The Rundown: T.I., Paperwork: The Motion Picture
A breakdown of the King's latest saga.
1 / 19
The Rundown: T.I., Paperwork: The Motion Picture - The King Of The South returns with his ninth album and Columbia Records debut Paperwork: The Motion Picture. Peep The Rundown as T.I. flexes over production from the likes of Pharrell, DJ Mustard and DJ Toomp and expands his topics from the "trap rock hip-hop" to an extensive rap sheet touching on racism, women and family while keeping his lyrical flows as grand as ever.-Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA)(Photo: Grand Hustle, LLC)
2 / 19
'King' - Tip kicks off his ninth lyrical dope boy epic telling all his subjects to lay it down when in the presence of a “King.” Declaring that Da A is not even thinking about relinquishing its hip hop thrown, T.I. sends a clear message as he spits, “I come from Atlanta, the '80s and '90s but we was as real as it gets/ And that's why we still here/ Best watch what you say, you could pay with your life tonight/ F**k around and get killed.” (Photo: Brad Barket/BET/Getty Images for BET)
3 / 19
"G S**t," Featuring Jeezy and Watch the Duck - The King and The Snowman drop some soulful flavor with Watch The Duck and give the “dope boy trappers” something to groove to and props to those keeping it real. With Skateboard P providing the bounce, T.I. holds the haters at bay asking, “Suckers prayin' I'ma chill, but I'm too cold/ Long as I'm around, f**k they need you for?” (Photos from left: Paras Griffin/Getty Images, John Ricard / BET)
4 / 19
'About the Money,' Featuring Young Thug - Tip made it an A-town affair with the first single from Paperwork. London on da Track provides the sonic backdrop for Young Thug and his O.G. to kill the nonsense talk. Tip shows his willingness to share the throne for the sake of Atlanta's continued domination of the game as they deliver a pretty concise message. “If it ain't about the money/ Don't be blowing me up.” (Photo: Douglas Gorenstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank)
5 / 19
'New National Anthem,' Featuring Skylar Grey - It’s a war going on outside that no Black man is safe from and T.I. uses his power to addresses America’s treatment of African-Americans as second-class citizens and the plague of young brothers being murdered and harassed daily. With Skylar Grey’s scathing hook, “Home of the brave and free/ Free just to murder me,” Tip speaks truths like, “Trayvon in a hoodie, walking through the neighborhood/ He didn’t do s**t to buddy, he didn’t have to die did he?/ I guess it’s because his dad was a judge in the city/ They didn’t want him in the pen with the thugs that could get him/ A jury of his peers said all was forgiven…" The pop production from Tommy Brown is exactly what the track calls for to get this message to resonate into the mainstream's thought process. (Photos from left: Robin Marchant/Getty Images for AWXI, Timothy H...
ADVERTISEMENT
6 / 19
'Oh Yeah,' Featuring Pharrell - T.I. admits he's become a man of the people and tows the line between being the voice of the streets. It's no longer T.I. vs T.I.P. but T.I.P. vs. businessman Clifford Harris, but don’t be fooled by the platinum records and Hollywood successes because the King's Paperwork is legit as he raps about the head of the crown wearer weighing a ton and not to take him back to the block. (Photo: Mark Davis/Getty Images for BET)
Photo By Photo: Mark Davis/Getty Images for BET
7 / 19
'Private Show,' Featuring Chris Brown - Chris Brown and T.I. slow it down and chop and screw UGK's classic "Take It Off" for their strip-club anthem. Breezy sets the mood with his laid back vocals as Tip delivers his usual album standard to put the ladies in a trance. (Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images for BET)
8 / 19
"No Mediocre," Featuring Iggy Azalea - DJ Mustard adds his spice on the certified club banger as Tip lets you know he has a high standard when it comes to choosing women. With Iggy stating her case of why she’s dime status, The A-town playa’s check list includes, “Right hand in the air, I solemnly swear/ I never f**k a b***h if she don’t do her hair…” Tip shows his young O.G. status here and keeps his Paperwork up to date with the dance-floor packer.(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for BET)
9 / 19
'Jet Fuel,' Featuring Lil Boosie - Not quite what the people were expecting once these two finally got together, Tip and Boosie's showdown finds them abandoning the lessons they could've taught about their Paperwork as they spit about a wild night partying with some THOT's and blowing on that green. Kenoe supplies the ratchet track as the Southern MCs get high as the hook gets straight to the point with, “I’m the truth, tell it, loud weed yelling/ Get it by the pound, we just smoke it, we don’t sell it/ What I blow make a plane go.”(Photos from left: Brad Barket/BET/Getty Images, Brad Barket/BET/Getty Images for BET)
10 / 19
'Paperwork,' Featuring Pharrell - The game has been filled with studio gangstas over the years but Tip lets you know that his street pedigree is certified with the album’s title track. Reminiscent of Pharrell's production and singing hook on Pusha T's "S.N.I.T.C.H.," this is classic, introspective Tip spitting about the pitfalls of the streets and where his die-hard fans find him most comfortable. A few of the quotables include, "Look at me, at 17/ Living on my own, peddling/ Quarter ki, now and then selling weed/ Toting tools, caught my first felony/ That's one of many, that were to follow/ Drinking Henney up out the bottle."(Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
ADVERTISEMENT
11 / 19
'Stay,' Featuring Victoria Monet - Tip wears his heart on his sleeve with this want-you-back track as Victoria Monet channels the late, great Minnie Riperton. Another home run for the king as he slows it down over the Tommy Brown production and wins the ladies' hearts with rhymes like, “Girl, together or apart/ But you be forever in my heart/ I swear and I ain’t think we’d end up here, I know its hard/ I never love that way again, I swear to God,” T.I. raps.(Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
12 / 19
'About My Issue,' Featuring Victoria Monet and Nipsey Hussle - T.I. re-ups with DJ Toomp as the two's chemistry is parallel as ever while he explains the reason behind the hustle and why so many young soldiers take penitentiary chances. Nipsey also joins the marathon and drops a few truths like, “Time after time, know we need a light n****, blind lead the blind/ Why do we ride?/ Grind to provide n**** not just to shine/ Blood in my eyes, stress on my mind, let a fly n**** fly."(Photos from left: Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for Anheuser-Busch, Michael Wright/WENN.com)
13 / 19
'At Ya Own Risk,' Featuring Usher - The Rubberband Man and Usher get their freak on here as they go skirt chasing. The slowed down lean sipping track finds Tip explaining his fondness for girls who like girls as he rhymes, “She said she don't like girls, she did that night/ They were taking turns, I was taking flights.”(Photos from left: Taylor Hill/Getty Images, Scott Gries/Getty Images)
14 / 19
'On Doe, on Phil,' Featuring Trae Tha Truth - Trae Tha Truth and Tip let you know that they are willing to lyrically spray, and they put that on their dead homies, Philant and Doe B. DJ Toomp powers the energetic track as The King spits, “Gotta problem we can handle this s**t off top/ Got the thing let it pop/ Cool as a cough drop.” (Photo: Roger Kisby/Getty Images)
15 / 19
'Light Em Up (RIP Doe B),' Featuring Pharrell and Watch The Duck - The Grand Hustle boss takes a moment to pay tribute to his fallen soldier Doe B who was murdered last December. Tip shows a lot of emotion on Pharrel somber track as Watch The Duck kick their gangsta harmonies reminiscent of Nate Dogg. He details the downfall of the Paperwork life with his eulogic rhymes, “They see you got it, they don’t even want it / It just hurts so much for them to see you with it/ What I know about Satan, he patiently waiting to rob, steal and kill off greatness in the making.” (Photos from Left: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for BET, Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for VH1 Save The Music, Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Coachella)
ADVERTISEMENT