Released to the internet on Halloween 2008, and hitting stores on 11 November, T-Pain’s anticipated third major release is, according to the singer, a “brand new show.” The album, “Thr33 Ringz,” features 73 minutes of voice-boxed funk, acoustic ballads, heavy synthesizer, and all the year’s top draws, including stars Lil' Wayne, Kanye West, and T-Pain's voice-box contemporary, Akon.
Ringleader: T-Pain and Th33 Ringz
T-Pain, the self-proclaimed “Ringleader Man” of “Thr33 Ringz” unifies a thread of different moods, sounds and styles through 18 songs and five skits. Beginning "Thr33 Ringz" with a solo-rap, “Brand New Show” quickly leads the rapper into a voice-boxed duet with rapper Ludacris on internet single “Chopped & Screwed.”
The hip-hop influence is confirmed on this T-Pain albumwith further feature appearances from Lil’ Wayne on laid back radio hit “Can’t Believe It,” Diddy on “Change” and T.I. on “It Ain’t Me,” a call to the club girl “that runs up on you and tells you to buy her a drink.” T-Pain later cashes the favor owed on 2008’s “Go Hard”, with a guest appearance and production by DJ Khaled on “Karaoke.” Also from “Go Hard,” T-Pain finds himself looking for “Therapy” from women with rapper Kanye West, also a disciple of the voice box popularized by T-Pain in 2006-7.
T-Pain, Rhythm and Blues and a Voice Box
The voice box kicks into control on the album’s R & B songs as ringleader T-Pain teams up with fellow voice-boxed hip-hopper Akon on two tracks. Among these include a group effort with Mary J. Blige featuring a lyric sample of Eric Clapton’s “Change the World.” T-Pain later finds himself with Chris Brown, Ciara, Music Soulchild, adding his own production on multiple tracks.
The 2008 album encompasses T-Pain's popular street singles as well as club anthems and slow ballads, including “Keep Going,” a guitar-accompanied call to the T-Pain's inspiration. From serious subjects, T-Pain dives seamlessly into “Long Lap Dance,” an extended mix intended for those long lap dances “from the V.I.P. to the mainstage.” This comes not before T-Pain calls to the women, with “a stomach like Ciara /Hair like Beyonce/ Gabrielle Union smile / Lips like Ashanti’ on “Superstar Lady.”
Tracklisting, featuring Kanye West, Akon, Ludacris and Lil' Wayne
- Brand New Show
- Welcome to Thr33 Ringz (Intro)
- Ringleader Man
- Chopped and Screwed (ft. Ludacris)
- Take a Ride (Skit)
- Freeze (ft. Chris Brown)
- Blowing Up (ft. Ciara)
- Can’t Believe It (ft. Lil’ Wayne)
- It Ain’t Me (ft. Akon and T.I.)
- Feed the Lions (Skit)
- Therapy (ft. Kanye West)
- Long Lap Dance
- Lorraine (Interlude)
- Reality Show (ft. Musiq Soulchild)
- Keep Going
- Superstar Lady (ft. Young Cash)
- Change (ft. Akon, Diddy, and Mary J. Blige)
- Digital (ft. Tay Dizm)
- Karaoke (ft. DJ Khaled)
- Dracula (Skit)
- Distorted
- Bad Side
- Phantom
Matthew Fortuna - My Blog Matthew Fortuna is a freelance writer and journalist currently contributing to multiple on-line and print publications, as well ...
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