T-Pain On Top With Convict Music
Creativity surpasses negative energy as the music industry has met its match with the likes of T-Pain, responsible for the vastly popular hit singles “I’m In Love Wit (A Stripper)” and “I’m Sprung” from album “Rapper Ternt Sanga”. Recently in Miami, Fl during his performance at the Radio One Spring Fest, T-Pain had words with the Miami Police because they wanted to end his show early. He and members of his entourage were arrested. As a rapper turned singer and vocalist in high demand, T-Pain has made history again as he’s talking and spreading the word of what life means through his eyes. It seemed as if it was just yesterday that we heard him open up and talk about getting it on with a stripper and doing his do with the ladies. Well the era of T-Pain is here and artists are lining up to get their chance to be down with America’s # 1 lust laden storyteller. R. Kelly the Pied Piper has made a name for himself, not to mention T.I., and now T-Pain brings it home collaborating with both of them on “Flirt”, headed straight to the top of the charts.
Since a very young age, Faheem Najm, better known as T- Pain, of Tallahassee, Fl has been generating his share of Hip-Hop pandemonium with lyrics that offered something more than the everyday run of the mill kind of sound. His lyrics include a Roger Troutman kind of vocoder effect that has radio raving. Because of that sound, he’s collaborated with a variety of artists and in his words, “it’s just beginning”. It doesn’t take a genius to tell you who T-Pain is. All you have to do is turn on your favorite radio station, BET or MTV and crank up the jams. He got his start in a local group “Nappy Headz”, who released singles "Robbery" and "Fla Boyz", garnering moderate success. When the group departed company, he founded his own label, “Hard & B”, which was responsible for the hit single “*ucked Up”, a moniker of the Akon hit single “Locked Up”. Akon heard the song and invited the Tallahassee native to join his imprint, Convict Music/Jive Records. That collaboration opened the door for collaborations with a variety of artists including DTP, Celow, and Andre 3000 of Outkast fame, to name a few. He’s hot like that for singles “Pop, Lock And Drop It (Remix)" by Huey featuring Bow Wow and T-Pain, the “Runaway Love Remix”, with Ludacris, the " Good Life " single by Kanye West and “Go Girl”, by Snoop Dogg.
The music of T-Pain takes on a very realistic twist as he gives his listeners a mixture or R&B, Hip-Hop, and Reggae in ways other artist have yet to touch the surface. “It’s been a very hard road to get here”, says the singer/rapper. “A lot of people have promised things and said things, but none of them have delivered but my man Akon. I was doing all of this way before he gave me this break, but I am so grateful because it’s not everyday that this business happens for people. I feel as if he respects and appreciates me because I’m not trying to be like other artists. I do me. For sure the business is like grinding, trying to get where you want to be. Growing up I was considered somewhat of a rich kid, and then we had some financial problems and my parents (father owned three restaurants and went bankrupt) lost a lot, but now that all these things have been happening, we’re back on top again. I’ve always been in a band. Always loved doing this stuff because I saw my brothers doing it. They taught me a lot and as I got older my father bought me a studio. So I used to play around and make beats and mess around with the keyboard and all of that.”
One of the hot records for T-Pain right now is “Flirt”, which has taken the world by storm. “I met R. Kelly some time ago and he called me about working on “Flirt”. He came up with the concept and I wrote my verse for the song on the plane and recorded it in the bathroom at the airport. That’s just one situation. Charlie Wilson just left my house last night. So we got something getting ready to drop. We recorded 3 songs in 2 days and then there will be something with Sean Paul of The Young Bloods, Chili of TLC, Mya, Yung Joc and I did something with Britney Spears (I got my start with Pop Music). So I’m writing, producing and performing. Again, way before all of this happened, I was spending a lot of time in the studio (my studio) making beats and songs. I’ve got about 27 songs written and a lot more on the way. When it comes to this stuff, I’m an actor. I turn into that person. I think like a girl if there is a female needed. I become whatever I need to be to get this stuff done. For me this is just easy.”
Listening to the album, T-Pain radiates a sound that will keep you guessing about his style. Singles are “I’ Sprung”, “ I’m In Love (Wit A Stripper)”, “Studio Luv”, which sounds like a Spanish tune where the guitar player shows his true talents. “ U Got Me”, features Akon, opens with the ID Convict Music and takes the listeners to the core of the album with a genuine introduction. Venturing further, he sings “Let’s Get It On”, and “Como Estas”. The Interlude is entitled “Have It”, which is an conversation about his wife. Other singles are “Fly Away”, which is a slowly progressing tune that reminds us of music from the past. Other singles are “Goin Through A lot”, and “ Say It”, which is heavily hominized in the form of a slow ballad with a wicked beat. “Dance Floor”, takes you to the club as it showcases a dance beat. Closing singles are “ Ur Not The Same”, “ My Place”, “ Blow Ya Mind”, “ Ridge Road” and “So High”. This album takes music to a new level. T-Pain has definitely created a new sound that will be challenging for artists hoping to duplicate his style and sound. “The secret to my sound is that I use the auto tune to make the voice changes. People are still trying to figure it out how I’ve made it so easy. Technology today is so good it has made people almost lazy. It’s not that you want to be lazy, but technology has made things easier and that’s why you have so many artists out here trying to do this.”
Because of his accomplishments in delivering chart topping singles, recording and producing top- notch talent and performing around the country, the city of Tallahassee, Fl found a different way to honor their native son. They named December 7th and July 14th, official T-Pain days for the city. “All you hear about is someone shooting, killing, drugs and all that”, continues T. Pain. “Well I’m showing people that you can do this another way. I’m trying to be a positive example for all the kids coming up as well. Yea I get out here and have my fun- who doesn’t? But the point is that you can make your money and not get in any trouble. Not be the next example for a Black man gone down the wrong path in life”. T. Pain is also the writer, director and producer of several upcoming DVD projects soon to be released, not to mention starring in movie “Black”, where he portrays the lead character. On June 5th, “Epiphany-Moment of Revelation” will be released and there are plans for tours with artists such as R. Kelly, Neo, Akon and his surprise tour “T-Pain & Friends”. For more on T-Pain visit www.T-pain.net.
Written By Gary C. Clement for "Clementyne's Gotcha Covered".
