T-PAIN BRINGING AUTOTUNE TO TIM MCGRAW? December 23, 2008

 

When country star Tim McGraw and R&B singer T-Pain appeared together in a “Saturday Night Live” skit last month, little did they know it would lead to a real musical collaboration.      

       “We talked about getting in the studio together, so that’s probably going to happen soon,” T-Pain tells E! Online. “I definitely think we could do something cool and different.”      

       The pairing wouldn’t be McGraw’s first with an urban artist. In 2004, he recorded the song “Over and Over” with rapper Nelly; and earlier this month McGraw reportedly recorded a new single, “Human,” for Chris Brown’s upcoming album.      

       T-Pain says his collaboration with McGraw will be different from Nelly’s approach on “Over and Over.”      

       “The hip-hop has been done with Tim and Nelly, so we gotta be more country than hip-hop,” he says.

LIL WAYNE’S ‘GOT MONEY’ TO GET GRAMMY? December 8, 2008

 

Sibling duo Play-N-Skillz are in the Grammy spotlight for the second year in a row.

 

       Their production of Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’” earned them their first trophy in 2007 for best rap performance by duo or group. This year, their Lil Wayne single “Got Money,” featuring T-Pain, is nominated for best rap/sung collaboration.       

       Wayne’s CD, “Tha Carter III,” is also among the contenders for album of the year,” which puts Play-N-Skillz in position to pick up one of the most Grammy’s most prestigious trophies.       

       “This was a little bit more shocking than the last one,” Play tells Billboard.com. “I wasn’t as surprised for ‘Tha Carter III’ to be nominated for best rap album, but album of the year? That’s like the biggest accolade you can receive. Of course, for the song to be nominated itself was shocking. But, at the same time, it justifies all the hard work.”      

       The nomination is extra sweet for Play-N-Skillz because not only was the original version of “Got Money” lost after an engineer mistakenly erased it, but the track wasn’t even meant to appear on Lil Wayne’s album.      

       “After we remade the song, which is tough to do, we laid the chorus idea and gave it to Pitbull, but it didn’t make it to him in time,” says Play. “T-Pain ended up singing the chorus, he put it in Wayne’s hands, and the rest is history.”      

       The producers, who recently worked with Hurricane Chris, Yung Joc, Slim, Cassidy, Slim Thug and Lil Wayne’s upcoming project, are now preparing to release their own album.      

       Titled “Out the Box,” the set is slated to drop in summer 2009 via their independent label, G4 Recordz. Promotional single “Checking My Fresh” samples Jay-Z’s “Swagga Like Us” and was serviced to radio last.  The first official single, “Angel Eyez,” featuring Akon, will be released in the coming weeks.       

       Talib Kweli, Bun B, Slim Thug, 112, Yung Joc, Tego Calderon, Pitbull and Maino have all contributed guest vocals.  Play-N-Skillz will also release a mixtape in the next few months leading up to the album.

Akon Says T-Pain Best Hook Man Of All Time: “I Don’t Think Nate’s Any Competition To What We’re Doing Right Now” December 2, 2008

 

Akon is one of three crooners to have held hip-hop’s hook man crown since R&B hooks became the norm in the 90s.

Nate Dogg, Kon and his protege T-Pain, have all taken turns as the hook man du jour -seemingly establishing a monopoly on rap hooks during their respectives reigns. While Nate, the senior of the group has been hooking rappers up for 16 years, Kon thinks he’s no match for what he and Pain have been doing the past few years.

“I mean it depends on what you consider to be a hook man,” Kon told XXLMag.com. ”Nate, I don’t think he’s any competition to what we’re doing right now. The West Coast, which was incredibly hot, there wasn’t nobody touching Nate Dogg at that time. I was around at that time. It wasn’t no getting through them doors.

“Nate had it locked down,” Kon continued. “But I think as time started changing, I slowly took over because I came with more than just a hook. I came and gave you the song itself. When you came to Akon for a record, you’ll get the record, you’ll the track, you’ll get the song and the concept for it.”

But when it comes down to best hook man off all time, Kon gives it up to his own signee, T-Pain.

“If I had to give it personally to anybody, I would give it to T-Pain,” Kon revealed. ”I always looked at him as someone that can add a lot of color to someone’s record. I do it a lot of different ways, but I’m always thinking business when I’m doing it. Pain is doing it for the fun of it. I strategize differently. I do it according to what territories I need to take over. Pain does it just cause he loves to do it.”

LIL WAYNE ANNOUNCES DEC. TOUR November 25, 2008

 

One day after going winless at the American Music Awards, Lil Wayne announced plans to hit the road again to support his double-platinum album, “Tha Carter III.”

 

       The rapper will begin Dec. 6 with a makeup date in Rochester, NY, and then play more than a dozen shows across the US into January. Several stops along the way will include Keyshia Cole, T-Pain, Gym Class Heroes and Keri Hilson. Details are included below.      

       A couple of Lil Wayne performances have been scrapped at the last minute in recent weeks. Halfway through the Oct. 26 Rochester show at Blue Cross Arena, the audience reportedly was told the rapper would not show because he didn’t like the venue’s sound system. The next night in Boston, Wayne pulled out of a concert because he “was apparently unable or unwilling” to comply with a security checkpoint at TD Banknorth Garden, according to the Boston Herald.      

       Here are Lil Wayne’s tour dates:

December 2008
6 – Rochester, NY – Blue Cross Arena 
14 – Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena 
18 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center* 
19 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center* 
21 – Universal City, CA – Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk
23 – Oakland, CA – ORACLE Arena*
26 – Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena*
27 – Chicago, IL – United Center/WGCI Big Jam 
28 – Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center/Power 99 HollaDay Jam
29 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum Complex 
30 – Washington, DC – Verizon Center 
31 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena*

January 2009
2 – Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Arena
3 – Hampton, VA – Hampton Coliseum

 

*Lil’ Wayne with Keyshia Cole, T-Pain, Gym Class Heroes and Keri Hilson

T-Pain Reaches Top 5, T.I. And Weezy Show Consistency November 20, 2008

He may not be classic hip-hop by definition, but T-Pain gives urban music a much needed boost this week.

The leak apparently didn’t hurt Pain much. Thr33 Ringz, the self-proclaimed “hard & B” artist’s third solo album, debuts at No.4 -selling 167, 743 according to Nielsen’s Soundscan.

Further down the charts, T.I. keeps carrying the hip-hop torch with impressive numbers. Seven weeks into stores, Tip’s Paper Trail has sold 1,178,455 copies , including 62,046 this week.

Lil Wayne has also been showing consistency week in and week out. Nearly six months onto the charts, Tha Carter III rests at No. 29 with 23, 134 units sold. The CD has sold 2, 671, 816 CDs to date.

Young Jeezy’s The Recession has also been posting solid numbers. This week, Snowman’s junior release moves 16, 210 units – bringing its total to 614, 781 copies sold.

Diddy Gives T-Pain Royalties For Auto-Tune November 20, 2008

T-Pain is finally cashing in on Auto-Tune. Artists like Lil Wayne and Kanye West asked the Ring Leader for his blessing before using the instrument, but Diddy is taking it one step further.

As previously mentioned, the Bad Boy mogul’s upcoming album will be entirely sung using Auto-Tune. Word is the Puffster will be crediting T-Pain by giving him royalties on the album.

“I gave T-Pain one point on my [upcoming] album for using the Auto-Tune,” Diddy revealed on Sunday night during “Total Finale Live.”

“Sign the papers,” Pain added, confirming Puff’s revelation. “Diddy actually gave me royalties on this album just for using Auto-Tune. He signed the contract and everything. If I can do that with Diddy, somebody else better be signing something. It’s Diddy. He didn’t have to involve me at all. … I’m writing and producing on his album, and he gave me extra royalties on top of that for using something I just brought back.”

Tracklist For Lil Wayne’s Dedication 3 Mixtape November 12, 2008

 

The highly anticipated DJ Drama collaboration drops this week

Last month, VIBE.com got the kids excited with news about Lil Wayne’s Carter IV album, and Dedication 3 mixtape. 
The 26-year-old rapper says that after Dedication 3 drops he’s going to re-release it with 20 bonus tracks that will be available free on his Web site. No release information for the Carter IV album has been revealed yet. 

But what has been revealed is the tracklisting for Dedication 3. DJ Drama told MTV that the mixtape is expected to hit the streets on Thursday. 

Dedication 3 Tracklisting: 

1. “Welcome Back” 
2. “Dedication 3″ (featuring Mack Mane, Willie the Kid and Gudda Gudda) 
3.  “What Else Is There to Do” 
4. “Di– Pleaser” (featuring Jae Millz) 
5. “Ain’t I” (featuring Jae Millz) 
6. “You Love Me, You Hate Me” 
7. “Bang Bang” (featuring Jae Millz and Gudda Gudda) 
8. “The Other Side” (featuring La the Darkman, Jae Millz and Gudda Gudda) 
9. “My Weezy” (featuring Shanell, Lil Twist and Tyga) 
10. “A Dedication” 
11. “She’s a Ryder” (featuring Gudda Gudda) 
12. “Still I Rise” (featuring Nicki Minaj) 
13. “Magic” (featuring Gudda Gudda) 
14. “Do’s & Don’ts of Young Money” 
15. “Whoever You Like” (featuring Jae Millz and Gudda Gudda) 
16. “That Was Easy” 
17. “Get Bizzy” (featuring Gudda Gudda) 
18. “I Got That Gangsta” (featuring La the Darkman and Willie the Kid) 
19. “A Message to the DJs” 
20. “Stuntin’” (featuring Drake) 
21. “Dedicated” 
22. “Put on for the Game” (featuring Tyga and Gudda Gudda) 
23. “Dedication 4????” 

T-Pain’s Interview Demands Revealed: “He Will Only Answer One Question About Wayne” November 11, 2008

The usually easy-going T-Pain has apparently developed diva-ish tendencies. Jive Records, T-Pain’s recording home, reportedly sent media outlets a list of regulations to follow should they want to interview the self-proclaimed “ring leader,” according to TMZ.

“Please let interviewers know that Pain will only be discussing his album release on 11/11 and any other topics surrounding what he is currently doing,” the list read. “He will only answer one question on Wayne and upcoming projects they have. No questions on picking favorite artists, who he would like to work with or any other kind of lists.”

T-Pain’s Thr33 Ringz hits stores tomorrow.

Lil Wayne Hits The Road With T-Pain & Keyshia Cole November 11, 2008

Time to hit the road. MTV reports that Lil Wayne is set to headline an eigh-week nationwide tour featuring T-Pain, Keyshia Cole and Gym Class Heroes starting December 18th.

Wayne is also scheduled to release his highly anticipated Dedication 3mixtape with DJ Drama this Thursday(11/11). Similar to the two previous installments, the tape features Wayne rippinng known instrumentals like DJ Drama’s “The Art Of Storytelling Pt.4,” Soulja Boy’s “Shootouts” and Lil Jon and Too $hort’s “Dick Pleaser.”

The 23-track disc features guest verses on nearly every cut. But rather than collaborate with established artists, Weezy is mostly sharing mic time with Young Money and signees and affiliates, including Nicki Minaj, Drake, Gudda Gudda, Mack Maine and especially Jae Millz, who appears on nearly half of the records. Drama affiliates Willie Da Kid and LA The Darkman also appear numerous times on the tape.

BET CROWNS LIL WAYNE ‘MVP’ October 20, 2008

Lil Wayne was a big winner at Saturday’s BET Hip Hop Awards, taking home Lyricist of the Year and MVP of the Year at the ceremony held in Atlanta.

 

      The artist, nominated for 12 awards, was also named Alltel Wireless People’s Champ at the ceremony, which was hosted by T-Pain after scheduled emcee Katt Williams was a no-show, reports the Associated Press. While accepting his MVP Award, Wayne revealed that he’s expecting a son.

 

       “I got a son about to be born any day now, so shout-out to him. Pray for me,” he told the crowd.

 

      LL Cool J presented Russell Simmons with the “I Am Hip-Hop” Icon award, given to an individual who has made notable contributions of outstanding significance to the hip-hop community.

 

       A hip-hop matriarch medley featured MC Lyte, Yo-Yo and Salt-N-Pepa, while Young Jeezy, Soulja Boy and Bow Wow performed together to represent their home base of Atlanta.       

       T.I. was present and accounted for this year.  The Atlanta rapper was scheduled to headline last year’s ceremony, but was arrested hours before the event on federal weapons charges after he was caught trying to purchase semi-automatic guns and silencers. T.I. pleaded guilty earlier this year and is scheduled to be sentenced in March.      

       Rocking black-rimmed glasses, N.E.R.D. and Common impressed the crowd with “Numbers,” “Universal Mind Control” and “Spazz.” T-Pain took a break from his hosting duties to perform “Can’t Believe It” with Lil Wayne and “Chopped and Skrewed” with Ludacris. Surprise performer Ice Cube had the audience on its feet for “Why Me” and the classic “It Was a Good Day.”

 

       DJ Khaled, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Birdman and Rick Ross took home the award for Best Hip-Hop Collaboration for “I’m So Hood (The Remix).” Shawty Lo was named MySpace Music Rookie of the Year.

 

       The ceremony is scheduled to air on Oct. 23.