Faheem Rasheed Najm (born September 30, 1983), better known by his
stage nameA stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
T-Pain, is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip hopHip hop music is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of loop, rapping, freestyle, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues...
and
R&BRhythm and blues is the name given to a wide-ranging genre of popular music created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s...
singer-songwriterA singer–songwriter is a musician who writes, composes and sings their own material including lyrics and melodies. They often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano...
, and
producerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
. He began his career as a rapper in the group Nappy Headz. In 2005, he became a singer and released his debut album
Rappa Ternt SangaRappa Ternt Sanga is the debut album by Hip-Hop producer/singer-songwriter T-Pain, released in 2005. The title is a dialectal pronunciation of the phrase "rapper turned singer," of which he has stated that he wanted to be a rapper, but turned singer instead. It has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide...
with the hits "
I'm Sprung"I'm Sprung" is an R&B song performed and produced by producer/singer-songwriter T-Pain and is the first single from his debut album Rappa Ternt Sanga.-Chart performance:...
" and "
I'm N Luv (Wit A Stripper)"I'm 'n Luv " is a single performed by American R&B artist T-Pain featuring rapper Mike Jones...
". Throughout his career as a singer, T-Pain has extensively used the
Auto-TuneAuto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances...
pitch correction effect. Since the release of his debut album, T-Pain has produced numerous hits of his own and for other rappers and R&B singers. T-Pain has also had many top ten singles on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. In 2008, he won a Grammy with rapper
Kanye WestKanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
for the single "
Good Life"Good Life" is the Grammy Award-winning third single from American rapper Kanye West's album Graduation. The song features R&B artist T-Pain, and uses sampled keys from the song "P.Y.T. " as performed by Michael Jackson...
".
Personal background
Najm was born in Tallahassee, Florida. At the age of ten, Najm reworked his bedroom into a small studio with a
keyboardAn electronic keyboard or digital keyboard is a sample-based keyboard instrument. Its sound is generated or amplified by one or more electronic devices....
, beat machine and four-track recorder, and began composing music. He graduated from
James S. Rickards High SchoolJames S. Rickards High School is a public high school in Tallahassee, Florida. For the 2004-2005 school year, the Florida Department of Education gave the school a C rating after its students scored poorly on standardized tests in reading and math...
. His stage name is short for "Tallahassee Pain" and was chosen because of the hardships he felt while living there. He is a
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
.
Career
He joined the rap group Nappy Headz and later recorded "I'm Fucked Up", a cover version of Akon's single "Locked Up".
AkonAliaune Badara Akon Thiam, better known by his middle and stage name Akon , is a Senegalese-American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up”, the first single from his debut album Trouble...
noticed the song and immediately signed T-Pain to
Konvict MuzikKonvict Muzik is a record label founded by Melvin Brown and R&B singer Akon. Other than Akon, there are popular artists such as Colby O'Donis, Lady Gaga, Kardinal Offishall, Kat DeLuna, Rock City, American Yard and Brick & Lace signed to the label. At the beginning of most Konvict Muzik artists'...
. T-Pain recorded his first album under the label,
Rappa Ternt SangaRappa Ternt Sanga is the debut album by Hip-Hop producer/singer-songwriter T-Pain, released in 2005. The title is a dialectal pronunciation of the phrase "rapper turned singer," of which he has stated that he wanted to be a rapper, but turned singer instead. It has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide...
. The first single is "
I'm Sprung"I'm Sprung" is an R&B song performed and produced by producer/singer-songwriter T-Pain and is the first single from his debut album Rappa Ternt Sanga.-Chart performance:...
". The second single is "
I'm N Luv (Wit A Stripper)"I'm 'n Luv " is a single performed by American R&B artist T-Pain featuring rapper Mike Jones...
", featuring Mike Jones. The album debuted at #33 on the
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling new music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, eventually reaching gold.
In 2007, his second album
Epiphany came out, with the club-oriented singles "
Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')"Buy U a Drank " is a song by American producer/singer-songwriter T-Pain. It was released on February 20, 2007. The song is the first official single from T-Pain's album Epiphany. The song also features rapper Yung Joc.-Background:...
" featuring
Yung JocJasiel Robinson, better known by his stage name Yung Joc is a Grammy Award-nominated American rapper who resides in College Park, Georgia....
and "
Bartender"Bartender" is an R&B/hip-hop song by T-Pain, Co-written by Ali Noordin and the official second single from his second album, Epiphany. The song features Dario Gigic...
" featuring Akon. Both singles were in the Top 5.
Epiphany debuted at the top spot of the US
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling new music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, and has sold about 1,000,000 units as of May 2008. being the first number-one album of his career. During that time, he appeared on the singles "
I'm a Flirt"I'm a Flirt" is a song by Bow Wow featuring R. Kelly. The song was scheduled to be the second single released from Bow Wow's fifth album The Price of Fame but the decision was changed to "Outta My System". Instead, it appears as a bonus track on the album. The remix of "I'm a Flirt" became the...
" remix by
R. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly Thabit , best known by the stage name R. Kelly, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and record producer. Debuting in 1992 with the group Public Announcement, Kelly went solo in 1993 for a successful solo career starting with the album, 12 Play...
with
T.I.Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I. or T.I.P., is an American Grammy Award-winning rapper, producer, actor, songwriter, and co-CEO/founder of Grand Hustle Records....
, "
Outta My System"Outta My System" is the second single off Bow Wow's fifth album, The Price of Fame. It features T-Pain and Johntá Austin. This was confirmed on his official MySpace page. The video premiered on Valentine's Day on BET's Access Granted. The original next single was supposed to be "I'm a Flirt" but...
" by
Bow WowShad Gregory Moss is an American rapper and actor. He released his debut album Beware of Dog at age 13, then under the stage name Lil' Bow Wow, which he carried until his 2003 album Unleashed, under simply Bow Wow. Three more albums followed, Wanted in 2005, The Price of Fame in 2006 and New Jack...
, "Baby Don't Go" by
FabolousJohn David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American recording artist. Growing up in the Brooklyn area of New York City, he was among the first east coast rappers influenced by Southern hip hop sounds and secondly became popular through his hit single "Can't Deny It" in...
, "I'm So Hood" by
DJ KhaledKhaled Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is a Palestinian American hip hop musician and radio personality. He is the DJ for the group Terror Squad and a record producer. Khaled also is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR...
with many other rappers, "
Shawty"Shawty" is the first single of Plies's debut album, The Real Testament. The track features T-Pain and is produced by Drumma Boy and T-Pain. The video premiered on 106 and Park and MTV's Discover & Download. The video features celebrity cameos from Rick Ross, Rich Boy, Edgerrin James and Jevon...
" by
PliesAlgernod Lanier Washington , better known by his stage name Plies, is an American rapper signed to Slip-n-Slide Records. He debuted in 2007 with The Real Testament with the chart-topping singles "Shawty" and "Hypnotized"...
, "
Kiss Kiss"Kiss Kiss" is a song by Chris Brown, released as the second single from his second studio album Exclusive. The track features rapper T-Pain and is also produced by him. Both Brown and T-Pain use the Auto-Tune in the song. The single has been certified triple Platinum by the RIAA.On October 16,...
" by
Chris BrownChristopher Maurice "Chris" Brown is an American recording artist and actor. He made his recording debut in late 2005 with the self-titled album Chris Brown at the age of 16. The album featured the hit single "Run It!", which topped the Billboard Hot 100, making Brown the first male artist since...
, "
Low"Low" is Flo Rida's very first single, used for the soundtrack to the 2008 film Step Up 2: The Streets and was also a track on Flo Rida's debut album Mail On Sunday. The song features T-Pain and was co-written with T-Pain, and has been serviced to radio stations and charted. There is also a remix...
" by
Flo RidaTramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper. As a teenager, he toured with local rap group 2 Live Crew. Later, he appeared in numerous popular rap mixtapes and studio albums, most notably in We the Best in 2006...
, and "
Good Life"Good Life" is the Grammy Award-winning third single from American rapper Kanye West's album Graduation. The song features R&B artist T-Pain, and uses sampled keys from the song "P.Y.T. " as performed by Michael Jackson...
" by
Kanye WestKanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
. "Good Life" won the
BET AwardThe BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
for the Best Collaboration and was nominated in several other categories. In 2008, the single won a
Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
for Best Rap Song.
His third album
Thr33 RingzThr33 Ringz is the third studio album by Grammy-winning American R&B singer-songwriter T-Pain. It was released in the U.S. on November 11, 2008 , debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200 at #1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart...
was released on November 11, 2008. "
Can't Believe It"Can't Believe It" is a song by American producer/singer-songwriter T-Pain. It was released on July 29, 2008. The song is the first official single from T-Pain's album Thr33 Ringz. The song also features rapper Lil Wayne...
", featuring
Lil WayneDwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American Grammy Award-winning rapper. Formerly a member of the rap group the Hot Boys, he joined the Cash Money Records collective as a teenager...
, was the first single; the video premiered on
BETBlack Entertainment Television is an American cable network based in Washington D.C., and targets young African-American audiences in the United States. Robert L. Johnson founded the network in 1980...
on August 26. "
Chopped & Skrewed"Chopped 'N' Skrewed" is the second single released from R&B singer-songwriter T-Pain's third album, Thr33 Ringz. The song features American rapper Ludacris..It was first released on the Canadian iTunes on September 22, 2008, the same day the song was also added to T-Pain's MySpace...
", featuring
LudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, is the second single in this album. "
FreezeFreeze may refer to:In liquids turning to solids:*Freezing, the physical process of a liquid turning into a solid*Freeze drying, a method of rapidly removing moisture from food productsIn cessation of movement or change:...
", featuring Chris Brown, was confirmed to be the third single. Guest appearances on
Thr33 Ringz include
T.I.Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I. or T.I.P., is an American Grammy Award-winning rapper, producer, actor, songwriter, and co-CEO/founder of Grand Hustle Records....
,
Lil WayneDwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American Grammy Award-winning rapper. Formerly a member of the rap group the Hot Boys, he joined the Cash Money Records collective as a teenager...
,
LudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
,
DJ KhaledKhaled Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is a Palestinian American hip hop musician and radio personality. He is the DJ for the group Terror Squad and a record producer. Khaled also is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR...
,
CiaraCiara Princess Harris , who performs under the mononym Ciara , is an American recording artist, producer, dancer, fashion model, and actress. Born in Austin, Texas, Ciara made her debut in the summer of 2004 with the Billboard number-one single "Goodies"...
, Chris Brown,
Kanye WestKanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
and many more.
Pr33 Ringz was the introduction mixtape for the album.
In 2008, T-Pain continued to appear on numerous charting rap singles, such as "
She Got It"She Got It" is the first single from 2 Pistols from his debut album Death Before Dishonor. It features T-Pain and Tay Dizm and was produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. There is also a version produced by Polow Da Don...
" by
2 PistolsJeremy Lemont Saunders, better known by his stage name 2 Pistols, is an American rapper from Tarpon Springs, Florida.-Musical career:2 Pistols' first success in rapping had come with an independent record called "Dirty Foot," which he wrote while still in high school and distributed in the Tarpon...
, "
Go Girl"Go Girl" is a song performed by American R&B/pop singer Ciara. The song was released as a promo single, for her third studio album Fantasy Ride, however it was not included on tracklist of the album...
" by
CiaraCiara Princess Harris , who performs under the mononym Ciara , is an American recording artist, producer, dancer, fashion model, and actress. Born in Austin, Texas, Ciara made her debut in the summer of 2004 with the Billboard number-one single "Goodies"...
, "
The Boss"The Boss" is the second single from Rick Ross's second studio album Trilla. It samples the song Paul Revere by The Beastie Boys. It is produced by J. R. Rotem...
" by
Rick RossWilliam Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, sometimes written as Rick Ro$$ is an American rapper. He took his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
, "
Cash Flow"Cash Flow" is the debut single off rapper Ace Hood's debut album Gutta. It is produced by The Runners and features DJ Khaled with a quick intro, T-Pain and Rick Ross. -Music video:The music video was released on May 1 2008...
" by
Ace HoodAntoine McColister, better known by his stage name Ace Hood is an American rapper. He is signed to DJ Khaled's label We The Best Music & Def Jam.-Biography:...
, "
Shawty Get Loose"Shawty Get Loose" is the third single from rap artist Lil Mama's debut album, VYP: Voice of the Young People. "Shawty Get Loose" is Lil Mama's second top 10 single. The single is the remix version, where it features Chris Brown singing the chorus, and T-Pain rapping on the second verse. In the...
" by
Lil MamaNiatia Jessica Kirkland , better known as "Lil Mama", is an American rapper currently signed to Jive Records. Lil Mama was born in Harlem and later moved to the East New York section of Brooklyn, New York where she attended Edward R. Murrow High School...
, "
One More Drink"One More Drink" is the second official single off Ludacris' album, Theater of the Mind. The song "co-stars" T-Pain. The song was released on iTunes on October 28, 2008...
" by
LudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, and "
Go Hard"Go Hard" is the second single from DJ Khaled's third studio album, We Global.The track features American hip hop artists Kanye West, and T-Pain. They both used the auto-tune effect. The is produced by The Runners and it samples the 1984 single "Angel" by Madonna...
" by
DJ KhaledKhaled Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is a Palestinian American hip hop musician and radio personality. He is the DJ for the group Terror Squad and a record producer. Khaled also is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR...
with Kanye West. T-Pain and Ludacris collaborated to perform "Chopped & Skrewed" and "One More Drink" on American late-night television programs
Jimmy Kimmel LiveJimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
on
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
November 14, 2008 and on NBC's
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a weekly late-night sketch comedy and variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975, under a slightly different title. The show features a regular cast of comedy actors, joined by a guest host and musical act...
on November 22, 2008. T-Pain appeared again on
SNL on February 7, 2009 (on the episode hosted by
Bradley CooperBradley Cooper is an American film, stage, and television actor. He is best known for the roles of Phil Wenneck in the film The Hangover, Will Tippin in the TV series Alias, Zachary "Sack" Lodge in the comedy film Wedding Crashers, and Aidan Stone in TV series Nip/Tuck...
with musical guest
TV on the RadioTV on the Radio is an American band formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, whose music spans through numerous diverse genres, from alternative rock and electro to free jazz and soul...
) in the
SNL Digital Short, "
I'm on a Boat"I'm on a Boat" is a single from The Lonely Island's debut album Incredibad, and was also featured as a Saturday Night Live Digital Short. The song features R&B singer T-Pain. The song, produced by Wyshmaster, is a parody of many rap video cliches. The music video reached number one on YouTube in...
", along with castmember
Andy SambergDavid Andrew "Andy" Samberg is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He is a member of the comedy troupe The Lonely Island and a repertory player on Saturday Night Live....
and
SNL writer/
Lonely IslandThe Lonely Island is an American comedy troupe composed of Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg, best known for their musical parodies. The group is from Berkeley, California, and is currently based in New York City...
member
Akiva SchafferAkiva Schaffer is an American writer for Saturday Night Live, a film director, an Emmy-winning songwriter, and a member of The Lonely Island, a sketch-comedy troupe that originated on the Internet, which includes SNL cast member Andy Samberg and SNL writer Jorma Taccone...
.
T-Pain joined rapper
Lil WayneDwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American Grammy Award-winning rapper. Formerly a member of the rap group the Hot Boys, he joined the Cash Money Records collective as a teenager...
to form the duo T-Wayne. The duo released a self-titled mixtape in late 2008; it charted on the
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling new music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in January 2009. The debut T-Wayne album is to be released sometime in 2009. On May 31, 2009, T-Pain made an appearance on a live-action episode of
Aqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger Force is an American animated television series shown on Cartoon Network as part of its Adult Swim late-night programming block, as well as Teletoon in Canada...
as Frylock, where he made his debut as an actor. T-Pain has recently recorded 3 tracks: Special Guest, This Evening, and It's So Easy (with Sophia Fresh). All of the 3 tracks are produced by
Tha BiznessTha Bizness is an American hip hop production duo from Seattle, Washington consisting of J-Hen & Dow Jones.-Biography:Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, the production duo, who are cousins, were inspired by artists such as Teddy Riley, DJ Premier, Mannie Fresh...
.
In an interview with
MTVMusic television is a type of television programming which focuses predominantly on playing music videos from bands, usually on dedicated television channels broadcasting on satellite or cable. Examples are VIVA, MTV, MuchMusic, and Fuse TV....
, T-Pain annouced that he would release a new album in November 2009 called
UBER. In June 2009, T-Pain collaborated with country-pop singer
Taylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress. In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", which peaked at number six on the Billboard country charts...
for the
CMT Music AwardsThe CMT Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show for country music videos and television performances. The awards ceremony is held every year in Nashville, Tennessee and broadcast live on CMT...
, and performed "Thug Story", a parody of Swift's hit single "
Love Story"Love Story" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country artist Taylor Swift. It is the first single from her second studio album, 2008's Fearless. The song was released in September 2008, and by November it reached the top of the Billboard country chart for two weeks, becoming...
".
An
iPhoneThe iPhone is an Internet and multimedia enabled smartphone designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Because its minimal hardware interface lacks a physical keyboard, the multi-touch screen renders a virtual keyboard when necessary...
application called "I Am T-Pain" features an auto tuner, allowing fans to record and modify their own voice to accompany an instrumental collection of T-Pain's music. In July 2009, T-Pain endorsed the 2009 T-Pain Killa Cam-Pain, a grassroots effort to get him elected as
presidentUniversity president is the title of the highest ranking officer within the academic administration of a university, within university systems that prefer that appellation over other variations such as chancellor or rector...
of
Florida State UniversityFlorida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
.
Musical style
He has called his style of music "Hard & B". T-Pain uses
Auto-TuneAuto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances...
, a pitch-correcting audio processor, for his vocals. Music critic Andy Kellman compared T-Pain's singing style to that of
CherCher is an American pop singer-songwriter, actor, director and record producer. She has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards and a People's Choice Award for her work in film, music and television.Cher began her career at the age of seventeen and came to...
in her 1998 hit "
Believe"Believe" is a Grammy Award-winning global number one, multi-platinum dance song which served as the worldwide lead single for American singer Cher's twenty-third studio album Believe...
", in which Cher used voice enhancements. In response to
Jay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name, Jay-Z is an American hip hop artist and businessman. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $150 million, shipping over 30 million copies of his albums in the United...
's single "
D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"D.O.A. " is a single written by American rapper Jay-Z. It was produced by No I.D. with Kanye West providing the vocals in the bridge. It was released as a digital download on June 23, 2009 as the first single of Jay-Z's eleventh studio album, The Blueprint 3. The song made its world premiere on...
", T-Pain stated that he would still use the method. T-Pain's use of Auto-Tune has been cited as an influence on other urban artists' works, including
Snoop DoggCordazar Calvin Broadus , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is a Grammy Award-nominated American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as an MC in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of producer Dr. Dre's most notable protégés...
's single "
Sexual Eruption"Sexual Eruption" , is the grammy nominated single off Snoop Dogg's ninth solo album Ego Trippin. It is produced by Shawty Redd and Snoop Dogg sings most of the song using Auto-Tune...
",
Lil WayneDwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American Grammy Award-winning rapper. Formerly a member of the rap group the Hot Boys, he joined the Cash Money Records collective as a teenager...
's single "
Lollipop"Lollipop" is the first single from Lil Wayne's sixth studio album, Tha Carter III. The track features the late R&B artist Static Major and is produced by Deezle and Jim Jonsin. The song was released digitally on March 13, 2008. The song features Auto-Tune vocals...
", and
Kanye WestKanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
's album
808s & Heartbreak808s & Heartbreak is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released November 24, 2008 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place over a period of approximately three weeks during September and October 2008 at Glenwood Studios in...
. In November 2008, T-Pain demanded credit from other artists who used Auto-Tune.
Personal life
thumb
T-Pain lives in
Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia, as well as the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States....
, with his wife, Amber, and three children: daughter Lyriq, son Muziq, and son Kaydnz Kodah (born May 2009). He has been married to Amber since 2003. His song "
I'm Sprung"I'm Sprung" is an R&B song performed and produced by producer/singer-songwriter T-Pain and is the first single from his debut album Rappa Ternt Sanga.-Chart performance:...
" is dedicated to her.
He had two noted legal troubles in 2007. When he refused to cut his set short at Radio One's Spring Fest Concert in Miami on the evening of April 28, 2007, police presence escalated backstage. He became agitated after concert officials stopped his performance of "Buy You a Drink". Police chased T-Pain and his entourage out of the premises and detained them. After a June 2007 concert of T-Pain's, Tallahassee police issued a warrant for his arrest over a suspended driver's license. T-Pain turned himself into the Leon County Jail on November 2, 2007.
On March 27, 2009, T-Pain was involved in a golf cart accident. He suffered cuts, bruises, and four missing teeth and had emergency dental work done. He returned to performing on March 29, 2009. The accident was later referenced in the music video of
Glasses MaloneCharles Penniman, better known by his stage name Glasses Malone, is a West Coast rapper from the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.-Early life:Glasses Malone grew up in the Watts and Compton neighborhoods of Los Angeles...
's song "Sun Come Up".
Discography
- Rappa Ternt Sanga
Rappa Ternt Sanga is the debut album by Hip-Hop producer/singer-songwriter T-Pain, released in 2005. The title is a dialectal pronunciation of the phrase "rapper turned singer," of which he has stated that he wanted to be a rapper, but turned singer instead. It has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide...
(2005)
- Epiphany (2007)
- Thr33 Ringz
Thr33 Ringz is the third studio album by Grammy-winning American R&B singer-songwriter T-Pain. It was released in the U.S. on November 11, 2008 , debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200 at #1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart...
(2008)
- RevolveЯ
RevolveR is the fourth upcoming album by R&B singer-songwriter T-Pain. It is widely believed that the first single off the album is "Take Your Shirt Off" though it has not yet been confirmed, the single was leaked on the internet on September 22, 2009....
(2009/2010)
Awards and nominations
- American Music Awards
The 2007 American Music Awards took place on November 18, 2007 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.-Pop/Rock:Favorite Male Artist:*AkonFavorite Female Artist:*Fergie...
- 2007, Favorite Male Artist [Nominated].
- BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
- 2009, Best Male R&B Artist (Nominated)
- 2009, Best Collaboration ("Blame It") with Jamie Foxx (Won)
- 2009, Viewer's Choice ("Can't Believe It") with Lil Wayne (Nominated)
- 2008, Best Collaboration ("Kiss Kiss") with Chris Brown (Nominated)
- 2008, Best Collaboration ("Low") with Flo Rida (Nominated)
- 2008, Viewer's Choice ("Kiss Kiss") with Chris Brown (Nominated)
- 2008, Best Collaboration ("Good Life") with Kanye West (Won)
- 2008, Video of the Year ("Good Life") with Kanye West
Kanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
(Nominated)
- BET Hip Hop Awards
- 2009. Producer of the Year (Nominated)
- 2008, Best Ringtone ("Low") with Flo Rida (Nominated)
- 2008, Best Hip-Hop Video ("Good Life") with Kanye West (Won)
- 2008, Best Hip-Hop Collabo ("Low") with Flo Rida (Nominated)
- 2008, Best Hip-Hop Collabo ("Good Life") with Kanye West (Nominated)
- 2008, Track of the Year ("Good Life") with Kanye West (Nominated)
- BMI Urban Awards
- Song Writer Of The Year (Won)
- Producer Of The Year shared with J.R. Rotem & Kanye West
Kanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
(Won)
- Grammy Awards
- 2009, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Got Money") with Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American Grammy Award-winning rapper. Formerly a member of the rap group the Hot Boys, he joined the Cash Money Records collective as a teenager...
(Nominated)
- 2009, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Low") with Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper. As a teenager, he toured with local rap group 2 Live Crew. Later, he appeared in numerous popular rap mixtapes and studio albums, most notably in We the Best in 2006...
(Nominated)
- 2009, Best Rap Song ("Low") with Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper. As a teenager, he toured with local rap group 2 Live Crew. Later, he appeared in numerous popular rap mixtapes and studio albums, most notably in We the Best in 2006...
(Nominated)
- 2008, Album of the Year (Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
) [Nominated]
- 2008, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group ("Bartender") with Akon
Aliaune Badara Akon Thiam, better known by his middle and stage name Akon , is a Senegalese-American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up”, the first single from his debut album Trouble...
(Nominated)
- 2008, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Good Life") With Kanye West (Nominated)
- 2008, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("Kiss Kiss") with Chris Brown (Nominated)
- 2008, Best Rap Song ("Good Life") with Kanye West (Won)
- Ozone Music Awards
- 2008, TJ's DJ's Hustler of the Year (Nominated)
- 2008, Club Banger of the Year ("I'm So Hood") with DJ Khaled, Trick Daddy, Rick Ross, & Plies (Nominated)
- 2008, Club Banger of the Year ("Low") with Flo Rida (Nominated)
- 2008, Best Rap/R&B Collaboration ("She Got It") with 2 Pistols
Jeremy Lemont Saunders, better known by his stage name 2 Pistols, is an American rapper from Tarpon Springs, Florida.-Musical career:2 Pistols' first success in rapping had come with an independent record called "Dirty Foot," which he wrote while still in high school and distributed in the Tarpon...
& Tay DizmArtavious Smith, better known by his stage name Tay Dizm, is an American rapper signed to T-Pain's Nappy Boy Digital record label.-Biography:...
(Nominated)
- 2008, Best R&B Artist (Nominated)
- 2008, Best TJ's DJ's Tastemaker Award (Won)
- 2007, Best Male R&B Artist (Won)
- 2007, Best Rap/R&B Collaboration ("Shawty") with Plies (Won)
- 2007: Best Rap/R&B Collaboration ("Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" with Yung Joc
Jasiel Robinson, better known by his stage name Yung Joc is a Grammy Award-nominated American rapper who resides in College Park, Georgia....
(Nominated)
- 2006, Best Rap/R&B Collaboration ("I'm N Luv (Wit a Stripper)
"I'm 'n Luv " is a single performed by American R&B artist T-Pain featuring rapper Mike Jones...
(Remix)" with TwistaCarl Terrell Mitchell, better known by his stage name Twista , is an American rapper who once held the title of fastest emcee in the world, according to the Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 11.2 syllables per second. His 2004 album Kamikaze went to number-one on the U.S...
, Pimp CChad Lamont Butler , better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper and producer. He was one half of the influential hip-hop group UGK.- Early life :...
, Paul WallPaul Slayton , better known by his stage name Paul Wall or "The People's Champ" is an American rapper. He is currently affiliated with Swishahouse Records, having released several albums under the label as well as...
, R. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly Thabit , best known by the stage name R. Kelly, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and record producer. Debuting in 1992 with the group Public Announcement, Kelly went solo in 1993 for a successful solo career starting with the album, 12 Play...
, MJG, and Too Short) (Won)
- MTV Video Music Award
- 2008, Best Hip-Hop Video ("Low") with Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper. As a teenager, he toured with local rap group 2 Live Crew. Later, he appeared in numerous popular rap mixtapes and studio albums, most notably in We the Best in 2006...
(Nominated)
- 2008, Best Male Video ("Low") with Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper. As a teenager, he toured with local rap group 2 Live Crew. Later, he appeared in numerous popular rap mixtapes and studio albums, most notably in We the Best in 2006...
(Nominated)
- 2007, Monster Single of the Year ("Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin)"), featuring Yung Joc (Nominated)
- People's Choice Awards
The People's Choice Awards is an awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble....
- 2008, Favorite Hip-Hop Song, "Low
"Low" is Flo Rida's very first single, used for the soundtrack to the 2008 film Step Up 2: The Streets and was also a track on Flo Rida's debut album Mail On Sunday. The song features T-Pain and was co-written with T-Pain, and has been serviced to radio stations and charted. There is also a remix...
" with Flo Rida [Won]
- 2008, Favorite Hip-Hop Song, "Good Life
"Good Life" is the Grammy Award-winning third single from American rapper Kanye West's album Graduation. The song features R&B artist T-Pain, and uses sampled keys from the song "P.Y.T. " as performed by Michael Jackson...
" with Kanye WestKanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
[Nominated]
- Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards is an awards show presented annually by FOX. The program honors the year's biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, as voted on by teens aged 13–19. The program usually features a high number of celebrities and musical performers...
- 2008, Choice Hook-Up: Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain, "Low" (Nominated)
- 2008, Choice Music: R&B Artist - T-Pain (Nominated)
- 2008, Choice Music: Rap/Hip-Hop Track - Lil Mama featuring Chris Brown and T-Pain, "Shawty Get Loose" (Won)
- Vibe Awards
- 2007, Best R&B Artist (Nominated)
- 2007, Best Collaboration ("Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin)") with Yung Joc (Nominated)
- 2007, Song of the Year ("Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin)") with Yung Joc (Won)
External links