Maino covers SPATE Magazine
Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist T.I. has scored another major hit with “Dead and Gone (Feat. Justin Timberlake),”
The success of “Dead and Gone” follows T.I.’s stunning live performance of the song alongside Timberlake at the 51st Grammy Awards, held earlier this month. The event saw the ATL-based superstar adding yet another statue to his Grammy shelf, taking home the “Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group” trophy for his blockbuster collaboration with Jay-Z, “Swagga Like Us (Feat. Kanye West & Lil Wayne).” T.I. – who was also among last year’s big Grammy winners – teamed up onstage with his fellow MCs to perform the award-winning track at the February 8th ceremonies.
“Dead and Gone (Feat. Justin Timberlake)” is literally exploding at Rhythmic radio outlets nationwide, having bulleted its way to #2 on this week’s chart. The single is also lighting up the airplay charts at Urban, Urban AC, and CHR/Top 40, where it received the week’s “Most Increased Plays.” A companion video had its world premiere on MTV earlier this week and can now be viewed at T.I.’s official MySpace page, located at www.myspace.com/
The rising popularity of “Dead and Gone,” in tandem with T.I.’s recent #1 singles, “Live Your Life (Feat. Rihanna)” and “Whatever You Like,” gives the multiple Grammy winning rapper a cumulative Top 40 audience exceeding 90 million. All three singles – as well as “Swagga Like Us” – are featured on the enormously successful “PAPER TRAIL.”
“Live Your Life (Feat. Rihanna)” has been a #1 sensation on an array of radio charts, including CHR/Top 40 and Rhythmic. The single made history last October by climbing to #1 on Billboard’s “Hot 100” from the previous week’s ranking at #80 – the biggest-ever one-week leap to the top. The success of “Live Your Life” shattered the previous record for largest ascent to #1 – a feat set just six weeks prior by “Whatever You Like,” the 2x platinum first single from “PAPER TRAIL,” which rocketed to #1 from #71 the week of September 6th and remained there until being replaced by “Live Your Life.” This remarkable achievement established T.I. as the first artist to replace himself at #1 since Usher in 2004.
“Whatever You Like” remains T.I.’s biggest selling digital single to date, with over 3 million downloads and counting. Not to be outdone, “Live Your Life” – still standing strong among the top 10 on the “Hot 100” – logged T.I.’s biggest-ever first-week digital singles sales, with sales in excess of 335, 000. The platinum certified single’s total digital sales are now quickly approaching the 3 million mark.
In other news, T.I. is currently headlining a provocative new MTV documentary series. T.I.’s Road To Redemption: 45 Days To Go made its eagerly anticipated debut earlier this month, with new episodes set to premiere every Tuesday at 9:00 PM ET/PT (check local listings). The inspirational docu-series follows T.I. as he counts down the days to his impending March 2009 sentencing for weapons charges. T.I.’s Road To Redemption: 45 Days To Go will not only show T.I. as he attempts to help change the lives of desperate teenagers across the country, but will also offer a behind-the-scenes peek at the most private and personal moments of one of today’s hottest most sought-after artists on the verge of leaving his glittering career for time behind bars.
T.I.’s Road To Redemption: 45 Days To Go has quickly begun drawing widespread critical acclaim. The Los Angeles Times hailed the series for offering “a compelling glimpse into a world too often fetishized on television,”
T.I. is currently headlining a major US arena tour, with dates running through mid-March (see attached itinerary). An additional slate of concert dates will be announced later.
Furthermore, T.I. is set for high-profile features in a number of major national publications, including cover stories in upcoming issues of both Blender and Vibe. This follows recent cover profiles in Giant, Rap Up, Murder Dog, and Ozone, as well as additional features in XXL, Vibe, Blender, Rolling Stone, People, and King (where he served as “Guest Editor”).
Finally, an exclusive live performance from T.I. recently launched as part of the “Rhapsody Originals” series on Rhapsody.com. The session is streaming now at www.rhapsody.com/
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“PAPER TRAIL” is T.I. at his best – melding emotive moments like the harrowing “My Life, Your Entertainment (Feat. Usher)” with celebratory anthems such as the cocky” On Top Of The World (Feat. Ludacris and B.o.B.).” In addition to the aforementioned Swizz Beatz, the production roster includes such studio stars as Danja (Timbaland, Madonna, Usher), DJ Toomp (Kanye West, Missy Elliott, Young Jeezy) and Drumma Boy (Paul Wall, Rick Ross, Yung Joc). The result is T.I.’s most potent and important LP to date.
The album made a phenomenal arrival atop the Billboard 200 upon its September release, marking T.I.’s third consecutive #1 chart entry (following 2006’s platinum-certified “KING” and 2007’s platinum-certified “T.I. VS. T.I.P.”). With total first-week sales in excess of 568,000, “PAPER TRAIL” also entered at #1 on a number of additional Billboard charts, including “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums,” “Top Rap Albums,” and “Top Digital Albums.” The album’s unparalleled first-week sales success represents a personal best for T.I., as well as Atlantic Records’ biggest-ever one-week scan since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991.
Thus far, the combined singles sales from “PAPER TRAIL” have reached an incredible 7.6 million and counting. The album itself has now achieved total sales in excess of 1.6 million with no sign of stopping. What’s more, “PAPER TRAIL” is proving an international blockbuster, with its success driving T.I.’s total worldwide album sales to over 2 million.
In addition, “PAPER TRAIL” has drawn some of the most rapturous praise of T.I.’s already acclaimed career. “His best album since 2003’s ‘TRAP MUZIK,” declared the New York Times’ Jon Caramanica, “largely because it's so serious.” “T.I. has managed to craft an album that gives listeners the standout moments they expect,” wrote Allhiphop.com. “(The album’s) achievements are enough to remind fans why they fell in love with T.I. back in 2003, and keep his tenuous title as ‘King of the South’ in place for the immediate future.” “(‘PAPER TRAIL’) shows a willingness to do something other than coast from hook to hook,” noted Pitchfork.com. “The album manages to be a more detailed manuscript of Tip's complexity: An impending incarceration has lit a fire under him, triggering an impulse to challenge himself.” “’PAPER TRAIL’ starts and finishes strong,” hailed USA Today’s Steve Jones. “T.I. may be going away for a while, but his music won’t.”
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