American Gangsta

He’s released six albums, spent a considerable amount of time getting arrested, dipped his toe in the shallow end of the Hollywood pool and is now one of the highest ranking musical performers on the charts. I’d never heard of the guy until flicking channels and landing on a live gig, where T.I. was performing his hit single Whatever You Like. Wearing a sleek grey suit and shades, he swaggered across the stage, crooning at the audience. It was a mellow, sincere performance, with the perfect amount of edge, a soft, breathy chorus and a smooth beat. And the video clip is even better. TI struts into a takeaway dive and flirts with the counter girl, who begins fantasizing about becoming his girlfriend. They pop bottles of Champaign, take trips on his private jet, and all the while he lathers her with attention, cash and diamonds. He buys her a car, he takes her shopping, he loves her. What more could a girl want? Going back through his previous singles, his rapping style- while highly talented- is harsh, confronting and aggressive, lacking the pleasing harmonies that frequent his sixth and most successful album, Paper Trails, released in 2008. The transformation is remarkable. No more of this rough gun and hos business. TI is a gentleman, now. I guess he realized that the secret to success is to remember who the market is. Girls. We don’t like aggression; we don’t like ‘gangsta’. We want to be pampered musically, with fantasy and plush orchestration, and that is exactly what TI has done. He’s cracked the charts code, and given us something that is actually pleasurable to listen to. The album was recording while he was under house arrest for weapons possession and is full of pop-rap gems, including Swing Your Rag, which is a perfect balance of upbeat dance and chill out beats. And lest we forget Swagga, in which TI and Jay-Z breathe fresh life into M.I.A.’s Paper Planes. He’s rising to the top and, speaking on behalf of the female population, we’d like to keep him there. As long as he, you know, keeps on giving us whatever we like.

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