Following Paper Trail and jail time, what's next for T.I.?

T.I. has the #1 single on iTunes right now with his latest track, "Whatever You Like." The song is yet another "single" from the much-hyped and much-delayed Paper Trail, which has been pushed back once more from Sept. 9 to Sept. 30.

The Atlanta native has had multiple songs swirling the web, some of which appear on the tracklist for Trail. "No Matter What" surfaced this summer on hip-hop social-networking website Street Cred, and earlier this week, Perez Hilton posted "Livin' My Life," a duet with everything-I-touch-turns-platinum Rihanna. Quickly swiped off the Internet, the duet samples that numa numa business and features some of the tighter lyrics T.I. has been promising on this record.

Also premiering this week was a Fader post with "Swagger Like Us," a huge song from the album that samples M.I.A and has the singer rapping with the monstrous likes of Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z. Talking to MTV about the leak, T.I. had this to say: "Don't ruin the event. Wait till the cake comes out the kitchen before you eat it." Touche, friend. Does this mean he knows it's on West's blog, or no? Either way, while we feel his pain and all, we're mostly just taking bets on which of these hot tracks will be featured in his MTV Music Video Awards performance on Sept. 7. Could Justin Timberlake or Usher (both featured on the disc) be in the mix as well?

All of this is well and good (and we mean good) with each track carefully calibrated, highlighting his thought provoking lyrics and bursting with the same buoyant energy and get-up-off-your-feet beats the multi-platinum rapper has come to be known for. There's little doubt that Paper Trail will mark yet another success for the 27-year-old phenom...but what about that looming jail time? What happens when the rap royalty has to report to the slammer after pleading guilty to federal weapons charges last November?  A lot of time to think, for one, but not much time in the spotlight.

So far, his six-month house arrest hasn't stopped him from preparing a seizure of projects aimed at keeping him in the limelight during his time away. The fall from quick hype is a short drop, and T.I. knows there's thousands of artists ready to snatch his throne while he's out of sight. That's why the sometime actor (ATL, American Gangster) had, at one time, no less than three films and an MTV reality series chronicling his community service this Spring on the dock. While it seems only one of those films (Bone Deep with Chris Brown) is happening right now, all the buzz is no doubt helping keep his name out there.

While under lock and key, T.I. has been using his time to finish up his album and preparing for his year-long jail sentence to be ultimately laid out in March 2009. Good behavior and completion of his community service (where he will talk to kids about the dangers of guns) could help the rapper secure less time in the slammer. Also putting the MC front and center is a clothing line, Akoo, debuting in the fall. All this and the dude just had his sixth child in May. Jail or no jail, it's going to be hard to miss the media circus following these projects.

Rappers have proven they can move units despite the overall decline in record sales. MTV reality series? We've heard of a few of those who did OK, and with the never ending bonnaza of reality TV, it's a safe bet to do well.

While a lot of Paper Trail digs deep, T.I. gets personal on "My Life, Your Entertainment," lamenting the trials of fame: "My life, your entertainment / My sorrow, your amusement / Laugh at my pain and anguish / So famous I could lose it." A year is a long time in the music business and it won't be easy without some tricks up his sleeve for while he's locked up, but even still — who bets against the king?

Related links:
TrapMuzik.com
YouTube: T.I. - "Whatever You Like" 
T.I. on MySpace

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