released on March 18, 2008. The bonus disc also includes an interview with Bareilles and accompanying videos of the performances.
Brass Knuckles is the fifth studio album by American rapper Nelly, released on September 16, 2008, after several delays. In 2008 Nelly embarked on The Brass Knuckles Tour in support of the album.
Year of the Gentleman is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Ne-Yo. It was released by Compound Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings on September 16, 2008 in the United States. As with his previous albums In My Own Words (2006) and Because of You (2007), Ne-Yo worked with Stargate, Reggie "Syience" Perry, and Shea Taylor on much of the album, but also consulted new collaborators, including Chuck Harmony, Polow da Don, The Stereotypes, Butter Beats, and Shomari "Sho" Wilson.
Theater of the Mind is the seventh studio album by American rapper Ludacris. It was released in the UK on November 21, 2008 and internationally on November 24, 2008 by Disturbing tha Peace and Def Jam South. Ludacris calls the album "theatrical", with guest performers credited as "co-stars".
Doll Domination is the second and final studio album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 19, 2008, by Interscope Records. The album's release was preceded by the departure of the group's longest-standing member Carmit Bachar. Development began in February 2008 where the group worked with previous collaborators Sean Garrett, Polow da Don and Timbaland and new ones such as Darkchild, J-Roc and Chase N. Cashe. Polow da Don, R. Kelly and Snoop Dogg also make guest performances on the album. Several songs on Doll Domination were originally recorded for the lead singer Nicole Scherzinger's debut solo album, Her Name is Nicole, which was shelved after the under-performance of its preceding singles.
"Whatever You Like" is a song by the American rapper T.I., released as the lead single from his sixth studio album, Paper Trail (2008). The song was written by T.I. and David Siegel, alongside the song's producer Jim Jonsin. "Whatever You Like" served as the third single from Paper Trail in the United Kingdom with a release date of June 1, 2009.
Funhouse is the fifth studio album by American singer and songwriter Pink, released by LaFace Records and Jive Records in Europe on October 24, 2008, and on October 28 in the United States. A pop and pop rock record, Funhouse was inspired by Pink's separation from her husband, Carey Hart. To record the album, she enlisted her previous collaborators, such as Billy Mann, Butch Walker, Max Martin and MuchoPsycho, while also involving new music producers and songwriters, such as Danja, Jimmy Harry, Tony Kanal and Eg White.
My Love: Essential Collection is the third English-language greatest hits album by Canadian recording artist Celine Dion. It was released by Columbia Records on 24 October 2008 as the follow-up to her previous English-language compilation, All the Way... A Decade of Song (1999). In the album's liner notes, she dedicated this collection of songs, recorded between 1990 and 2008, to her fans who supported her throughout the years. My Love: Essential Collection was released as a single disc, consisting of Dion's most successful singles, including: "My Heart Will Go On", "Because You Loved Me", "The Power of Love" and "It's All Coming Back to Me Now". The two-disc edition, entitled My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection, has been further expanded to include more hits and rare songs that have not previously appeared on her albums. Both editions include one new track, "There Comes a Time". The album was not released in Japan, where Sony Music Entertainment instead released Complete Best.
"Swagga Like Us" is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and T.I. featuring fellow American rappers Lil Wayne and Kanye West, the latter of whom also produced the song, constructed primarily around a vocal sample of "Paper Planes" by British musician M.I.A. It was released on September 6, 2008, in the United States as the fifth single from T.I.'s sixth album Paper Trail (2008). The track was also initially slated for inclusion on Jay-Z's eleventh album The Blueprint 3 (2009), however it ultimately failed to make the final track listing.
"Dead and Gone" is a song by American rapper T.I. featuring singer Justin Timberlake. It became available for digital download in September 2008 and was released on January 12, 2009 as the eighth single from T.I.'s sixth studio album, Paper Trail (2008). Due to the high number of digital downloads upon the album's release, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 before its official single release. The song marked the second collaboration between T.I. and Justin Timberlake, the first being the hit single "My Love", from Timberlake's second album, FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006).
This Is Us is the seventh studio album from American pop group Backstreet Boys. Serving as a follow-up to Unbreakable (2007), it was released on September 30, 2009 in Japan through Sony Music Japan, October 5, 2009 in the UK through RCA, and October 6 in the US.
No Mercy is the seventh studio album by American rapper T.I. Originally titled King Uncaged, It was released on December 7, 2010, by Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2009 to 2010. Production was handled by several high-profile record producers, including Kanye West, Polow da Don, The-Dream, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, The Neptunes, TrackSlayerz, Jake One, T-Minus, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Rico Love, Alex da Kid, DJ Toomp, Jim Jonsin, Danja and Dr. Luke, among others. The album also features guest appearances from several prominent artists such as Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Scarface, Chris Brown, Eminem, The-Dream, Trey Songz, Pharrell, Drake, Christina Aguilera and Rick Ross, among others.
Libra Scale is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. It was released on October 27, 2010 in Japan, followed by a release in the United Kingdom on October 29, as well as a release in the United States on November 22, 2010 by Def Jam Recordings and Compound Entertainment. The album was preceded by three singles: its lead Europop-oriented single, and the UK number-one hit "Beautiful Monster", as well the R&B singles "Champagne Life" and "One in a Million".
"Got Your Back" is a song by American hip hop recording artist T.I., released on June 1, 2010, as the lead single from his seventh studio album No Mercy (2010). The song features American R&B singer-songwriter Keri Hilson. T.I. wrote the song with Young Jedi, alongside the track's producer DJ Toomp. "Got Your Back" was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 15, 2010.
Hands All Over is the third studio album by American pop rock band Maroon 5, which features guest appearances from American country band Lady Antebellum and singer Christina Aguilera. Produced by veteran producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the album was released by A&M Octone Records on September 15, 2010, and debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200. The standard edition of the album includes three singles: "Misery", "Give a Little More" and "Never Gonna Leave This Bed".
Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded is the reissue of Barbadian singer Rihanna's third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). It was first released digitally in selected countries on June 2, 2008, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. Launched to mark the first anniversary of the original album, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded features three newly recorded songs and a DVD showing exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Rihanna's worldwide tour, the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour (2007–2009). For the new material, she worked with past collaborators Ne-Yo, Stargate, and C. "Tricky" Stewart, as well as Brian Kennedy, Mark Endert, Mike Elizondo, Mark "Spike" Stent and Maroon 5.