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T.I. vs. T.I.P.

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.

T.I. vs. T.I.P.
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 3, 2007
Recorded2006–07
GenreHip hop
Length72:44
Label
Producer
T.I. chronology
King
(2006)
T.I. vs. T.I.P.
(2007)
Paper Trail
(2008)
Singles from T.I. vs. T.I.P.
  1. "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)"
    Released: May 29, 2007
  2. "You Know What It Is"
    Released: July 10, 2007
  3. "Hurt"
    Released: October 5, 2007

Upon its release, T.I. vs. T.I.P. received mixed reviews from music critics, but was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and selling over 470,000 copies in its first week.[1] It also achieved nearly respectable international chart placements, produced three singles that attained chart success (including the lead single "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)"), and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[2] T.I. vs. T.I.P. was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album,[3] losing to Kanye West's Graduation at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.[4] The album won the American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album at the American Music Awards of 2007, with T.I. also winning the American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist that year.

Background edit

Shortly after the release and major success of his 2006 efforts (his big screen acting debut ATL and his critically acclaimed fourth studio album King), T.I.'s friend, personal assistant, and an employee of his Grand Hustle Records, Philant Johnson was shot dead after a nightclub brawl between T.I.'s entourage and some Cincinnati thugs. After Johnson's death, T.I. mentioned that the business of rapping no longer felt good and admitted that he was seriously considering quitting music altogether.[5][6] In the leaflet included with the album, T.I. dedicates the album to Philant "Big Phil" Johnson as well as his daughters Leiah Amoré Harris (who was born stillborn) and Deyjah Princess Harris; his three sons Messiyah, Domani, and Clifford Harris, and the mother of his children Tameka "Tiny" Cottle.[7]

Recording edit

On March 19, 2007, via phone from Atlanta with MTV News, T.I. revealed some of the album's collaborators. T.I. stated that he was anticipating going in recording with Eminem. He also stated that he and Eminem had a hot concept that they spoke about over the phone. T.I. stated "It's gonna be on some real creative shit. JT, Justin Timberlake, we're just waiting on the proper song to get him on my album as well." That's just the beginning, the two-time Grammy Award winner said that he had about 60 songs in the can and will again be working right up to the deadline to turn the album in. T.I. stated that he was working with everybody who he had an opportunity to work with, he added, He confirmed that he was working with Timbaland working with Danja Timbaland protégé Nate Hills on that same day. Scott Storch, Mannie Fresh, and he stated that Wyclef Jean came through with some real worldly music and great vocals. Nelly, Lil Wayne, R. Kelly. T.I. stated that he reached out to R&B singer Ciara.

He confirmed that Akon had contributed to the album, along with most of the Grand Hustle Records producers including Kevin "Khao" Cates, Black Mob and others. T.I. confirmed that Just Blaze, did a song called 'Help Is Coming.' T.I. stated that the song was basically talking about how they say the industry is suffering. Well, help is on the way. Fret not." T.I. vs. T.I.P. is undoubtedly the film/mic star's most conceptual album to date. T.I. is the persona we hear in songs like "My Love" and "Why You Wanna". T.I.P., on the other hand, takes care of the much more gutter material like "Bring Em Out" and "You Don't Know Me". T.I. stated that the LP would give you doses of T.I. and T.I.P. solo records as well as the two collaborating on the same track. There will be interlude's throughout the LP, telling a story — and don't be surprised if more than one single from the project is released at once. T.I. stated "I'm not just making an album, I'm making f---in' opera here," he chuckled. With such a high concept, he says that he's making sure to take extra time and critique every song to be sure he doesn't lose anyone, it'd be easy for me to go over people's heads," he rationalized. "Sometime people might see me act a certain way one time and another way one another time. They might not believe the same cat you see dressed so sharp and winning awards and speaking eloquently is the same cat you see fist-fighting with hoodlums outside a nightclub. This album will be an explanation of all of this" he states.[8]

 
Wyclef Jean appeared and produced two songs on the album.

On April 12, 2007 T.I. stated that he was just about done with his T.I. vs. T.I.P. album. He's stated already that he recorded with Eminem, Nelly and Ciara among other guest stars, and the first single is ready to hit radio, officially debuting April 17, 2007 the song is another collaboration for the King of the South and Mannie Fresh and was called "Big Things Poppin' " — the clean version of the record, anyway. T.I. stated "Big Shit Poppin' is really just him talking to these people who say things and can't back it up," T.I. said, referring to the song's title as it will probably appear on the album. Mannie Fresh stated that he and T.I. clique up and the songs are magic, who's was in Atlanta working on a bunch of LPs that T.I. was overseeing, like B.G.'s new album. T.I.P. even has co-production credit on "Big Things Poppin'". The songs we're doing for his album are definitely right, yes indeed Mannie Fresh added. The beat Mannie Fresh and his accomplice came up with is another energetic brouhaha in step with some of their proven street ditties such as "Top Back".[9] One of the more recent sessions he held for the album was with Eminem, someone who has his own dual-identity issues. T.I. stated that it was an experience, about working with Eminem. T.I. also stated that Eminem is probably one of the most lyrical cats in the game right now. T.I. stated being known as one of the most lyrical cats in the game, he stated that he had to get himself up. also stating He lived up to all his expectations. He's a rappin' fool. T.I. stated that Eminem made him step his game up. T.I. stated that he did three records with Eminem. T.I. said that he did one for him. You know how Marshall Mathers and Slim Shady have their beefs? Well on that song, T.I. is trying to tell Marshall how to deal with Slim based on how he deals with Tip. Then Tip butts in, like, 'You can't tell nobody nothing.' Then Em comes in and tells me, 'Who are you to tell me anything?' I was like, 'I'm just trying to help, homie, T.I. added. Their other two collaborations could end up on T.I. vs. T.I.P., including a song called "Touchdown".[10]

T.I. also stated it's out of Eminem's norm, if Eminem has a norm," T.I. said of the track. T.I. stated it's a record you wouldn't expect to hear him on, kinda like how you heard him on 'Smack That' for Akon or [Em's] 'Shake That' with Nate Dogg. You'll be like, 'OK, he's switching it up.' ['Touchdown' is] basically [him] talking about when you touch down in everybody's city, what you do. Hit the mall, buy a car or leave the club with all the girls. We have yet to finish that one. T.I. stated the one we finished is 'Whatever You Want It to Be,' " he added. "It's saying, 'I'm a man, if I ain't nothing else. Before I'm a rapper, before I'm anything else, I'm a man. If you don't respect that, it can be whatever you want it to be.' The producer Tip went the most in-depth with for this project, however, was — of all people — Wyclef Jean. It has yet to be determined if all their records will make the cut, but two front-runners are "Swagger" and "U Know What It Is". T.I. stated that you can quote me," Tip burst out with a grin. " 'U Know What It Is' will tear the clubs up this summer." T.I. stated that he and Wyclef got together over a weekend, he explained about the collaborations. "We wasn't on each other's itinerary to work with each other. He hit me one day when I was in L.A. and was like, 'I gotta come to Atlanta. You got anywhere I can record?, T.I. graciously turned over the main room in his studio and it was on from there. T.I. came home about a day into Wyclef's sessions and immediately started snatching up tracks for himself. T.I. stated he started pulling up beats and he was like, 'Who is that for?' He said, 'You, if you want it.' We wound up knocking seven songs from Friday to Monday. It's just us having a good time. We just bonded, T.I. added.

Show It 2 Me," which features Nelly, sounds like it could easily be a sequel to their previous teaming on Urban Legend's "Get Loose." The two go back and forth at points and Nelly uses an old-school flow like UTFO on "Roxanne Roxanne." Lil Wayne appears on "Yeah" and drops lines such as, "I'm flyer than a vampire. T.I. also stated Andre 3000 could also possibly check in, on a song called "Life of the Party." On that track, Tip talks about maturity, why he's now "too grown to be the life of the party," and how he has no time to argue with bouncers, overzealous fans or pestering playa haters.[10] On May 16, 2007 T.I. stated that he was putting the final touches on his forthcoming personality-splitting project, T.I. vs. T.I.P.[11]

Music edit

Concept edit

T.I. vs. T.I.P. is a concept LP on which the rapper uses both sides of himself — the suave, level-minded CEO and the 'hood-friendly former dope boy — to express his thoughts on everything from the Grammy Awards to sideways-talking bustas to making dough. Sometimes the two sides duel, and occasionally you'll catch them on the same track. More often than not, though, each personality gets his own song. "Big Shit Poppin'" showcases the Grammy winner rapping in his grittier T.I.P. persona. Dominated '06 and I'm going right back," he rhymes. T.I.P. also says he's "doing it" for his children, family and friends.[9] On March 1, 2007 T.I. stated that all the albums prior to this one, T.I.P. would work harder to make the album, T.I. would work harder to sell it," he said. On T.I. vs. T.I.P. — a conceptual LP about his life — they battle each other on six tracks. Another third of the project is dedicated solely to T.I. and the remainder goes to T.I.P. "This is my life, this is the struggle I had to go through to bring myself to release another album," said T.I., who lost both his newborn daughter and personal assistant within the last year. "After all the stuff I went through following the success of King, it took a lot to even muster the effort or even care enough about the world outside my circle to even care about doing another album. "All I did was take notes and record it along the way," T.I. reflected.[10]

Release and promotion edit

Promo singles edit

"Touchdown" was the first and only official promotional single to be released from T.I. vs. T.I.P.. The single entered the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart at number 9, and it charted at number 96 on the Pop 100 chart.[12] The song was only released as an airplay single in 2007, and not as an official single, it featured Eminem. It received considerable airplay on Monday Night Football during the 2007 NFL season. The song was Produced by Eminem and Jeff Bass, the song features the use of electronic keyboard giving a trumpet-like sound. As well, hi-hats and bass drums are the main rhythmic instruments used in the song.

Singles edit

"Big Things Poppin' (Do It)" was the first official single to be released from T.I. vs. T.I.P.. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 9, it charted at number 7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, it charted at number 2 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, it charted at number 20 on the Pop 100 chart, it charted at number 8 on the Hot Digital Songs, it charted at number 34 on the Hot Ringtones chart, and at number 9 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart.[13] The song was #66 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.[14] The Recording Industry Association of America certified the single Gold. The single attained respectable international charting. In Canada the single entered the Canadian Singles Chart at number 75, in Japan the single entered the Japanese Singles Chart at number 5, and in New Zealand the single entered the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 8.[15][16] The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand certified the single Gold on August 23, 2009,[17] selling over 7,500 copies.[18] The song was written by T.I. and produced by Mannie Fresh. The single was released on May 29. The clean version of the song is called "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)". The single samples a guitar riff from the song, "Top Gun Anthem," the theme of the film Top Gun. "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)" is used with alternative lyrics as the theme song to an ESPN SportsCenter special known as the "Who's Now?" series, which was aired throughout the summer of 2007. This song is featured in the multiplayer online casual rhythm game DANCE! Online. The song is used in the Wayans Brothers 2009 parody film Dance Flick.

"You Know What It Is" was the second official single from the album. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 34, it charted at number 11 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, it charted at number 5 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, it charted at number 62 on the Pop 100 chart, it charted at number 48 on the Hot Digital Songs, and at number 9 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart.[13] In Canada the single entered the Canadian Singles Chart at number 61.[19] The song was written by T.I. and produced by Wyclef Jean. The song was featured in the HBO series Entourage (Season 4, Episode 4) as the guys are in a club, it can be heard in the background.

"Hurt" was the third and final official single from the album. The single entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 89, and at number 8 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. The single features Busta Rhymes and newcoming Grand Hustle artist Alfamega. Production comes from Danja, which utilized horns for the song structure. The song did not do well due to lack of promotion caused by the arrest of T.I. Alfamega and Busta Rhymes performed the song at the BET Hip Hop Awards. Also at the Awards, the video for the song was nominated.

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic61/100
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [20]
The A.V. ClubC+[21]
Entertainment Weekly(B)[22]
Okayplayer     [23]
Pitchfork Media(6.4/10)[24]
PopMatters(7/10)[25]
Rolling Stone     [26]
Stylus Magazine(C)[27]
Tiny Mix Tapes     [28]
XXL     [29]

Upon its release, T.I. vs. T.I.P. received mixed reviews from music critics. It holds a score of 61 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating generally favorable reviews from critics.[30] AllMusic writer Andy Kellman gave the album a 3 out of 5 stars stating "the MC constructs an entire album around the penthouse and pavement concept, dividing the program into three acts: T.I.P. (seven tracks), T.I. (seven tracks), and T.I. vs T.I.P. (four tracks). This is also signified in the album's outer sleeve and booklet photos. After the sustained greatness through Trap Muzik, Urban Legend, and King, a fall-off of some degree had to be expected -- especially after reaching the top after a steady climb -- and that's exactly what happens. Though he undeniably remains one of the top MCs, T.I. tends to either reheat familiar material with less fire or tread dangerously close to unrelatable Kingdom Come-like "Look at who's obnoxiously shedding his underdog status!" routines (as on "My Swag"). The productions similarly do not match up to past successes, and even some of obvious choices for singles fall short of past tracks that were never thought to be released as singles. The album is generally enjoyable, and it's doubtful T.I. has to worry about being dethroned within the near future."[20] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club stated "T.I.'s honey-dripping Southern drawl and outlaw swagger is irresistible in bite-sized doses, but it isn't enough to sustain an entire album. This holds true for his ambitious yet muddled new project, T.I. Vs. T.I.P, a three-act concept album that clocks in at just over 73 minutes. Sonically, the album has a frantic, indistinct busyness that all too often passes for excitement and momentum. The album's first third concentrates on T.I.P., the second on T.I., and the third on an epic battle between the rapper and his flamboyant alter ego. T.I.P. is ostensibly T.I.'s belligerent, untamed id, but in a blind taste test, nine out of 10 hip-hop heads would have difficulty telling them apart. In the grand hustling tradition of half-assed concept albums, Vs. boasts an overarching premise that's fuzzy to the point of meaninglessness until the climactic final confrontation. On Vs., one of the South's hottest rappers declares war with his dark side. Maybe next time he'll finally wage combat with a more worthwhile adversary, like bloated album lengths or the homogenizing effects of major-label politics."[21]

Neil Drumming of Entertainment Weekly stated "The Atlanta native breaks his fifth album, T.I. vs. T.I.P., into three acts depicting an ideological battle between split personae: the irascible thug T.I.P. and the nouveau-riche recording artist T.I. It ain't Shakespeare, but the dual protagonists make for an intriguing bout."[22] Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media noted "T.I.'s new album, T.I. vs. T.I.P. operates on the thin and dubious concept that T.I. the businessman and T.I.P. the unreformed hustler are two completely different entities, and that the strain of balancing the two personas is enough to tear Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. apart. Apparently, those two sides aren't as indivisible as they once seemed. T.I. first explored this dichotomy on Trap Muzik's "T.I. vs. T.I.P.", crafting an argument that movingly dramatized his internal struggle. That struggle also serves as the concept for the new album: T.I.P. gets the first seven tracks, T.I. the next seven, and the two sides spend the last four songs hashing out their differences. It's an interesting conceit, but it doesn't really work as a hook for an entire album, and the record's exhaustingly long running time pushes the conceit far past the breaking point. For one thing, it's a pacing disaster; by lining up all his sugary for-the-ladies tracks in a row, T.I. leaves a long dead-streak in the second half of the album. For another, it plays against his strengths. His music works best when both sides of his personality are allowed to co-exist in the same track. When they're separated, they both sound emaciated and half-formed. And he never quite commits to the concept. If T.I. represents the rapper's pop half, why do the album's first two singles come from the T.I.P. section? If the album's final stretch is meant to unite both sides, why do they confront each other in song only once, on the second verse of "Respect My Hustle"? Even if the concept falls flat, though, T.I. vs. T.I.P. still warrants a listen, if only because T.I. seems constitutionally incapable of releasing an album full of uncompelling music. As a rapper, he's still a dominant voice; his slurry, guttural drawl is a great instrument, and always keeps it deep in the track's pocket, occasionally whipping out tricky double-time patterns or murmuring singsong melodies. The album is perhaps best heard in chunks; only a few of these songs wouldn't sound great on shuffle. Heard as a piece, though, the album's momentum sputters and dies more than once; after a few consecutive listens, T.I. sounds dour and joyless, like he's just punching the clock. T.I. vs. T.I.P. may be self-obsessed and self-indulgent, but maybe T.I. needed to make this album to keep himself interested. Let's hope he's gotten it out of his system."[24]

Colin McGuire of PopMatters states "Here, he overshadows any work he has previously done by keeping his Southern hip-hop roots intact while putting just enough attention on the hooks that one could easily find half of these songs that paint T.I. vs. T.I.P's canvas on your favorite Hot 100 radio station. And he does it better than he has ever been able to do it before. Harris has come a long way from initially snapping back as the rubber band man. And now, with another hip-hop masterpiece under his belt, maybe Cohen can have a laugh himself as well."[25] Ian Cohen of Stylus Magazine stated "The biggest failing of T.I. vs. T.I.P.: though his singles are obsessed with knowledge of self and others, during the span of a seemingly endless album that centers around an identity crisis, T.I. mostly fails to realize the difference between introspection and self-absorption. It's more of a hastily assembled construct grafted onto the persona of a generic trap star who doesn't seem capable of taking real artistic chances. In his mind, anyone who criticizes T.I. is "just another hater who's broke again," waiting for some backpacker epiphany that will never come, like Little Brother becoming commercially relevant or Freddie Foxxx coming out of hiding to lyrically knuckle this guy down. It's like T.I.'s been speaking in code to us all along: What you know about that? You know what it is. You don't know me. But you know what? After spending hours with T.I. vs. T.I.P. chasm-like emptiness, I can't see why anyone would care."[27] Nick Marx of Tiny Mix Tapes noted "After reaching his creative apex, is there a more predictable and plodding step down for an artist than a concept album? Did anyone even know (or care) that the two iterations of Clifford Harris' moniker represent, respectively, his business and street sides? T.I. vs T.I.P. is mercifully light on the requisite skits illustrating its dichotomy, but you almost wish there were more of them to explain the album's weird alchemy of simultaneously overwrought and undercooked production and flaccid, self-absorbed lyricism."[28] Brendan Frederick of XXL Magazine notes "Atlanta rapper Clifford Harris opened this old wound four years ago on "T.I. vs. T.I.P.," a highlight from his sophomore opus, Trap Muzik, where T.I.P., his reckless, shit-talking core, battled T.I., the consummate professional/smooth operator. After a tumultuous 2006 filled with highs (King solidified his place as one of hip-hop's illuminati) and lows (the senseless murder of his best friend), Tip re-examines his schizophrenic psyche on his fifth album, T.I. vs. T.I.P. Call it trap therapy. Hopefully, someday we'll find out what really makes T.I. tick."[29]

Accolades edit

At the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, T.I. was nominated with a total of three nominations, including Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance and Grammy Award for Best Rap Song for the single "Big Shit Poppin' (Do It)". The album won T.I. the American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album at The American Music Awards of 2007. T.I. also won the American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist at The American Music Awards of 2007.

Commercial performance edit

T.I. vs. T.I.P. debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 470,000 copies in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[31] This become T.I.'s second consecutive US number-one debut and his fourth US top-ten album.[31] The album also charted at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and the Top Rap Albums charts. In its second week, the album remained at number one on the chart, selling an additional 185,000 copies.[32] In its third week, the album slipped to number three on the chart, selling 94,000 more copies.[33] In its fourth week, the album slipped to number five on the chart, selling 65,000 more copies.[34] On August 30, 2007, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over a million copies in the United States.[2]

In Canada, the album entered the Canadian Albums Chart at number seven, in France the album entered the French Albums Chart at number 108, in Japan the album entered the Japanese Albums Chart at number 21, in New Zealand the album entered the New Zealand Albums Chart at number 37, and in Switzerland the album entered the Swiss Albums Chart at number 59. In Canada, the Canadian Recording Industry Association certified the album gold for sales of over 50,000 copies in Canada.[35]

Track listing edit

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Act I: T.I.P." 
2:22
2."Big Shit Poppin' (Do It)"Mannie Fresh4:47
3."Raw"Lil' C3:51
4."You Know What It Is" (featuring Wyclef Jean)
4:47
5."Da Dopeman"Mannie Fresh5:09
6."Watch What You Say to Me" (featuring Jay-Z)
4:45
7."Hurt" (featuring Alfa Mega and Busta Rhymes)
4:50
8."Act II: T.I." 
  • T.I.
  • Kannon "Caviar" Cross
  • Corey "OZ" Simon
  • Just Blaze[a]
1:46
9."Help Is Coming"Just Blaze4:25
10."My Swag" (featuring Wyclef Jean)
  • Harris
  • W. Jean
  • J. Duplessis
  • S. Jean
  • Wyclef Jean
  • Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis
  • Sedeck "All Hands On Deck" Jean
  • Keith "Lil Wonda" Duplessis
4:34
11."We Do This"The Runners3:33
12."Show It to Me" (featuring Nelly)
Tony Galvin3:18
13."Don't You Wanna Be High"
  • Harris
  • Harr
  • Jackson
The Runners3:59
14."Touchdown" (featuring Eminem)4:42
15."Act III: T.I. vs T.I.P. The Confrontation" 
  • T.I.
  • Kannon "Caviar" Cross
  • Corey "OZ" Simon
  • Just Blaze[a]
1:46
16."Tell 'Em I Said That"
  • Harris
  • Hill
Danja4:54
17."Respect This Hustle"
  • Harris
  • Hill
Danja4:26
18."My Type"
  • Harris
  • Keith McMasters
Keith Mack4:50
Bonus tracks[36][37]
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
19."The Hottest" (featuring Mac Boney)Kevin "Khao" Cates3:34
20."No Sweat" (featuring Big Kuntry King & J.R. Get Money)Keith Mack4:42
21."You Ain't Fly"Just Blaze3:47
22."Hustlin'" (featuring Governor)Mannie Fresh3:21
Notes
  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer.
  • ^[b] signifies a co-producer.
Sample credits
# Title Sampled song Artist
5 Da Dopeman "Dopeman(Remix)" N.W.A.
9 Help Is Coming "Somebody's Gonna Off the Man" Barry White
16 Tell 'Em I Said That "NES Game" Captain Skyhawk

Exclusives edit

T.I. released his Bonus DVD to T.I. vs. T.I.P. This DVD is only in exclusive double-pack in BET Edition available at Wal-Mart or Sam's in its edited version.

DVD features are:[38]

  • ACCESS GRANTED: "Big Things Poppin"
  • 106 & PARK: T.I. Interview
  • 2006 HIP-HOP AWARDS: "Top Back" Performance
  • BET PROMO: T.I. Exposure

Music Videos:

  • "Rubberband Man"
  • "Big Things Poppin'"
  • "Hurt'"

Target released an exclusive as well, including a bonus DVD which featured T.I. vs. T.I.P.: Conflict Resolution a full version of the therapy T.I. and T.I.P. receive in many of the commercials.

Personnel edit

Credits for T.I. vs. T.I.P. adapted from Allmusic.[39]

  • Wilner Alexandre – assistant engineer
  • Jamaal Andrews – bass
  • Elvis Aponte – assistant engineer
  • Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica – engineer, mixing
  • Jeff Bass – producer
  • Leslie Brathwaite – mixing
  • David Brown – tracking
  • James Burk – piano
  • Tony Campana – engineer
  • Elliott Carter – engineer, producer
  • Kevin Cates – producer
  • Lyor Cohen – vocals
  • Kannon "Caviar" Cross – producer
  • Mike DeSalvo – engineer
  • Jerry Duplessis – percussion, producer
  • Keith "Lil Wonda" Duplessis – producer
  • Eminem – mixing, producer
  • Mannie Fresh – producer
  • Lanre Gaba – A&R
  • Tony Galvin – arranger, keyboards, producer, programming
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering
  • Jason Geter – A&R, executive producer, vocals
  • Robert Gold – photo production
  • Julie Greenwald – vocals
  • Patrick Hoeck – photography
  • Steven Holdren – producer
  • Brad "Dirt" Horne – engineer
  • Sedeck Jean – instrumentation, producer
  • Wyclef Jean – producer
  • Just Blaze – producer, vocals
  • Hannah Kang – A&R
  • Gimel "Young Guru" Katon – mixing
  • Michael Kyser – vocals
  • Lil' C – producer
  • Kevin Liles – vocals
  • James Lopez – marketing consultant
  • Lex Lucazi – piano
  • Keith Mack – producer
  • Dennis D-moe moorehead – Keyboards
  • Douglas Peterson – A&R
  • Charles Pettaway – strings
  • Bao Quoc Pham – producer
  • Sara Pine – photo production
  • Joel Powell – bass
  • Luis Resto – keyboards
  • Terrell Sass – drums, organ
  • Ray Seay – mixing
  • Corey "Oz" Simon – producer
  • Marsha St. Hubert – A&R
  • T.I. – producer, executive producer
  • Byron Thomas – drums, engineer
  • Justin Trawick – mixing assistant
  • Joe Warlick – engineer
  • Idris "Baby Shaq" Washington – assistant
  • Ryan West – bass, tracking, vocals
  • Shane "Bermy" Woodley – engineer
  • Andrew Wright – engineer
  • Howard Wright – engineer, producer

Charts edit

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[51] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[52] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References edit

  1. ^ Brendan Grimaldi (July 11, 2007). Off the Charts: T.I. Is Still the 'King'[permanent dead link] AOL. Accessed December 31, 2007.
  2. ^ a b . RIAA. Archived from the original on January 3, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
  3. ^ List of Grammy Award Nominess. Retrieved on 2011-5-10.
  4. ^ Grammy Award Winner 2008. Retrieved on 2011-5-10.
  5. ^ Kaufman, Gil (May 3, 2006). "Police ID Man Killed In Shootout Involving T.I.'s Crew - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  6. ^ Kaufman, Gil (May 9, 2006). "Deadly Shooting Causes T.I. To Re-Evaluate His Life - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  7. ^ "Half the Man He Used to be". July 19, 2007.
  8. ^ Reid, Shaheem (March 19, 2007). "T.I. Taking On T.I.P. With Help From Eminem, Justin Timberlake - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  9. ^ a b Reid, Shaheem (April 12, 2007). "T.I. Has 'Big Things Poppin' ' With Mannie Fresh, Himself On T.I.P. - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  10. ^ a b c Reid, Shaheem (May 1, 2007). "T.I. Gives 'Rappin' Fool' Eminem A T.I.P. About Alter Egos - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  11. ^ Rodriguez, Jayson (May 16, 2007). "T.I. Getting Ahead Of His Selves With Second Clip From Alter-Ego LP - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  12. ^ "Touchdown" Billboard chart listing. Billboard.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
  13. ^ a b "T.I. Vs T.I.P. - T.I." AllMusic. July 3, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  14. ^ No byline (December 11, 2007). Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-12-21
  15. ^ "T.I. - Big Things Poppin' (do It) global chart positions and trajectories". aCharts.us. Retrieved June 30, 2007.
  16. ^ The Finest 2009-01-11 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ "New Zealand Gold Certification". RadioScope New Zealand. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  18. ^ . RIANZ. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  19. ^ allmusic ((( T.I. > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))
  20. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. Review: T.I. vs. T.I.P.. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2010-12-17.
  21. ^ a b Rabin, Nathan. Review: T.I. vs. T.I.P. August 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. The A.V. Club. Retrieved on 2010-12-17.
  22. ^ a b Drumming, Neil. Review: T.I. vs. T.I.P.. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2010-12-17.
  23. ^ Okayplayer, Okayplayer. Review: T.I. vs. T.I.P.. Okayplayer. Retrieved on 2010-12-17.
  24. ^ a b Breihan, Tom. Review: T.I. vs. T.I.P.. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2010-12-17.
  25. ^ a b McGuire, Colin. Review: T.I. vs. T.I.P.. PopMatters. Retrieved on 2010-12-17.
  26. ^ Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone. . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 8, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2007.. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2010-12-17.
  27. ^ a b Cohen, Ian. Review: T.I. vs. T.I.P. July 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Stylus Magazine. Retrieved on 2010-12-17.
  28. ^ a b Marx, Nick. Review: T.I. vs. T.I.P.. Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved on 2010-12-17.
  29. ^ a b Frederick, Brendan. Review: T.I. vs. T.I.P. July 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. XXL. Retrieved on 2010-12-17.
  30. ^ "T.I. Vs T.I.P. Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic.com. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  31. ^ a b Hasty, Katy (July 11, 2007). "T.I. Is Top Dog Again On The Billboard 200". Billboard magazine. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
  32. ^ Chris Harris (July 18, 2007). "SMASHING PUMPKINS UNABLE TO DETHRONE BILLBOARD KING T.I." MTV. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  33. ^ Chris Harris (July 25, 2007). "NOW 25 REMOVES T.I. FROM POWER, CLAIMING BILLBOARD CROWN". MTV. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  34. ^ Chris Harris (August 2, 2007). "PRINCE IS NOT KING: NOW 25 SPENDS SECOND WEEK AT BILLBOARD PEAK". MTV. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  35. ^ . Cria.ca. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  36. ^ Bonus tracks infos - 1'Amazon.com' Accessed March 21, 2009
  37. ^ Bonus tracks infos - 2'Artist direct' Accessed March 21, 2009
  38. ^ T.I. vs. T.I.P. (CD/DVD Set)
  39. ^ Credits: T.I. vs. T.I.P.. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-12-16.
  40. ^ "CANOE - JAM! Music SoundScan Charts". Jam.canoe.ca. Archived from the original on December 26, 2004. Retrieved February 23, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  41. ^ "T.I. vs. T.I.P. - Dutch". Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  42. ^ Steffen Hung. "T.I. - T.I. vs. T.I.P." lescharts.com. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  43. ^ "Irish-charts.com - T.I. - T.I. vs. T.I.P." Ireland/Hung Medien. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  44. ^ "T.I. Album History – Oricon". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  45. ^ "New Zealand-charts.com - T.I. - T.I. vs. T.I.P." RIANZ/Hung Medien. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
  46. ^ "Swiss Album Charts - T.I. - T.I. vs. T.I.P." Hung Medien. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
  47. ^ a b c "T.I. Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
  48. ^ "Billboard 200 Year End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  49. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Year End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  50. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Year End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  51. ^ "Canadian album certifications – T.I. – T.I. vs. T.I.P." Music Canada.
  52. ^ "American album certifications – T.I. – T.I. vs. T.I.P." Recording Industry Association of America.

External links edit

song, same, name, trap, muzik, fifth, studio, album, american, rapper, released, july, 2007, through, grand, hustle, records, asylum, records, atlantic, records, recording, sessions, album, took, year, half, record, towards, early, 2007, stated, confirmed, int. For the song of the same name see Trap Muzik 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 T I vs T I P Studio album by T I ReleasedJuly 3 2007Recorded2006 07GenreHip hopLength72 44LabelGrand HustleAsylumAtlanticProducerClifford T I Harris exec Jason Geter exec Kannon Caviar CrossJust BlazeMannie FreshLil CWyclef JeanJerry Wonder DuplessisSedeck All Hands on Deck JeanKeith Lil Wonda DuplessisKevin Khao CatesBao Quoc PhamSteve HoldrenNate Danja HillsThe RunnersTony GalvinEminemJeff BassKeith MackTimbalandT I chronologyKing 2006 T I vs T I P 2007 Paper Trail 2008 Singles from T I vs T I P Big Things Poppin Do It Released May 29 2007 You Know What It Is Released July 10 2007 Hurt Released October 5 2007 Upon its release T I vs T I P received mixed reviews from music critics but was a commercial success debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and selling over 470 000 copies in its first week 1 It also achieved nearly respectable international chart placements produced three singles that attained chart success including the lead single Big Things Poppin Do It and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America RIAA 2 T I vs T I P was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album 3 losing to Kanye West s Graduation at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards 4 The album won the American Music Award for Favorite Rap Hip Hop Album at the American Music Awards of 2007 with T I also winning the American Music Award for Favorite Rap Hip Hop Artist that year Contents 1 Background 2 Recording 3 Music 3 1 Concept 4 Release and promotion 4 1 Promo singles 4 2 Singles 5 Critical reception 5 1 Accolades 6 Commercial performance 7 Track listing 8 Exclusives 9 Personnel 10 Charts 10 1 Weekly charts 10 2 Year end charts 11 Certifications 12 References 13 External linksBackground editShortly after the release and major success of his 2006 efforts his big screen acting debut ATL and his critically acclaimed fourth studio album King T I s friend personal assistant and an employee of his Grand Hustle Records Philant Johnson was shot dead after a nightclub brawl between T I s entourage and some Cincinnati thugs After Johnson s death T I mentioned that the business of rapping no longer felt good and admitted that he was seriously considering quitting music altogether 5 6 In the leaflet included with the album T I dedicates the album to Philant Big Phil Johnson as well as his daughters Leiah Amore Harris who was born stillborn and Deyjah Princess Harris his three sons Messiyah Domani and Clifford Harris and the mother of his children Tameka Tiny Cottle 7 Recording editOn March 19 2007 via phone from Atlanta with MTV News T I revealed some of the album s collaborators T I stated that he was anticipating going in recording with Eminem He also stated that he and Eminem had a hot concept that they spoke about over the phone T I stated It s gonna be on some real creative shit JT Justin Timberlake we re just waiting on the proper song to get him on my album as well That s just the beginning the two time Grammy Award winner said that he had about 60 songs in the can and will again be working right up to the deadline to turn the album in T I stated that he was working with everybody who he had an opportunity to work with he added He confirmed that he was working with Timbaland working with Danja Timbaland protege Nate Hills on that same day Scott Storch Mannie Fresh and he stated that Wyclef Jean came through with some real worldly music and great vocals Nelly Lil Wayne R Kelly T I stated that he reached out to R amp B singer Ciara He confirmed that Akon had contributed to the album along with most of the Grand Hustle Records producers including Kevin Khao Cates Black Mob and others T I confirmed that Just Blaze did a song called Help Is Coming T I stated that the song was basically talking about how they say the industry is suffering Well help is on the way Fret not T I vs T I P is undoubtedly the film mic star s most conceptual album to date T I is the persona we hear in songs like My Love and Why You Wanna T I P on the other hand takes care of the much more gutter material like Bring Em Out and You Don t Know Me T I stated that the LP would give you doses of T I and T I P solo records as well as the two collaborating on the same track There will be interlude s throughout the LP telling a story and don t be surprised if more than one single from the project is released at once T I stated I m not just making an album I m making f in opera here he chuckled With such a high concept he says that he s making sure to take extra time and critique every song to be sure he doesn t lose anyone it d be easy for me to go over people s heads he rationalized Sometime people might see me act a certain way one time and another way one another time They might not believe the same cat you see dressed so sharp and winning awards and speaking eloquently is the same cat you see fist fighting with hoodlums outside a nightclub This album will be an explanation of all of this he states 8 nbsp Wyclef Jean appeared and produced two songs on the album On April 12 2007 T I stated that he was just about done with his T I vs T I P album He s stated already that he recorded with Eminem Nelly and Ciara among other guest stars and the first single is ready to hit radio officially debuting April 17 2007 the song is another collaboration for the King of the South and Mannie Fresh and was called Big Things Poppin the clean version of the record anyway T I stated Big Shit Poppin is really just him talking to these people who say things and can t back it up T I said referring to the song s title as it will probably appear on the album Mannie Fresh stated that he and T I clique up and the songs are magic who s was in Atlanta working on a bunch of LPs that T I was overseeing like B G s new album T I P even has co production credit on Big Things Poppin The songs we re doing for his album are definitely right yes indeed Mannie Fresh added The beat Mannie Fresh and his accomplice came up with is another energetic brouhaha in step with some of their proven street ditties such as Top Back 9 One of the more recent sessions he held for the album was with Eminem someone who has his own dual identity issues T I stated that it was an experience about working with Eminem T I also stated that Eminem is probably one of the most lyrical cats in the game right now T I stated being known as one of the most lyrical cats in the game he stated that he had to get himself up also stating He lived up to all his expectations He s a rappin fool T I stated that Eminem made him step his game up T I stated that he did three records with Eminem T I said that he did one for him You know how Marshall Mathers and Slim Shady have their beefs Well on that song T I is trying to tell Marshall how to deal with Slim based on how he deals with Tip Then Tip butts in like You can t tell nobody nothing Then Em comes in and tells me Who are you to tell me anything I was like I m just trying to help homie T I added Their other two collaborations could end up on T I vs T I P including a song called Touchdown 10 T I also stated it s out of Eminem s norm if Eminem has a norm T I said of the track T I stated it s a record you wouldn t expect to hear him on kinda like how you heard him on Smack That for Akon or Em s Shake That with Nate Dogg You ll be like OK he s switching it up Touchdown is basically him talking about when you touch down in everybody s city what you do Hit the mall buy a car or leave the club with all the girls We have yet to finish that one T I stated the one we finished is Whatever You Want It to Be he added It s saying I m a man if I ain t nothing else Before I m a rapper before I m anything else I m a man If you don t respect that it can be whatever you want it to be The producer Tip went the most in depth with for this project however was of all people Wyclef Jean It has yet to be determined if all their records will make the cut but two front runners are Swagger and U Know What It Is T I stated that you can quote me Tip burst out with a grin U Know What It Is will tear the clubs up this summer T I stated that he and Wyclef got together over a weekend he explained about the collaborations We wasn t on each other s itinerary to work with each other He hit me one day when I was in L A and was like I gotta come to Atlanta You got anywhere I can record T I graciously turned over the main room in his studio and it was on from there T I came home about a day into Wyclef s sessions and immediately started snatching up tracks for himself T I stated he started pulling up beats and he was like Who is that for He said You if you want it We wound up knocking seven songs from Friday to Monday It s just us having a good time We just bonded T I added Show It 2 Me which features Nelly sounds like it could easily be a sequel to their previous teaming on Urban Legend s Get Loose The two go back and forth at points and Nelly uses an old school flow like UTFO on Roxanne Roxanne Lil Wayne appears on Yeah and drops lines such as I m flyer than a vampire T I also stated Andre 3000 could also possibly check in on a song called Life of the Party On that track Tip talks about maturity why he s now too grown to be the life of the party and how he has no time to argue with bouncers overzealous fans or pestering playa haters 10 On May 16 2007 T I stated that he was putting the final touches on his forthcoming personality splitting project T I vs T I P 11 Music editConcept edit T I vs T I P is a concept LP on which the rapper uses both sides of himself the suave level minded CEO and the hood friendly former dope boy to express his thoughts on everything from the Grammy Awards to sideways talking bustas to making dough Sometimes the two sides duel and occasionally you ll catch them on the same track More often than not though each personality gets his own song Big Shit Poppin showcases the Grammy winner rapping in his grittier T I P persona Dominated 06 and I m going right back he rhymes T I P also says he s doing it for his children family and friends 9 On March 1 2007 T I stated that all the albums prior to this one T I P would work harder to make the album T I would work harder to sell it he said On T I vs T I P a conceptual LP about his life they battle each other on six tracks Another third of the project is dedicated solely to T I and the remainder goes to T I P This is my life this is the struggle I had to go through to bring myself to release another album said T I who lost both his newborn daughter and personal assistant within the last year After all the stuff I went through following the success of King it took a lot to even muster the effort or even care enough about the world outside my circle to even care about doing another album All I did was take notes and record it along the way T I reflected 10 Release and promotion editPromo singles edit Touchdown was the first and only official promotional single to be released from T I vs T I P The single entered the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart at number 9 and it charted at number 96 on the Pop 100 chart 12 The song was only released as an airplay single in 2007 and not as an official single it featured Eminem It received considerable airplay on Monday Night Football during the 2007 NFL season The song was Produced by Eminem and Jeff Bass the song features the use of electronic keyboard giving a trumpet like sound As well hi hats and bass drums are the main rhythmic instruments used in the song Singles edit Big Things Poppin Do It was the first official single to be released from T I vs T I P The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 9 it charted at number 7 on the Hot R amp B Hip Hop Songs chart it charted at number 2 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart it charted at number 20 on the Pop 100 chart it charted at number 8 on the Hot Digital Songs it charted at number 34 on the Hot Ringtones chart and at number 9 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart 13 The song was 66 on Rolling Stone s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007 14 The Recording Industry Association of America certified the single Gold The single attained respectable international charting In Canada the single entered the Canadian Singles Chart at number 75 in Japan the single entered the Japanese Singles Chart at number 5 and in New Zealand the single entered the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 8 15 16 The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand certified the single Gold on August 23 2009 17 selling over 7 500 copies 18 The song was written by T I and produced by Mannie Fresh The single was released on May 29 The clean version of the song is called Big Things Poppin Do It The single samples a guitar riff from the song Top Gun Anthem the theme of the film Top Gun Big Things Poppin Do It is used with alternative lyrics as the theme song to an ESPN SportsCenter special known as the Who s Now series which was aired throughout the summer of 2007 This song is featured in the multiplayer online casual rhythm game DANCE Online The song is used in the Wayans Brothers 2009 parody film Dance Flick You Know What It Is was the second official single from the album The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 34 it charted at number 11 on the Hot R amp B Hip Hop Songs chart it charted at number 5 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart it charted at number 62 on the Pop 100 chart it charted at number 48 on the Hot Digital Songs and at number 9 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart 13 In Canada the single entered the Canadian Singles Chart at number 61 19 The song was written by T I and produced by Wyclef Jean The song was featured in the HBO series Entourage Season 4 Episode 4 as the guys are in a club it can be heard in the background Hurt was the third and final official single from the album The single entered the Hot R amp B Hip Hop Songs chart at number 89 and at number 8 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart The single features Busta Rhymes and newcoming Grand Hustle artist Alfamega Production comes from Danja which utilized horns for the song structure The song did not do well due to lack of promotion caused by the arrest of T I Alfamega and Busta Rhymes performed the song at the BET Hip Hop Awards Also at the Awards the video for the song was nominated Critical reception editProfessional ratingsAggregate scoresSourceRatingMetacritic61 100Review scoresSourceRatingAllMusic nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 20 The A V ClubC 21 Entertainment Weekly B 22 Okayplayer nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 23 Pitchfork Media 6 4 10 24 PopMatters 7 10 25 Rolling Stone nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 26 Stylus Magazine C 27 Tiny Mix Tapes nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 28 XXL nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 29 Upon its release T I vs T I P received mixed reviews from music critics It holds a score of 61 out of 100 on Metacritic indicating generally favorable reviews from critics 30 AllMusic writer Andy Kellman gave the album a 3 out of 5 stars stating the MC constructs an entire album around the penthouse and pavement concept dividing the program into three acts T I P seven tracks T I seven tracks and T I vs T I P four tracks This is also signified in the album s outer sleeve and booklet photos After the sustained greatness through Trap Muzik Urban Legend and King a fall off of some degree had to be expected especially after reaching the top after a steady climb and that s exactly what happens Though he undeniably remains one of the top MCs T I tends to either reheat familiar material with less fire or tread dangerously close to unrelatable Kingdom Come like Look at who s obnoxiously shedding his underdog status routines as on My Swag The productions similarly do not match up to past successes and even some of obvious choices for singles fall short of past tracks that were never thought to be released as singles The album is generally enjoyable and it s doubtful T I has to worry about being dethroned within the near future 20 Nathan Rabin of The A V Club stated T I s honey dripping Southern drawl and outlaw swagger is irresistible in bite sized doses but it isn t enough to sustain an entire album This holds true for his ambitious yet muddled new project T I Vs T I P a three act concept album that clocks in at just over 73 minutes Sonically the album has a frantic indistinct busyness that all too often passes for excitement and momentum The album s first third concentrates on T I P the second on T I and the third on an epic battle between the rapper and his flamboyant alter ego T I P is ostensibly T I s belligerent untamed id but in a blind taste test nine out of 10 hip hop heads would have difficulty telling them apart In the grand hustling tradition of half assed concept albums Vs boasts an overarching premise that s fuzzy to the point of meaninglessness until the climactic final confrontation On Vs one of the South s hottest rappers declares war with his dark side Maybe next time he ll finally wage combat with a more worthwhile adversary like bloated album lengths or the homogenizing effects of major label politics 21 Neil Drumming of Entertainment Weekly stated The Atlanta native breaks his fifth album T I vs T I P into three acts depicting an ideological battle between split personae the irascible thug T I P and the nouveau riche recording artist T I It ain t Shakespeare but the dual protagonists make for an intriguing bout 22 Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media noted T I s new album T I vs T I P operates on the thin and dubious concept that T I the businessman and T I P the unreformed hustler are two completely different entities and that the strain of balancing the two personas is enough to tear Clifford Joseph Harris Jr apart Apparently those two sides aren t as indivisible as they once seemed T I first explored this dichotomy on Trap Muzik s T I vs T I P crafting an argument that movingly dramatized his internal struggle That struggle also serves as the concept for the new album T I P gets the first seven tracks T I the next seven and the two sides spend the last four songs hashing out their differences It s an interesting conceit but it doesn t really work as a hook for an entire album and the record s exhaustingly long running time pushes the conceit far past the breaking point For one thing it s a pacing disaster by lining up all his sugary for the ladies tracks in a row T I leaves a long dead streak in the second half of the album For another it plays against his strengths His music works best when both sides of his personality are allowed to co exist in the same track When they re separated they both sound emaciated and half formed And he never quite commits to the concept If T I represents the rapper s pop half why do the album s first two singles come from the T I P section If the album s final stretch is meant to unite both sides why do they confront each other in song only once on the second verse of Respect My Hustle Even if the concept falls flat though T I vs T I P still warrants a listen if only because T I seems constitutionally incapable of releasing an album full of uncompelling music As a rapper he s still a dominant voice his slurry guttural drawl is a great instrument and always keeps it deep in the track s pocket occasionally whipping out tricky double time patterns or murmuring singsong melodies The album is perhaps best heard in chunks only a few of these songs wouldn t sound great on shuffle Heard as a piece though the album s momentum sputters and dies more than once after a few consecutive listens T I sounds dour and joyless like he s just punching the clock T I vs T I P may be self obsessed and self indulgent but maybe T I needed to make this album to keep himself interested Let s hope he s gotten it out of his system 24 Colin McGuire of PopMatters states Here he overshadows any work he has previously done by keeping his Southern hip hop roots intact while putting just enough attention on the hooks that one could easily find half of these songs that paint T I vs T I P s canvas on your favorite Hot 100 radio station And he does it better than he has ever been able to do it before Harris has come a long way from initially snapping back as the rubber band man And now with another hip hop masterpiece under his belt maybe Cohen can have a laugh himself as well 25 Ian Cohen of Stylus Magazine stated The biggest failing of T I vs T I P though his singles are obsessed with knowledge of self and others during the span of a seemingly endless album that centers around an identity crisis T I mostly fails to realize the difference between introspection and self absorption It s more of a hastily assembled construct grafted onto the persona of a generic trap star who doesn t seem capable of taking real artistic chances In his mind anyone who criticizes T I is just another hater who s broke again waiting for some backpacker epiphany that will never come like Little Brother becoming commercially relevant or Freddie Foxxx coming out of hiding to lyrically knuckle this guy down It s like T I s been speaking in code to us all along What you know about that You know what it is You don t know me But you know what After spending hours with T I vs T I P chasm like emptiness I can t see why anyone would care 27 Nick Marx of Tiny Mix Tapes noted After reaching his creative apex is there a more predictable and plodding step down for an artist than a concept album Did anyone even know or care that the two iterations of Clifford Harris moniker represent respectively his business and street sides T I vs T I P is mercifully light on the requisite skits illustrating its dichotomy but you almost wish there were more of them to explain the album s weird alchemy of simultaneously overwrought and undercooked production and flaccid self absorbed lyricism 28 Brendan Frederick of XXL Magazine notes Atlanta rapper Clifford Harris opened this old wound four years ago on T I vs T I P a highlight from his sophomore opus Trap Muzik where T I P his reckless shit talking core battled T I the consummate professional smooth operator After a tumultuous 2006 filled with highs King solidified his place as one of hip hop s illuminati and lows the senseless murder of his best friend Tip re examines his schizophrenic psyche on his fifth album T I vs T I P Call it trap therapy Hopefully someday we ll find out what really makes T I tick 29 Accolades edit At the 50th Annual Grammy Awards T I was nominated with a total of three nominations including Grammy Award for Best Rap Album Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance and Grammy Award for Best Rap Song for the single Big Shit Poppin Do It The album won T I the American Music Award for Favorite Rap Hip Hop Album at The American Music Awards of 2007 T I also won the American Music Award for Favorite Rap Hip Hop Artist at The American Music Awards of 2007 Commercial performance editT I vs T I P debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 selling 470 000 copies in its first week of release according to Nielsen SoundScan 31 This become T I s second consecutive US number one debut and his fourth US top ten album 31 The album also charted at number one on the Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums and the Top Rap Albums charts In its second week the album remained at number one on the chart selling an additional 185 000 copies 32 In its third week the album slipped to number three on the chart selling 94 000 more copies 33 In its fourth week the album slipped to number five on the chart selling 65 000 more copies 34 On August 30 2007 the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over a million copies in the United States 2 In Canada the album entered the Canadian Albums Chart at number seven in France the album entered the French Albums Chart at number 108 in Japan the album entered the Japanese Albums Chart at number 21 in New Zealand the album entered the New Zealand Albums Chart at number 37 and in Switzerland the album entered the Swiss Albums Chart at number 59 In Canada the Canadian Recording Industry Association certified the album gold for sales of over 50 000 copies in Canada 35 Track listing editNo TitleWriter s Producer s Length1 Act I T I P T I Kannon Caviar CrossCorey OZ SimonJust Blaze a 2 222 Big Shit Poppin Do It Clifford HarrisByron ThomasMannie Fresh4 473 Raw HarrisCordale QuinnLil C3 514 You Know What It Is featuring Wyclef Jean Wyclef JeanJerry DuplessisSedeck JeanHarrisWyclef JeanJerry Wonda DuplessisSedeck All Hands On Deck JeanKeith Lil Wonda Duplessis4 475 Da Dopeman HarrisThomasO Shea JacksonAndre YoungMannie Fresh5 096 Watch What You Say to Me featuring Jay Z HarrisKevin CatesShawn CarterKevin Khao CatesBao Quoc Pham b Steven Holdren b 4 457 Hurt featuring Alfa Mega and Busta Rhymes HarrisNathaniel HillTrevor SmithCedric ZellarsDanja4 508 Act II T I T I Kannon Caviar CrossCorey OZ SimonJust Blaze a 1 469 Help Is Coming HarrisJustin SmithBarry WhiteJust Blaze4 2510 My Swag featuring Wyclef Jean HarrisW JeanJ DuplessisS JeanWyclef JeanJerry Wonda DuplessisSedeck All Hands On Deck JeanKeith Lil Wonda Duplessis4 3411 We Do This HarrisAndrew HarrJermaine JacksonThe Runners3 3312 Show It to Me featuring Nelly HarrisTony GalvinCornell Haynes Jr Tony Galvin3 1813 Don t You Wanna Be High HarrisHarrJacksonThe Runners3 5914 Touchdown featuring Eminem HarrisMarshall MathersJeff BassEminemJeff Bass4 4215 Act III T I vs T I P The Confrontation T I Kannon Caviar CrossCorey OZ SimonJust Blaze a 1 4616 Tell Em I Said That HarrisHillDanja4 5417 Respect This Hustle HarrisHillDanja4 2618 My Type HarrisKeith McMastersKeith Mack4 50 Bonus tracks 36 37 No TitleProducer s Length19 The Hottest featuring Mac Boney Kevin Khao Cates3 3420 No Sweat featuring Big Kuntry King amp J R Get Money Keith Mack4 4221 You Ain t Fly Just Blaze3 4722 Hustlin featuring Governor Mannie Fresh3 21 Notes a signifies an additional producer b signifies a co producer Sample credits Title Sampled song Artist 5 Da Dopeman Dopeman Remix N W A 9 Help Is Coming Somebody s Gonna Off the Man Barry White 16 Tell Em I Said That NES Game Captain SkyhawkExclusives editT I released his Bonus DVD to T I vs T I P This DVD is only in exclusive double pack in BET Edition available at Wal Mart or Sam s in its edited version DVD features are 38 ACCESS GRANTED Big Things Poppin 106 amp PARK T I Interview 2006 HIP HOP AWARDS Top Back Performance BET PROMO T I Exposure Music Videos Rubberband Man Big Things Poppin Hurt Target released an exclusive as well including a bonus DVD which featured T I vs T I P Conflict Resolution a full version of the therapy T I and T I P receive in many of the commercials Personnel editCredits for T I vs T I P adapted from Allmusic 39 Wilner Alexandre assistant engineer Jamaal Andrews bass Elvis Aponte assistant engineer Marcella Ms Lago Araica engineer mixing Jeff Bass producer Leslie Brathwaite mixing David Brown tracking James Burk piano Tony Campana engineer Elliott Carter engineer producer Kevin Cates producer Lyor Cohen vocals Kannon Caviar Cross producer Mike DeSalvo engineer Jerry Duplessis percussion producer Keith Lil Wonda Duplessis producer Eminem mixing producer Mannie Fresh producer Lanre Gaba A amp R Tony Galvin arranger keyboards producer programming Chris Gehringer mastering Jason Geter A amp R executive producer vocals Robert Gold photo production Julie Greenwald vocals Patrick Hoeck photography Steven Holdren producer Brad Dirt Horne engineer Sedeck Jean instrumentation producer Wyclef Jean producer Just Blaze producer vocals Hannah Kang A amp R Gimel Young Guru Katon mixing Michael Kyser vocals Lil C producer Kevin Liles vocals James Lopez marketing consultant Lex Lucazi piano Keith Mack producer Dennis D moe moorehead Keyboards Douglas Peterson A amp R Charles Pettaway strings Bao Quoc Pham producer Sara Pine photo production Joel Powell bass Luis Resto keyboards Terrell Sass drums organ Ray Seay mixing Corey Oz Simon producer Marsha St Hubert A amp R T I producer executive producer Byron Thomas drums engineer Justin Trawick mixing assistant Joe Warlick engineer Idris Baby Shaq Washington assistant Ryan West bass tracking vocals Shane Bermy Woodley engineer Andrew Wright engineer Howard Wright engineer producerCharts editWeekly charts edit Chart 2007 Peakposition Canadian Albums Chart 40 7 Dutch Albums Chart 41 92 French Albums Chart 42 108 Irish Albums Chart 43 78 Japanese Albums Chart 44 21 New Zealand Albums Chart 45 37 Swiss Albums Chart 46 59 UK Albums Official Charts Company 101 US Billboard 200 47 1 US Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard 47 1 US Top Rap Albums Billboard 47 1 Year end charts edit Chart 2007 Peakposition US Billboard 200 48 31 US Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard 49 8 Chart 2007 Peakposition US Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard 50 83Certifications editRegion Certification Certified units sales Canada Music Canada 51 Gold 50 000 United States RIAA 52 Platinum 1 000 000 Shipments figures based on certification alone References edit Brendan Grimaldi July 11 2007 Off the Charts T I Is Still the King permanent dead link AOL Accessed December 31 2007 a b RIAA Gold amp Platinum RIAA Archived from the original on January 3 2016 Retrieved March 1 2009 List of Grammy Award Nominess Retrieved on 2011 5 10 Grammy Award Winner 2008 Retrieved on 2011 5 10 Kaufman Gil May 3 2006 Police ID Man Killed In Shootout Involving T I s Crew Music Celebrity Artist News MTV Retrieved March 11 2012 Kaufman Gil May 9 2006 Deadly Shooting Causes T I To Re Evaluate His Life Music Celebrity Artist News MTV Retrieved March 11 2012 Half the Man He Used to be July 19 2007 Reid Shaheem March 19 2007 T I Taking On T I P With Help From Eminem Justin Timberlake Music Celebrity Artist News MTV Retrieved March 11 2012 a b Reid Shaheem April 12 2007 T I Has Big Things Poppin With Mannie Fresh Himself On T I P Music Celebrity Artist News MTV Retrieved March 11 2012 a b c Reid Shaheem May 1 2007 T I Gives Rappin Fool Eminem A T I P About Alter Egos Music Celebrity Artist News MTV Retrieved March 11 2012 Rodriguez Jayson May 16 2007 T I Getting Ahead Of His Selves With Second Clip From Alter Ego LP Music Celebrity Artist News MTV Retrieved March 11 2012 Touchdown Billboard chart listing Billboard com Retrieved on 2008 04 20 a b T I Vs T I P T I AllMusic July 3 2007 Retrieved March 11 2012 No byline December 11 2007 The 100 Best Songs of 2007 Rolling Stone Retrieved 2007 12 21 T I Big Things Poppin do It global chart positions and trajectories aCharts us Retrieved June 30 2007 The Finest Archived 2009 01 11 at the Wayback Machine New Zealand Gold Certification RadioScope New Zealand Retrieved August 25 2009 New Zealand Chart Facts RIANZ Archived from the original on March 8 2012 Retrieved August 25 2009 allmusic T I gt Charts amp Awards gt Billboard Singles a b Kellman Andy Review T I vs T I P AllMusic Retrieved on 2010 12 17 a b Rabin Nathan Review T I vs T I P Archived August 20 2008 at the Wayback Machine The A V Club Retrieved on 2010 12 17 a b Drumming Neil Review T I vs T I P Entertainment Weekly Retrieved on 2010 12 17 Okayplayer Okayplayer Review T I vs T I P Okayplayer Retrieved on 2010 12 17 a b Breihan Tom Review T I vs T I P Pitchfork Media Retrieved on 2010 12 17 a b McGuire Colin Review T I vs T I P PopMatters Retrieved on 2010 12 17 Rolling Stone Rolling Stone Review T I vs T I P Rolling Stone Archived from the original on November 8 2007 Retrieved July 25 2007 Rolling Stone Retrieved on 2010 12 17 a b Cohen Ian Review T I vs T I P Archived July 4 2007 at the Wayback Machine Stylus Magazine Retrieved on 2010 12 17 a b Marx Nick Review T I vs T I P Tiny Mix Tapes Retrieved on 2010 12 17 a b Frederick Brendan Review T I vs T I P Archived July 12 2007 at the Wayback Machine XXL Retrieved on 2010 12 17 T I Vs T I P Reviews Ratings Credits and More at Metacritic Metacritic com Retrieved March 11 2012 a b Hasty Katy July 11 2007 T I Is Top Dog Again On The Billboard 200 Billboard magazine Retrieved July 11 2007 Chris Harris July 18 2007 SMASHING PUMPKINS UNABLE TO DETHRONE BILLBOARD KING T I MTV Retrieved May 20 2020 Chris Harris July 25 2007 NOW 25 REMOVES T I FROM POWER CLAIMING BILLBOARD CROWN MTV Retrieved May 20 2020 Chris Harris August 2 2007 PRINCE IS NOT KING NOW 25 SPENDS SECOND WEEK AT BILLBOARD PEAK MTV Retrieved May 20 2020 Canadian Recording Industry Association CRIA Gold amp Platinum January 2005 Cria ca Archived from the original on March 25 2010 Retrieved April 17 2010 Bonus tracks infos 1 Amazon com Accessed March 21 2009 Bonus tracks infos 2 Artist direct Accessed March 21 2009 T I vs T I P CD DVD Set Credits T I vs T I P Allmusic Retrieved on 2010 12 16 CANOE JAM Music SoundScan Charts Jam canoe ca Archived from the original on December 26 2004 Retrieved February 23 2011 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link T I vs T I P Dutch Hung Medien hitparade ch Retrieved February 23 2011 Steffen Hung T I T I vs T I P lescharts com Retrieved February 23 2011 Irish charts com T I T I vs T I P Ireland Hung Medien Retrieved January 30 2011 T I Album History Oricon Oricon in Japanese Retrieved December 30 2010 New Zealand charts com T I T I vs T I P RIANZ Hung Medien Retrieved December 16 2010 Swiss Album Charts T I T I vs T I P Hung Medien Retrieved December 16 2010 a b c T I Album amp Song Chart History Billboard Retrieved December 16 2010 Billboard 200 Year End 2007 Billboard Retrieved March 1 2020 Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Year End 2007 Billboard Retrieved March 1 2020 Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Year End 2008 Billboard Retrieved March 1 2020 Canadian album certifications T I T I vs T I P Music Canada American album certifications T I T I vs T I P Recording Industry Association of America External links editT I vs T I P at Discogs T I vs T I P at Metacritic Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title T I vs T I P amp oldid 1201955458, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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