It started with the Koalition Radio Special, followed by Ed Mason’s detailed look at T Pain and his history with The Story Thus Far. Now, we isolate particular songs that left strong impressions on us and a why.
Joe Hova
“Right Hand” from Epiphany
I’ve been a Teddy Penderazdoun fan since college. Rappa Ternt Singa dropped my freshman year of college and “I’m Sprung” had me hooked. There was something fun yet honest about T-Pain’s music and it was a good change of pace. If we’re being honest, he birthed a lot of these rappers that have been prospering in the past few years with his rap/sing/auto-tune style. Shockingly enough, this is a tough decision for my favorite T-Pain song. Do I go with “I’m Sprung”, the song that made me fall in love with his music? What about “Buy U A Drank”, a track that I remember my college radio brothers mocking me cause I sang it baritone in fear of my voice cracking?
None of the hits, although they’re great in their own right. No, my favorite is “Right Hand” from Epiphany. This song has everything: T-Pain doesn’t use auto-tune and sings with his real voice, which many people don’t notice for some reason. He tells a story about cheating but on this one it’s not in a “I’m begging for you back” way but it’s in a “hey, this is what I did, I know I messed up” way. It’s a beautiful song from beginning to end and one of his best ever.
Ed Mason
“Stoicville Intro” from Stoicville
This song captures a new adventurous T-Pain who is unafraid of evolving and does so throughout the track by not only leaving behind the trademark auto-tune but using lyrical substance not yet fully explored by the artist. It proves he isn’t a one dimensional artist and excites the listener for future endeavors to come.
Gary Swaby
“Buy You A Drank” from Epiphany
This is my favourite T-Pain song because it was a massive hit while I was studying at University. Now every time I hear it it’s synonymous with some of the best times of my life. Yes, songs carry concepts and messages. But there are times where a song has such a baring on you that its able to invoke memories you thought were forgotten. “Buy You A Drank” is one of those songs for me. Sure, it’s not exactly an original concept, but it reflects on a time in my life that was important to me.
Charles Singletary Jr.
“Ringleader Man” from Thr33 Rings
With an artist as entertaining as Teddy Pizzle, there are a multitude of favorites to pull from: The Ciara featured “Blowin Up”, the absolute banger “Bad Side”, the song-I-wish-I-could-crump-to “Nothing”, and so many more. My personal favorite, though, encompasses a theme expressing just how prominent Pain is in the mainstream: “Ringleader Man”.
“This is my circus / I’m working / I can flip this whole thang with one hand”
A simple part of the hook, but an absolutely fact. When T Pain was hot, he had the top 40 charts dangling from puppet strings whether it be by his own tracks or features. There are many more quotables in the track that echo that similar sentiment, but the fact is T Pain was on top of the game for very good reason and should she remembered for such.
What’s your favorite T Pain song or feature? Share with us in the comments below and stay tuned for the rest of T Pain Appreciation Week.
