T.I.'s contributions to Southern hip hop and the rap game in general shouldn't be overlooked. He might have already reached his commercial peak as a rapper but he still brought something new to the table and ultimately, influenced many rappers over the years. In recent times, he and Gucci have been "debating" on social media who the inventor of trap music is. Today, we bring back a cut off of T.I.'s debut album, Trap Muzik for this week's #TBT.
T.I. had the rap world bouncing to his hit "Rubber Band Man." The song served as his second single off of Trap Muzik and hailed production from David Banner. The organ riffs on the track automatically stood out on the song while Tip showcased his unique delivery in the rap game. In addition, the music video also had appearances from Bow Wow, Michael Vick, Jagged Edge, Usher, Lil Duval and more. In addition, the rapper shot the video in several notable Atlanta areas such as Bankhead Courts and College Park.
Quotable Lyrics
Rubber band man
Wild as the Taliban
Nine in my right, forty-five in my other hand
Who I'm is?
Call me trouble man, always in trouble man
About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years.
Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021.
Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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