In a newly released interview with VladTV, Rappa Ternt Sanga artist T-Pain explained focusing his career on singles instead of albums.
When asked about how he’s reacted to a changing industry that rewards songs and mixtapes more than ever, T-Pain described being positioned for the current landscape early in his career.
“I don’t think it’s really an adjustment for me because, you know, I’ve never been an album guy,” he said. “None of my albums have done super great. Epiphany went platinum, Rappa Ternt Sanga went platinum, all my albums went platinum, but it’s like, it’s not really an album game for me. I can drop singles for the rest of my life. Just this one album that I’m working on now, Stoicville, I done recorded 110 songs already. I can just keep dropping singles for no reason and be straight and really ain’t got to do no shows, I can just chill at the house and be straight.”
Referring to the introduction of media players and digital retailers like iTunes in the early 2000s, T-Pain described a stronger-than-ever focus on single songs. “When the digital age came in, and iTunes started, letting people buy singles on they own, that was the end of the album game. You telling me I can actually buy the song that I actually like without spending the rest of this money? Of course I’m just getting that, that’s all it is.”
Still, the Nappy Boy Entertainment founder detailed his motivation to simply feature on other musicians’ work. “I got royalty checks coming in from four years ago that I just signed contracts to,” he said. “So that money just been accumulating, that’s what people don’t understand, I don’t get regular royalty checks…these people got to realize, I been on 50 #1 songs damn-near. I can sit back and just rely on other people’s work. You got to realize, when you on somebody else’s song, you ain’t got to spend no money on promotion, you ain’t got to pay no label back, you ain’t got to do nothing, them people doing all the work for you. So all you got to do is sit back and collect the check for the sweet-ass song you made. You know, shit’s good. It’s nothing I have to conform to, I’m just out here making music man, I’m just in here doing my thing.”
During the interview, T-Pain also touched on being a part in almost every stage of a song’s creation. “I really stay in the studio for real,” he said. “I got two studios in my crib, a lot of people don’t like to have studios in they crib, they feel like they can’t catch a vibe, I catch a vibe wherever…I make the beat, write the song to the beat, record it, sitting here with my engineer while we mixing it. I’m basically part of the whole process until putting the song out happens and I might still put it out myself.”
Last month, T-Pain spoke with HipHoDX in an exclusive interview in which he talked about the possibility that his musical legacy will be almost completely tied to Auto-Tune. “It’s not gonna bother me at all, as long as my name is known,” he said. “People will make up anything they want about you. They feel like they can evaluate you, break you down and really divide you into what you can do. But when people really do the research for real, that’s when they find out. So if I do leave a legacy with my music here, it will be enough of it and enough different kinds of it—with so many different people—where it wouldn’t even matter how much you break it down. You’re going to find out like, ‘Oh shit, that dude actually was good. I didn’t know that. I didn’t actually give him a chance. He got Justin Biebered.’”
Sadly he’s right, iTunes ruined music, but fuck being lazy and doing it the easy way like a bitch. If artists keep at it releasing albums, maybe we can change the way music industry is right now
Singles make stars … Albums make legends.
That’s some true shit. Paid in Full made Rakim a legend, Criminal Minded made Krs-One a legend, Illmatic made Nas a legend, etc. Artists who rely on singles are forgotten the moment those singles stop becoming radio hits.
problem is its a new era. ppl now a days have a short attention span. why listen to an album when you can dissect it on iTunes download the singles. no wonder watered down dumb shit is what gets spins
Thr33 Ringz made T-Pain a legend #justsayin
Fuck outta here nigga. You the only sucka who remembers that album. And slap yaself for calling this lame a legend.
That fat fuck is so full of jackshit talking bout all his albums went platinum.. his last album Revolver hasn’t even crossed the 200k mark until today. All the singles off that album flopped bad! Stop bragging with false information you washed up has been. T-Pain haha 2 years he’ll be on a “where are they now?” episode
3 in the morning was a top ten hit. His album suffered from lack of promotion but at least that single was a hit.
A hit? lol yeah right maybe a hit on 106 & park but on the charts it wasn’t shit. And if it really were such a hit that people remember how come you can’t even remember that it was called 5 in the morning ^^
did you read everything he said or what you wanted to? he said not all of them did good. which means 2 went platinum and the one you mentioned did bad. It’s not that he doesnt care about making albums or doesnt care about music. it’s about not having a label on your back that makes you make filler songs when he can just give the people what they want. at least that’s what i got from that.
And just real quick to be honest if people only spend money on the songs they like, how about you stop making shitty autotune music and make a full album full of dope songs that will make your fans buy the full product
thats whats wrong with the game to many artists focus to much on their singles compared to their albums.
Rey is right. I like t pain but I would dissect his album on iTunes. But if a creative artist like nas came out with an album, I would never pick it apart.
T-Pain is a perfect example of someone who doesn’t give a fuck about Hip Hop culture. He just cares about his money. Fuck T-Pain.
why would he if hes R&B
Well let me rephrase what I said. He doesn’t care about music in general, no matter what genre it is. So still, fuck T-Pain.
If i he didn’t care about music why would he have two studios and record so many songs? Kinda pointless ain’t it
Gee, I dunno. maybe so he can make more money?
Go on boy! – got love in the bay –
Damn this nigga always been. Only know this fool cuz he used to talk bout Ray-Js meat. Faggot
I can drop shit bricks for the rest of my life but you don’t hear me bragging
Sure you can, but nobody’s gonna bump them.
iTunes wasn’t the end of the album game. The album game suffered when you sorry muthafuckas would put two decent tracks on and put filler on the rest. That goes for more than just T-Pain. I can’t count how much money I’ve burned on shitty ass albums on the strength of a single. iTunes and streaming gives us the opportunity to NOT put money in your pocket if your shit is weak. You see a lot less artists going platinum these days for a reason.
T-Pain will likely forever be paid, but he was a flash in the pan type of gimmick artist whose ship ran aground musically and he knows it. Sounds like his plan now is to ride the wave of up and comers into the sunset. Do what you do. No one will miss T-Pain at the end of the day.
Although I don’t agree with you on T-Pain, I do agree that weak albums brought an end of the album era.
tell dude to drop a dope album.
itunes did not kill the music industry, the overuse of auto-tunes did. people aren’t as willing to buy an album with altered vocals becuz the artists can’t sing or is to lazy to put forth the effort to make a great song with their talent or lack there of. half the industry is flooded with artist who can’t sing a lick and the with the overuse of auto-tune you can’t even tell if their really singing anymore or using it to enhance their weak vocals. so sad, a bunch of robots. u can’t even tell artists apart anymore, they all sound the same.
T-Pain is good. I don’t know what yaw talking about. One of my favorite artists
Did you guys not here the single he just put out, that joint is bumpin
Disco music did the same thing in the 70’s and look where it stands in musis history. You will alway need a full body of work/Playboy
You can drop singles but will people buy them or attend your shows? M’aiq thinks your 15 minutes were over last year