S. Samuel
With his long-awaited Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head album finally on store shelves this week, SOHH recently chopped it up with T.I. to find out why it took so long to deliver another big release to the fans.
In Tip’s perspective, his proven worth and status in the rap game would not allow him to force out a full-fledged solo effort without it reaching perfection.
“For an artist of my caliber, at this point in my career, it’s my eighth abum,” Tip told SOHH about the delays behind Trouble Man. “With all the time I’ve been away [in jail] and the expectations of the performance of it, I think [it was necessary] to perfect it and to deliver a classic. [I wasn’t] trying to lock myself into a date and compromise my art. Ideally, [I wanted it] before the new year but if [I had to wait] until a few weeks after to get a better shot at delivering to the fans classic material then that’s the path [I would have taken].” (SOHH)
He also spoke on whether or not he has anything left to prove considering his extensive track record, music awards and platinum success.
“There’s always something to prove,” Tip added. “You’re dealing with the pressures of telling your story and speaking a way that nobody else can speak. I feel like there’s nobody out there that can deliver what I deliver. They can’t speak for the people the way I can. Don’t get me wrong, there’s some extremely talented people out there with enormous capabilities but they can’t do what I do. It’s not just about trying to prove, it’s time to show.” (SOHH)
The new solo effort features collaborations courtesy of Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne and more.
The King of the South T.I. is hot on the promotional trial for his forthcoming disc Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head. As part of his “Trouble Man Tuesdays,” Tip unveiled the album cover and tracklist for the hotly anticipated album. 1. “The Introduction” 2. “G Season” feat. Meek Mill 3. “Trap Back Jumpin” 4. “Wildside” feat. A$AP Rocky 5. “Ball” feat. Lil Wayne 6. “Sorry” feat. André 3000 7. “Can You Learn” feat. R. Kelly 8. “Go Get It” 9. “Guns and Roses” feat. P!nk 10. “The Way We Ride” 11. “Cruisin'” 12. “Addresses” 13. “Hello” CeeLo Green 14. “Who Want Some” 15. “Wonderful Life” feat. Akon 16. “Hallelujah” (The Urban Daily)
Not stopping anytime soon, Tip recently revealed plans to make a follow-up to his new solo LP.
“I had so much music, man, I recorded like a 120-something songs for this project,” Tip said in an interview. “I imagine that, you know, just given the amount of music left over that we weren’t able to put on this project that we do a sequel. So, you know, the sequel to this album will be he who wears the crown. That’s the primary reason for the subtitle.” (Rap-Up)
Check out some recent T.I. footage:
