T.I.: From the Pen to Mixtape King

I will be reviewing T.I.’s F[#@*] a Mixtape for this post.

Listen to or download the mixtape here:  

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/11646/ti_fuck_a_mixtape.html

Background Information:  

• Birth name: Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr.
• Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia
• Influences: 2Pac and Jay-Z
• How long has he been doing music: Since he was 7
• Type of Artist: Mainstream
• Genre(s): Rap
• Current Label(s): Grand Hustle/ Atlantic Records
• Similar Artists: Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z, and The Game
• Fun fact: Pharrell Williams once referred to him as the Jay-Z of the South.

Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. was born on September 25, 1980 in Atlanta, Georgia. Clifford began rapping at the age of 7. By the time T.I. reached the age of 14, he had been arrested several times. He was nicknamed "Tip" after his paternal great-grandfather, Kawan "KP" Prather. Prather was a record executive, so he discovered and signed T.I. during his teenage years. When he signed to Arista Records ; he shortened his name to T.I. out of respect for label mate Q-Tip. According to the last fm website, “As of October 2008, T.I. has had nine Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles, with 3 of them reaching number one.” He founded Grand Hustle Records in 2003. In November of 2007, T.I. was arrested on firearms possession charges. On March 27, 2009 T.I. was scented to serve a year and a day for his firearm possession. He completed his sentence on December 22, 2009. T.I. has released seven studio albums: I’m Serious (2001), Trap Musik (2003), Urban Legend (2004), King (2006), T.I. vs. T.I.P. (2007), Paper Trail (2008). I am not sure of the number of mixtapes he has released.

Introduction:

T.I. is a Mixtape King because his fans have dubbed him the King of the South and King of Rap, and the spirit of a king is definitely present in this mixtape. T.I. went to jail on gun possession charges and was recently released, but he came back to the rap game as good as he was before he left. Hence T.I. has quickly moved from the penitentiary (pen) to the Mixtape King.

Favorite Line: B[!%#@] Who- "Don't even think it's fair the guy can breathe the same air as I."

Top 3 Tracks: (This list is ordered from the song I like most to the song I like least.)

1. B[!%#@] Who-  In this song T.I.P has a I don’t give a [add expletive here] attitude. He addresses the negative comments people have said and he tell them exactly how he feels about them. He dispels the negativity that has been circling around him; this is definitely the persona T.I.P, and he is definitely serious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOxaH0enBxs
2. Got Your Back- This song exemplifies the less abrasive side of the rapper, better known as, T.I. Him and Keri Hilson have great chemistry on this track; they seems as if they are really in love with one another and have each other’s backs. T.I.P. has a nice spoken word at the end of the song that is not typical of him, but it is rather enjoyable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOI7ISiJZUw
3. Celebration- T.I. illustrates the progression he has made over the years through his lyrics. He also speaks his truth as if he is not worried about what other people have to say. He is relaxed, but in the same token the song is tough. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uGqiwg2f-E

Bottom 3 Tracks: (This list is ordered from the song I dislike most to the song I dislike least.)

1. Yeah- The instrumental in this song is barely appealing. T.I. sounds as if he is high out of his mind for the first verse and then he sounds regular, and that inconsistency really bothered me. T.I. had Lil’ Wayne as a feature artist on this song; with those two rapping together the song could and should have been much better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isk8yS0OFg0
2. Once Upon a Time- I feel as this concept of telling a story about your friends getting caught up while trying to sell drugs has been overdone. This just didn’t live up to any of the older story raps. Once upon a time usually refers to a fairytale, but this song is about as far away as you can get from a happy ending. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsdFmLSOT2E
3. Whether You Like it or Not- In this song T.I, tells the various ways he is separate from his peers. He should’ve rapped more abrasively to make me feel as if he really meant what he said. This was just a snippet of the song, but I wanted to hear the whole track. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Xz318RBh0

Overview:

I recommend the mixtape to people that like to address the negativity of their haters with their personal accomplishments. T.I. definitely let his haters know he was rising despite what they say or did in regards to him. T.I. has not been out of jail long and he stated on the mixtape that he has plenty of songs. So, after hearing this mixtape I cannot wait to hear his upcoming King Uncaged album.  

Other Related Links:

http://www.trapmuzik.com/

http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/t_i_/artist.jhtml#biographyEnd

http://www.last.fm/music/T.I.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1939267/

http://www.atlanticrecords.com/ti