Paper Trail is the sixth studio album by T.I.. TI working on the new Paper Trail studio album while under house arrest on pending gun charges. TI has completed 30 tracks for the album already. TI says that he only likes about 16 of them though and plans to produce about 16 more for Paper Trail. The album is entitled Paper Trail, which comes from lyrics he has written down on paper. He abandoned this style of rapping after his first album I'm Serious. "He wanted to take more time to really put something down (this time)," explains his rep.[3] The album is expected sometime in 2008.

After going through most of his career without writing any of his rhymes down, T.I. has begun putting ink to pad again, inspiring his forthcoming album's title, Paper Trail. According to his rep, T.I. is making the most out of his house arrest on gun charges by recording an album in his home studio. While under house arrest, the MC faces very stiff restrictions from the court, including being banned from drinking alcohol and having all his visitors go through a background check and be subjected to a search by authorities. According to one of his representatives, his engineer was given clearance to visit Tip a week and a half ago, and the two began working immediately. After writing his lyrics on paper for his first couple of albums, Tip decided to follow the practice of peers such as Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Ja Rule and compose rhymes in his head, never writing anything down. His rep says with this LP, he wanted to spend more time concentrating, hence the title Paper Trail.

TI Paper Trail Album

On her album Public Warning the choruses are even bigger and brighter. Lady Sovereign has continued working with grime-based producers including Medasyn, but has also collaborated with established dance producers like Basement Jaxx and incorporated sonic references to ska, electro and new wave. This appeal to both the mainstream and underground is also reflected in her upcoming remixes, as ultra rugged producer Jammer is doing a rework and Ordinary Boys, a popular laddish rock band, have been commissioned to cover Sovereign's lead single "9 To 5".

Rick Ross Preps Port of Miami Album vibe Rick Ross is ready to show hip hop fans just how strong his hustle really is. The Miami-bred MC has slated his Def Jam debut album, the Port of Miami, for an Aug. 8 release date. According to Billboard.com, the highly-anticipated Port of Miami LP features the likes of Young Jeezy, Akon, R&B crooner Mario Winans and Def Jam President Jay-Z. In addition, Ross recruited producers like Cool & Dre, Jazze Pha and DJ Toomp to work the boards for his album. Comment Ross immediately appealed to hip hop fans with his smash single, “Hustlin’ and subsequently the “Hustlin’” remix, which features Jeezy and Jay-Z spitting alongside the 305 MC. Both tracks will be included on the Port of Miami album....

Ying-Yang Twins Take Raunchy Route On Next Disc, "2 Live Crew" Atlanta rap duo Ying Yang Twins is currently planning its third studio effort "2 Live Crew," due later this year. According to member D-Roc, the album title is an ode to the raunchy 1990s rap group of the same name. "We're gonna take 'em back [to] 'As Nasty As They Wanna Be,'" D-Roc tells Billboard.com, referring to 2 Live Crew's controversial 1989 album. "We ain't actually working on the album [yet] but outside of just working with [producer] Mr. Collipark, we're getting together and doing songs on our own." "2 Live Crew" will be the follow-up to Ying Yang Twins' 2005 set "U.S.A.: United State of Atlanta" (Collipark/TVT), which bowed at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 932,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The disc spawned the hit single "Wait (The Whisper Song)," which peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Kaine recently launched his new label Grown Folk Entertainment, while D-Roc is currently rolling with Da Muzicianz, a group he formed two years ago with his younger brother Mr. Ball and Da Birthday Boy. Out today (May 23), the group's debut, "In Stores Now," features guest appearances from Fabo of D4L, Kaine and Mr. Collipark, who handled the majority of production. The lead single is "Camera Phone." "It's basically a party album," says D-Roc. "In Atlanta, there's a different variety of clubs to go to seven days a week and that's what we show you on this album."

LA Times' Calendar Live have a story on Thom Yorke's new album The Eraser, talking with Kris Chen, senior vice president of artists & repertoire for XL Recordings: "It really did take everybody by surprise." Radiohead's management brokered a deal in late January/early February with the indie label, home to acts including Devendra Banhart, the White Stripes and Dizzee Rascal. "Everybody involved was able to keep it under wraps for a while," says Chen. Since the announcement, some fans have grown dismayed at the idea of pop's most inscrutable poet of ennui releasing what some fear might be an indulgent electronica album. Chen, however, is at pains to banish the notion. "Contrary to what some people are posting on bulletin boards, it's not 'Thom's techno record,' " he says. "It is well-composed, beautifully thought-out and song-based. Thom's voice and lyrics are unmistakable. That said, it's not as if you're going to hear the more guitar-based angle of, say, 'The Bends.' " One of Yorke's new songs, "Black Swan," will play over the closing credits in Richard Linklater's animated sci-fi film, "A Scanner Darkly," which hits theaters in July. Until then, Yorke completists can stay current via the album's interactive ” and spookily atmospheric” website, theeraser.net. "That's crucial in keeping up the dialogue with Thom's fans — there's an invitation to keep coming back," Chen says. "Since the site launched last week, it's gone through changes every day. We're trying to get music across to people outside the tried-and-true norm."

The hip-hop provocateur tells us he’s planning on calling the CD simply "N-." Except, he’ll be filling in the blank. "That’s the name right now," he said. Just to make sure we didn’t mishear him, he spelled the racist epithet for us. "I don’t care about sales," he explained at Wednesday’s MAC Cosmetics party for Sean (Diddy) Combs’ new fragrance, Unforgivable. "Well, tonight I don’t. I never was a big sales dude, so it never really mattered."