The other day, T.I. took over the Ebro Laura Rosenberg Show, digging deep into his backstory, beefs, beliefs, and aspirations. Of course, this conversation could not go without mentioning Eminem.
Benchmark of Quality
People mostly talk about T.I.’s take on his long feud with Fifty, which recently took a new turn and included a new generation, literally, as T.I.’s son decided to get involved. However, the Atlanta rapper also talks about his music and studio collaborations, naming André 300 as a rapper who impressed him the most on the mic.
T.I. remembers recording “Sorry” with the Outcast MC. André 3000 showed up with a stack of paper and went off on the mic so hard that T.I. was worried that the featured artist would overshadow him. He did not change anything in his verse, though, deciding that they have two distinctive voices, which complement each other, not compete.
He demonstrated a similar attitude, answering Rosenberg’s follow-up question about other rappers who could be better than André on the mic. T.I. only shrugged, reframing the question: “I think there are people who are as good. You know, not many”. And that T.I. started putting together a list: “It’s definitely Kendrick, Scarface, Jay-Z, T.I., Lil Wayne”. T.I. included his own name on the list, as many rappers do in similar situations; however, Em did not initially make the list. It’s only when Rosenberg asked whether Marshall is included, T.I. confirmed: “Definetely, Em”. And then added Jay Electronica to the list.
More Similar Than You Think
Interestingly, T.I. mentioned Eminem and André in the same sentence earlier, pointing out a unique ability they share. “They give the longest verses that you ever ever get. And when they finish, they come together masterfully”, he said in 2023. He also mentioned Nipsey Hussle as an artist who possessed a similar ability. Well, probably all three have something to say when they touch the mic. Even if for Nipsey Hussle, this statement has to be written in the past tense, sadly, as he is no longer with us.
Close Connections
Obviously, T.I. talks from experience. He worked with both, paying a hefty sum to André to hop on “Sorry”, and having Eminem produce their first joint, “Touchdown”, in 2007, and later recording their 2010 chart success, “That’s All She Wrote”. Actually, T.I. worked with every rapper on his list, except for Jay Electronica. However, Jay is the only one who dedicated an entire song to T.I. when the latter was in prison. So, as often happens in the hip hop scene, everybody is connected to everybody.
