Paper Trail

On November 12, 2007, while awaiting a trial for federal weapons charges, T.I. announced he had been writing songs for a new album to be entitled Paper Trail. He wrote his lyrics down on paper, which he had not done since his debut album, ''I'm Serious''. The album highlights his "fear, anger and guilt" as he awaited trial. T.I. recorded nearly 100 tracks during the production for Paper Trail, including a collaboration with Fall Out Boy on a track entitled "Out in the Cold". However the song was left out of the final cut, but T.I. told MTV that he may add some of the cut tracks to his next album. On August 22, 2008, the songs "Like I Do" featuring The-Dream, "Let My Beat Pound", "My Life Your Entertainment" featuring Usher, and "Swagga Like Us" were all leaked online. The album was scheduled to be released in September 2008, but was subsequently moved up to an August 12 after the release of the promotional and lead single "No Matter What" and high demand of the album. At the time, T.I. said that the first single may have been "Top of the World", originally featuring B.o.B and Ludacris, explaining that the song was "a reflective song about our humble beginnings and how far we've come". The album was pushed back for a release date of September 2, then September 9 and to its final release date of September 30, 2008, in the US. The album was first released on September 29, 2008, in continental Europe. ==Promotion==

The first single released from the album was a song titled "No Matter What". It was posted on StreetCred's website on April 29, 2008, as a promotional recording, then released as a single on May 6, along with a music video, which he premiered on MTV's FNMTV. The song narrates T.I. rising above his misfortunes, including a prison sentence for weapon charges. On August 19, 2008, the album's lead single "Whatever You Like", was made available for digital download. T.I. announced that he was "ecstatic" and "overjoyed" after setting a record for the biggest jump to top of the Billboard Hot 100. After the success of "Whatever You Like", iTunes published the release dates for the upcoming singles, "Swing Ya Rag" on August 26, "What Up, What's Haapnin'" on September 2, and "Ready for Whatever" on September 23, 2008. Additionally, a song titled "Swagga Like Us", featuring T.I., Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Kanye West - which samples "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. - was then released as a single on September 4, for Paper Trail and debuted in the Hot 100 at number five. The eighth single was confirmed to be "Dead and Gone" featuring Justin Timberlake, by the song's co-producer Rob Knox. T.I. himself later confirmed the release of the single. The song was charted by Billboard before the announcement of the single. The song reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 27, 2009. Overall, eight songs from the album charted on the Billboard Hot 100, including "56 Bars (Intro)", "I'm Illy" and "My Life Your Entertainment", despite not being singles. A music video was released for the song "Slide Show" which highlighted a photo collage that followed T.I.'s career as a recording artist. The track "Every Chance I Get" was featured on the promotional trailer for Armored starring Columbus Short. ==Critical reception==

Paper Trail was met with positive reviews. Several critics praised the production on the album; Andy Kellman of AllMusic noted that DJ Toomp's and Danja's production appearance provided "some much needed punch", which placed the album above T.I.'s previous album, T.I. vs. T.I.P.. Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly said that the "outstanding production" proved that T.I. "still knows how to have a good time". Wilson McBee of Slant Magazine called the songs produced by Toomp the "vintage T.I.", describing the sound as "ecstasies of sweltering synth lines, ground-shaking 808 patterns and breathless verbalizing". However, McBee felt that the songs that were directly about T.I.'s prison sentence for weapons charges ("No Matter What", "Ready for Whatever") were among the weakest on the album, saying that "admitting guilt, making excuses and expressing no regrets falls flat". Newsdays Glen Gamboa gave Paper Trail a B rating and commented that "[T.I.] is still bouncing between pop-leaning hip-hop anthems [...] and spare, often violent, tales of crime and brutality". Michael Saba of Paste said that, "Even with the burden of sloppy crossover tracks, Paper Trail has enough standout moments for T.I.’s throne to remain secure for now." Shannon Barbour of About.com said that, "Regardless of the outcome of reality, Paper Trail is a solid combination of rhyme, repentance, swagger and substance." People magazine gave the album four out of four stars, saying that the album was "a near-perfect hip-hop album for 2008." In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau called Paper Trail an "expediently excessive piece of rich-get-richer" and gave it an A− rating, indicating "the kind of garden-variety good record that is the great luxury of musical micromarketing and overproduction. Anyone open to its aesthetic will enjoy more than half its tracks". ==Commercial performance==

According to Nielsen SoundScan, Paper Trail sold 357,000 copies in the United States in the first three days of its release. Ultimately, the album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 568,000 copies in its first week. This became T.I.'s third consecutive US number one debut and the fourth highest debut of 2008. In its second week, the album remained at number one on the chart, selling an additional 177,000 copies. In its third week, the album dropped to number two on the chart, selling 131,000 more copies. In its fourth week, the album dropped to number three, selling 93,427 copies. The album ended up spending a total of 55 weeks on the chart. On August 26, 2009, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over two million copies. ==Track listing==

• Harris, Jr. • Charles "Chuck Diesel" Spencer }} • Harris, Jr. • Christopher Gholson • Rodney Hill, Jr. • Monica Arnold }} • Harris, Jr. • James "Nard" Rosser • Brandon "B" Rackley • Christopher Bridges • Bobby Simmons, Jr. }} • Harris, Jr. • Justin Smith • Makeba Riddick • Dan Balan }} • Just Blaze • Makeba Riddick }} • Harris, Jr. • James Scheffer • David Siegel }} • Harris, Jr. • Nathaniel Hills }} • Harris, Jr. • Gholson • Theron Thomas • Timothy Thomas • Kassim Washington }} • Harris, Jr. • Washington • Cordale Quinn }} • Harris, Jr. • Kasseem Dean • Avery Chambliss • Joseph Alexander }} • Swizz Beatz • The Individualz }} • Harris, Jr. • Gholson • Harvey Mason Sr. }} • Harris, Jr. • Davis }} • Harris, Jr. • Shawn Carter • Kanye West • Dwayne Carter, Jr. • Maya Arulpragasam • Nicolas Headon • Michael Jones • John Mellor • Wesley Pentz • Paul Simonon }} • Kanye West • Mike Caren }} • Harris, Jr • Jamal Jones • Simmons, Jr. • Elvis "Blac Elvis" Williams }} • Polow da Don • Blac Elvis }} • Harris, Jr. • Gholson }} • Harris, Jr. • Justin Timberlake • Robin Tadross }} • Justin Timberlake • Rob Knox }} }} • Harris, Jr. • Wook Kim • Elliot Stroud }} }} • Just Blaze • Makeba Riddick }} • Harris, Jr. • Justin Timberlake • Robin Tadross }} • Justin Timberlake • Rob Knox }} • Harris, Jr. • James Scheffer • David Siegel }} }} ;Notes • • "Whatever You Like" and "Porn Star" features additional vocals performed by Ricco Barrino • "Collect Call" features additional vocals performed by Mitchelle'l • "Ready for Whatever" uses the same beat from "Thugs Need Love Too" by Rocko. ;Sample credits • "Live Your Life" contains elements and samples of "Dragostea Din Tei" performed by O-Zone. • "Swagga Like Us" contains samples and elements of "Paper Planes" performed by M.I.A. ==Personnel==

• Darren Ankenman – photography • Carol Briselli – viola (track 16) • Greg Gigendad Burke – art direction, design • Mike Caren – additional music producer (track 13) • Elliott Carter – recording engineer (tracks 1–11, 14–15), assistant • Jeff Chestek – string section recording engineer (track 16) • Eliza Cho – violin (track 16) • James J. Cooper III – cello (track 16) • Andrew Dawson – audio mixing (track 13) • Chuck Diesel – producer (track 2) • DJ Toomp – producer (tracks 1, 12) • Canei Finch – additional keyboards (track 5) • Ghislaine Fleishman – violin (track 16) • Gary Fly – audio mixing assistant (tracks 1, 12) • Paul Foley – recording engineer (tracks 5, 16) • John Frazier Jr. – producer (track 3, 11) • John Frye – audio mixing (tracks 1, 12) • Lanre Gaba – A&R • Chris Gehringer – mastering • Jason Geter – executive producer, A&R • Christopher "Drumma Boy" Gholson – producer (tracks 3, 8, 11, 15) • Larry Gold – conductor, string arrangements (track 16) • Rob Gold – producer • Josh Gudwin – assistant recording engineer (track 16), recording engineer (12) • Brad "Dirt" Horne – recording engineer (track 6, 8), assistant • Jean-Marie Horvat – audio mixing (track 16) • Bryan Huynh – technician • The Individuals – producer (track 10) • Jim Jonsin – producer (track 6) • Just Blaze – instrumental producer (track 5) • Hannah Kang – A&R • Billy Kim – producer • Rob Knox – producer (track 16) • Khoa Truong – engineer • Keke Smith – production coordinator (track 1,12) • Emma Kummrow – violin (track 16) • Kevin "Coach K" Lee – co-executive producer, A&R • Lil' C – producer (track 9) • Sydney Margetson – photography • Robert Marks – recording engineer, audio mixing (track 6) • Orlando McGhee – A&R • Darryl Morris – assistant recording engineer (track 8) • Peter Nocella – viola (track 16) • Bill Orcutt – cover illustration • Anthony Palazzole – assistant recording engineer (track 6) • Douglas Peterson – A&R • Rosie Phillidor – stylist • Brandon "B" Rackley – producer (track 4) • Makeba Riddick – vocal producer (track 5) • James "Nard" Rosser – producer, recording engineer (track 4) • Marsha St. Hubert – A&R • Stevie Salas – guitar (track 16) • Terrell Sass – Drums, Composer (track 15) • Ray Seay – audio mixing (tracks 2–4, 8–9, 11, 14) • Derrick Selby – recording engineer (track 1) • David Siegel – additional keyboards (track 6) • Rawle Stewart – co–executive producer • Elliott Storud – producer • Supa Engineer "Duro" (Ken Ifill) – audio mixing (track 10) • Swizz Beatz – producer, vocals (track 10) • Tom Syrowski – audio mixing assistant (track 16) • Igor Szwec – violin (track 16) • Gregory Teperman – violin (track 16) • Justin Timberlake – producer, vocals (track 16) • T.I.P. – executive producer • Kanye West – producer, vocals (track 13) • Ryan West – audio mixing (track 5) • Elvis Williams – producer (track 14) • Andrew Wright – tracking • Ian Wright – cover illustration ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==