Paperwork (T.I. album)

Untitled

Paperwork: The Motion Picture is the upcoming ninth studio album by American rapper T.I. The album is set to be released on October 21, 2014, by Grand Hustle Records and Columbia Records. The album is his first project under Columbia Records, after his contract with Atlantic Records expired, following the release of his eighth album Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head (2012). The album, which derives its title from T.I.'s sixth album Paper Trail (2008), was revealed to be the first in a trilogy.

The album has so far spawned the singles "About the Money" and "No Mediocre". Paperwork is set to feature guest appearances from Big Kuntry King, Chris Brown, The-Dream, Iggy Azalea, Jeezy, Lil Boosie, Nipsey Hussle, Problem, Rick Ross, Skylar Grey, Trae tha Truth, Watch The Duck, Young Thug and Pharrell Williams, the latter of which served as the album's executive producer. The album's production was handled by several high-profile producers such as Pharrell, B.o.B, DJ Mustard, DJ Toomp and London on da Track, among several others.

Background

After releasing his eighth studio album, Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head, in December 2012, T.I. revealed he drew a close to his 10-year contract with Atlantic Records. On November 22, 2013, after searching for a label to sign his Grand Hustle imprint as well as himself, T.I announced that he signed a record deal with Columbia Records, to release his ninth studio album. He also revealed that his longtime collaborator, American musician Pharrell Williams (who was influential in his move to Columbia), would serve as the album's executive producer.

Originally, T.I. was planning to release Trouble Man 2: He Who Wears The Crown, the follow up to 2012's Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head. However, he postponed that album after recording with Pharrell Williams, he changed his mind stating: "All I'ma say is, it's gonna be a motion picture, it's gonna be a theatrical-worthy title. Something that will definitely seem instant classic. I'm thinking something like 'Trap Champion', 'Paperwork,' but whatever it is the subtitle will be 'The Motion Picture'". Later in the year, T.I finally revealed the album to be titled Paperwork: The Motion Picture. When speaking on the album's title in April 2014, he said: "Paperwork is official. If you've got paperwork on something, it's official. Also, if someone has paperwork on you, then it could be some trouble. So, it's official, it's trouble, it's authentic. Sounds like me. The music supports this theory very well."

On January 27, 2014, in an interview with XXL, T.I. revealed the concept of the album, stating "people forgot the feeling that you got when [you] watched Boyz n the Hood for the first time. Or when you heard All Eyez on Me for the first time. Right now, music is going in a different direction and it is in a different place. I salute and celebrate that path as well. However, there’s a place for the story that needs to be told from our perspective.”

In July 2014, during an interview Devi Dev and Mr. Rogers of Houston’s 93.7, T.I. spoke about the correlation between Paperwork and his critically acclaimed 2008 album Paper Trail: “I think one of my most diversified albums and I guess the most commercially successful has been Paper Trail. I always wanted to do a continuation of that but without saying, ‘Part 2.’ I just tried to figure out another way to relate this next project to that one without making it a sequel. In thinking of other things that I guess had the word ‘paper’ in it, Paperwork was the most prominent title that jumped out at me. As I was getting to think about it, anything that you have that is authentic, let’s say a watch, a car, a phone, whatever it is, the certification of that authenticity is paperwork. Whether it’s a title for a car, deed to a house, a certificate for a Rolex. You gon’ have some kind of certification of authenticity. Me being an artist that’s been known to be authentic and making music that has been known to be authentic, the certification of it is Paperwork.”

During an interview with Bootleg Kev, T.I. revealed the album's guest list to include Rick Ross, The-Dream, Lil Boosie, Jeezy, Trae tha Truth, Nipsey Hussle, Problem and more. When speaking on the sound of the album, T.I. stated “The sound sonically of this one is soulful, musical, kinda like (OutKast's) Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik or Aquemini or (Jay Z's) Blueprint. It just has an incredible amount of soul and a perfect hybrid between the ahead-of-the-curve, new-school sound and the classic, nostalgic, soulful sound of yesteryear.”

In an August 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, when asked what the focus of his attention is at the moment, T.I. responded: "This album. This album or should I say these three albums, because this album has kind of turned into a trilogy. The music, we already have it, it's already done. We just have to really platform it, promote it, market it, and strategically apply it. But this album, we hope to make a film that will consist of three short stories. And each of these three short stories will combine six or seven videos from these three albums. And it would star me playing characters. But these characters would find themselves in situations that would allow the music to narrate the circumstances. It's extremely ambitious and could be very costly. But I feel like it's your ninth album and you've got to use your seniority and your success and your relationships and resources, you've got to use them to do something significantly different. Or else you're just another motherfucker putting out an album."

Recording and production

In a January 2014 interview with XXL, T.I. revealed he had already been in the studio with the likes of Jeezy and Busta Rhymes. He also revealed he was particularly excited about reuniting once again with American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake, with whom he has recorded the hit singles "My Love" and "Dead and Gone". The song, produced by longtime friend and frequent collaborator DJ Toomp, is titled "Trap Me Up". When speaking on his recording sessions with executive producer Pharrell, T.I. stated: "me and Pharrell have a plethora [of songs]. We probably done recorded 14 records. Pharrell and I alone. Words couldn't even begin to describe how cutting-edge, left-field and just how broad these records are. But they still have that texture that I speak of. They still have that Curtis Mayfield, Bobby Womack, a ridin’ dirty kind of … but a new way to present it to the world because it has that thing that Pharrell does to music that sets it apart from any and everything else that’s being played." T.I. also made it known he had worked with American record producers Keno and Sham “Sak Pase” Joseph, as well as his protege B.o.B.

In a February 2014 interview with DJ Whoo Kid, T.I. revealed a song titled "Trap Nigga Hustle", which he recorded two years prior, would appear on the album. In April 2014, when speaking on the album T.I. said: "This is the first time in my career that I have had enough time to create all the music, get the sequencing down, even before I start my clock and put myself on the calendar," he added. "Now that I have all of the music...I could take my time and step back and make sure it's the perfect blend, to create the perfect amount of synergy between trap music and art house." On April 4, 2014, T.I. visited New York City radio station Hot 97, where he revealed that he recorded 250 records for Paperwork and that Pharrell would be producing the bulk of the new album.

"We recorded like 250 songs, me and Pharrell probably did like 25, and with so much music, all of it did not cohesively mesh well enough to put on one project. For one, it would've been 50 songs long and two, it just would've been all over the place. However, we have broken it up into three separate projects. The first one has a cohesive sound sonically, a message and a concept that can be all packaged and presented together. And the second project as well. And certainly the same with the third. All the music is already done. We're gonna release these albums, hopefully, six to nine months apart."

 — T.I. discussing the Paperwork trilogy in a August 2014 interview with Complex.

In June 2014, at a screening of his "No Mediocre" music video, T.I. stated he plans on channeling his inner Tupac Shakur, specifically referencing the late emcee's "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" selection. Also at the screening, T.I. confirmed that his "New National Anthem" song, which originally featured a reference hook from Victoria Monet, is slated to feature Lady Gaga, adding he was finalizing the process for getting Gaga on the song. On July 23, 2014, after a listening session of Paperwork, Devi Dev of Houston’s 93.7, tweeted: "Really dug the track Tip has with Jeezy too. Jeezy opened his verse saying 'When Jay was beefing with Nas I was selling Cocaine'#Paperwork".

At the listening session with 93.7 The Beat’s Devi Dev & DJ Mr. Rogers, it was revealed the direction for Paperwork was outlined as such from T.I. and Pharrell bouncing ideas off one another in the early recordings. There’s more pianos, more ‘70s blaxplotated horns, more ideas of superhero music and several soul samples chopped throughout Paperwork: “I want to help redefine the sound of trap music,” said T.I.. When asked if this was more of a “Song Cry” like approach, he nodded. On August 14, 2014, T.I. revealed that guest appearances on the album would include Jeezy, Trae tha Truth, Nipsey Hussle, Big Kuntry King, Problem, Rick Ross, The-Dream and Lil Boosie, among others. In a August 2014 interview with Complex, T.I. revealed the song he recorded with Justin Timberlake would not appear on this album; it would however appear on the following album, the sequel to Paperwork.

Release and promotion

"Of those 20 [songs on the album], I want to take six records at the top, six records in the middle, six records at the end, with two records as intermissions to the three. And I would like to shoot a movie that consists of three short stories, and the three short stories will connect these six records."

 — T.I. discussing his strategic plan in releasing Paperwork.

On April 4, 2014, T.I. visited New York City radio station Hot 97, where he revealed that he recorded 250 records for Paperwork. After narrowing down a 20 song tracklist, T.I. later explained his strategic plan in releasing and putting together the new album. He said that the album is split into three parts of 6 songs each, with two more records connecting as intermissions between the parts. Each section will be assisted by a short film and released along with the album. Therefore, it's like three separate extended plays (EP's), with a short film for each. According to T.I., Pharrell suggested that instead of selling Paperwork as one album, to break it up into three EP’s for the three short stories. He plans on releasing the album as a complete package similar to Beyoncé’s launch of Beyoncé (2013), however T.I. believes his way of releasing will be financially better: "Where I see she and I differ is she went and shot individual video one by one by one. That must've drove the cost through the roof. Me, myself personally I’m doing three short stories. I’m not doing 18 videos, I’m doing three short stories. So the same way we would shoot an episode of House of Lies. We would take five days. This short story shall be complete. Five days, this short story shall be complete. See that will bring my cost down, which will raise my profit margin."

On May 9, 2014, T.I. released a music video for a song titled "Turn It", in promotion for Paperwork: The Motion Picture. On July 21, 2014, via his Twitter feed, T.I. revealed a song titled "Stay", would be featured on the album and promoted the song through the Samsung Mobile app, Owner’s Hub. On July 23, 2014, T.I. performed "Bring Em Out", "What You Know" and "No Mediocre", on Vh1's new show, SoundClash. On August 8, T.I. released a song of him freestyling over Bobby Shmurda's viral hit "Hot Nigga". In an interview with Bootleg Kev in August 2014, although he did not give an exact release date, T.I. said it would arrive “somewhere in Libra season.”

On August 8, 2014, T.I. appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he was interviewed and performed a medley of "No Mediocre" and "About the Money", alongside Young Thug. One day after speaking out on America in his online treatise about Ferguson, Missouri, in the wake of the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown, T.I. released a new song titled "New National Anthem.” The song, which features vocals from American singer-songwriter Skylar Grey, includes socially conscious lyrics centered on racism and injustice.

On August 12, 2014, at an invite-only event held at Simons Nightclub in Downtown Gainesville, LouddMagazine in conjunction with Aviators Design Studio, and many more entities, had the opportunity to get a sneak listen to Paperwork: The Motion Picture. T.I. unveiled eight exclusive tracks from the album and revealed it is set to be released in mid-September. LouddMagazine had the chance to have a brief Q&A session with T.I., as he spoke with them about what went into making the project, and how he created a "timeless album that had a great amount of soul." LouddMagazine wrote three of the tracks revealed were "G-Shit", the title track "Paperwork", and "the smooth and gritty sounds of ‘About my Issues’ exemplify that this project is sure to be just what he set out for it to become, simply a classic." When questioned about what inspired "New National Anthem", T.I. stated: "Certain things need to be said, and I’m the only one who will talk about it, so I did”. T.I. also revealed a few featured artists at the listening session, from Jeezy and Nipsey Hustle to Chris Brown and an Atlanta-based trapstep trio called Watch The Duck.

In a featured article on Billboard, which was issued August 22, 2014, it was revealed the album would be released on October 21, 2014. On August 25, 2014, T.I. unveiled the album's cover art.

Singles

On June 3, 2014, T.I. released the album's first single, titled "About the Money", featuring fellow Atlanta-based rapper Young Thug. The song was produced by Young Thug's frequent collaborator, London on da Track. The music video for "About The Money", directed by Kennedy Rothchild and T.I. himself, was officially released on June 2, 2014.

On June 17, 2014, T.I. released "No Mediocre", the album's second single. The song features T.I.'s protege, Australian rapper Iggy Azalea and was produced by West Coast hip hop producer DJ Mustard. In June 2014, T.I. held a theatrical screening of his "No Mediocre" music video, in New York City, New York. The video, filmed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, premiered June 18, 2014, on MTV and Vh1. The song has since peaked at number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it T.I.'s seventeenth Top 40 single, as a lead artist, on that chart.

In August 2014, during an interview with MTV News, T.I. spoke on the next single: "We have definitely decided on ‘Paperwork’ featuring Pharrell [because it] pretty much kinda sums up the tone of the album. The cinematic presentation of it all. When you listen to the album, top to bottom, it kinda sounds like the score to a movie and I think ‘Paperwork’ is the perfect introduction to that."

Confirmed tracks

• "About My Issues"
• "About the Money" (featuring Young Thug; produced by London on da Track)
• "G Shit" (featuring Young Jeezy)
• "King"
• "No Mediocre" (featuring Iggy Azalea; produced by DJ Mustard)
• "New National Anthem" (featuring Skylar Grey)
• "Paperwork" (featuring Pharrell; produced by Pharrell)
• "Stay" (featuring Victoria Monet)
• "Trap Nigga Hustle" (produced by Pharrell)
• "Turn It" (produced by DJ Toomp)
• "Jet Fuel"
• "Private Show"

References