April 10, 2007 @ 7:21 pm

T.I. Versus Himself

Julianne Shepherd

The King talks new album, movies, future projects.

T.I. stopped by VIBE today to talk and play new tracks from his forthcoming album, TI vs. TIP, scheduled for release "between June 26 and July 3." It's a concept record split into three distinct parts: "T.I.P.," "T.I.," and "T.I. vs. T.I.P."

"It's the struggle of power between two personalities within one self," T.I. explained, with each segment "separated by a narrative explaining who each personality is." Part one is about T.I.P. "coming to power and making wild demands" of his record label, Atlantic. Part two is about T.I. waking up and hearing people "saying he did shit he don't remember." On the concluding segment, T.I. and T.I.P. will collaborate, and finally, converge.

Accompanied by several associates (including Xscape singer / longtime boo Tameka "Tiny" Cottle), the rapper played 16 songs. T.I. emphasized, "I could do another record tonight and one could be bumped off tomorrow," but the tracks he played for VIBE were as follows:

T.I.P.:
- "Do It (Big Shit Poppin)" [first single]
- "Yeah" f. Lil Wayne (prod. by Lil C)
- "You Know What It Is" (prod by Wyclef) [possible second single]
- "Hero" f. Akon
- "Watch What You Say to Me" (prod by Khao)
- "Dope Man" (prod by Mannie Fresh)

T.I.
- "We Do This" (prod by The Runners)
- "Life of the Party" (possibly featuring R. Kelly)
- "Don't You Wanna Be High" (prod by The Runners)
- "Goodbye My Dear" f. Ciara (prod by T.I.)
- "Show It to Me" f. Nelly (prod by Black Mob)
- "My Swagger"

- T.I. vs. T.I.P.
- "Respect the Hustle" (prod by Danja) [The first joint with T.I. and TIP in conversation. As the man explained, "They both just telling each other, 'Why don't you just let me do what I do?'"]
- "Shawty Got a Gun"
- "Tomorrow'll Be a Better Day"
- "Tell 'em I Said That" (prod by Danja) [According to T.I., the song is about "too much lying coming out the mouths of people occupying the kids' time. Rappers coerce their kids to do shit they ain't never even done they self."]

The man said he's still working on a record with Timbaland, and that he's cut three tracks with Eminem - one for Em's record, one for "T.I." and one for "T.I.P.," though none were completely finished. When asked why he didn't consider releasing T.I. vs. T.I.P. as a double or triple album - or as separate albums like Nelly's Sweat / Suit - he chalked it up to bad business. "You can't do double albums - you don't get counted as two anymore. I might as well be giving songs away. And Nelly," he quipped, "has the advantage of a market I have yet to attain."

But the King's market acquisition tactics are far from lax. He's working on other peoples' records, and he's got a slew of film projects in the works, too. On the music front, he's been helping BG out with his new record. He's been juicing up his producer game, making beats for artists like Mariah Carey, Cassidy, Rick Ross, Young Joc and Young Dro. "Whether they use the beats or not is up to them," he said.

This fall, T.I. will appear in the film American Gangster alongside Denzel Washington - an experience he described as "phenomenal. It was the greatest internship I could've wished for. Denzel kinda gave me my wings," he gushed. "I think it's gonna be the best black gangster picture ever. It's The Departed of black gangster films."

Future film projects include: the Chris Robinson-directed DVD movie to accompany T.I. vs. T.I.P.. A comedy called For Sale: a Romeo and Juliet-esque film about a used car lot in Atlanta. "My father [in the film] goes in half and half on a used car lot with his friend," said T.I., "but something happened between them. So they draw a line down the middle of the lot and basically become the Montagues and Capulets of the used car lot."

He's also working on an as-yet-untitled comedy about "two guys who work at the airport, like TSA. They stumble upon a terrorist attack in progress. Nobody believes them, so they gotta save the day." Finally, he's in talks regarding what he calls a "new White Men Can't Jump. We have our eye on Justin [for the part]."

Regarding the onslaught of comedies, he explained, "It's just so predictable for me to do a little shoot-em-up-bang-bang movie. I can do it, and I'll be good at it, but it's predictable.

"I gotta do things I'ma get credit for. Eventually, I will not be rappin," he continued. "I will not be in my mid-, late-30s rappin. I may still be in the music industry - producin', writin', CEOin' - but when I leave music, I gotta go somewhere."

Article tags: T.I, Versus, Himself 

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