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T.I. has been hard at work on his new album, ‘Paperwork,’ and now we get to hear his tale of the hustle on the title track.
Starting with a light drum beat, the song goes into an old school R&B melody, which brings us back to the old days of Motown. The track features Pharrell, who adds a soulful feel to the effort.
“Don’t do no business until you check his (paperwork) / And if all else fails, I just hope that this (paperwork) / Wanna swing Bentley doors, blow smoke through the roof / Everything got a cost, they gone need something on you (paperwork),” Pharrell croons on the hook.
While the song sounds light on the melody and with Pharrell’s contribution, it actually delves into some deeper, darker material. T.I. gets personal on the track and talks about growing up fast and not really having a male figure in his life.
“Picture me in ’93 / I’m the only man I see / Fresh up off the porch / Lookin’ for a drop Porsche and a fake ID / Introduce me to the crack game / Rap game was the furthest from my mind / Had a notebook full of rhymes / And a pocket full of crack rock dimes / Time on my side, lift .45 in my jeans,” he spits on the second verse.
However, as we see now, he’s a much different man from the one he raps about.
If you’re into this song, then you’re in for a treat because this is the type of music the ATL MC plans to put out there with the upcoming album.
“[It] pretty much kinda sums up the tone of the album,” T.I. told MTV News. “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.”
‘Paperwork’ is set to release on Oct. 21.
Listen to T.I.’s ‘Paperwork’ Feat. Pharrell Williams
