Grammy award-winning artist T-Pain is known for many things. He's an actor, a musician, a DJ and all-around star performer. T-Pain has collaborated with R. Kelly, Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Rick Ross, Kanye West, Usher, Chris Brown, Britney Spears and many more.
Urban Empire HQ had a chance to chop it up with the man himself, T-Pain recently. In the interview T-Pain talks about the music industry, his new artists, what to expect from his new album RevolveR, his latest single with Wiz Khalifa and more. Check out urbanempirehq.com for more interviews & exclusives coming soon!
Urban Empire: Alright, alright... Hello world i'm on the phone with T-Pain right now, what's going on brother?
T-Pain: What's good man?
Urban Empire: We see that you been doing some big things man, the people down under here man, we just got a couple of questions that we wanted ask you, you know what i mean?
T-Pain: Aite wsup, let's get it.
Urban Empire: What do you feel about the, basically the state of the music industry right now, where do you see it going for the future?
T-Pain: Um right now it's getting better... I mean it sucked for a long time, you know what i'm saying, and cause people were just putting out whatever they felt like and not saying that no music was good for a while ago, you know i think people are paying attention more, people are putting more effort in their music, but i think it's going good so far, i think in the future it's gonna start sucking again, but everything is a cycle, its gonna suck and gonna be good again and it's gonna suck again, then it's gonna be good again.
Urban Empire: (Laughs), yeh man i'm feeling that. Well we're all just waiting for it to get back to that pure form, when the music matters most man. Now we know you've got the record label Nappy Boy Entertainment... Can you tell us who's signed to that at the moment?
T-Pain: I got Shawnna, she used to be withe Ludacriss, she's on the label, uh i got Travie from gym class heroes... i got One Chance - they used to be with Usher, um i got Young Cash, um I mean right now we just rocking out man, we going in, you know.... i'm starting to drop a few of them out, people on the label are proud to be doing their thing, everyone is starting to tour, everyone is putting out mixtape's and albums, something like that, so i got time to find other people.
Urban Empire: That's crazy, that's awesome man, and what do you look for when you sre trying to find an artist, you know, what's the Nappy Boy criteria?
T-Pain: I look for the new, i look for the new, i don't want the new Trey Songz, or the new Nicki Minaj, i want the new, i want people that try to be that person - that person that i find instead of them trying to be someone else.
Urban Empire: alright man, alright... now down to the real business, you got the new album...
T-Pain: Yeh RevolveR...
Urban Empire: What can we expect from that?
T-Pain: Ah man you can expect some good stuff man, everybody that i shouted to so far said it's gonna be the best album i've put out so far. you know, i'm just really kickin' back man, letting everything take the time that its supposed to take, making sure i've got everything right, make sure i got all my ideas out, it's coming out real good man, i went back and listened to all my old albums and they didn't sound up to the grade that this one is gonna be, so i think this might be my best one i put out so far.
Urban Empire: Word word, the single 5 o'clock with Wiz Khalifa man, that joint is real real crazy and everything, how did that whole connection come together, y'all working together and that?
T-Pain: Wiz is like you know, he's the newest cat, so he's doing his thing right now, he's doing real big so i can't do nothing but show love for that, you know, just show my respect and i've got no choice but to show him my respect, and get him on the song, i had no choice but to show my respect and he's the hottest kid in the game right now, i got him on the track and you see we up with a smash.
Urban Empire: Yeh that's incredible, because i know you'd know a lot about that because when you first dropped and everything you do is fire, obviously you had a collab every other week and everybody had to get you on there, so that's crazy that you recognise that and be able to just pay that back to other new artists and everything like that.
For other people man, if they don't not know already, you are a multi-platnum album selling, Grammy award winning artist, you've accomplished so much in your young life, like what keeps T-Pain driving, what's your drive, what keeps you pushing?
T-Pain: Everything i do i been wanting to do better than the last time, everything i wanna do better than the last time, so it's really good being motivated for myself and challenging myself and really going at it. They might think i been playing but, making sure i work at it, take my time with it and rock that thing
Urban Empire: Yeh man that's alright, that's alright... and is there any um, is there any advice you have for young, upcoming artists, anybody trying to do their thing, and really kinda do it like how you did it any advice like that?
T-Pain: Well, listen my advice is let your music speak for itself, don't worry about what nobody has to say, if i was always listening to people i wouldn't be here right now.. so you ain't gotta listen to nobody, don't worry about what somebody has to say, iif it's alright with you then that's what's up.
Urban Empire: Now down here in Australia we've seen you a few times, i've personally been out and seen you a few times, and you are always crazy the energy is incredible, your show is put together well, and we really love you down here in Australia, when can we expect you back here brother?
T-Pain: I'm gonna come back, i'm tryna promote this album so imma be coming everywhere you know what i mean. So i'm ready to come back down and do my thing.
Urban Empire: No doubt, no doubt well listen man, i know you're a busy man so we gon let you keep on but on behalf of Sony Australia and Urban Empire Entertainment we really wanna thank you for taking this time out and doing this interview.. wish you all the best with everything man and God Bless you brother take care.
T-Pain: Thank you, God bless you brother.
Urban Empire: Aight peace!
