What's Hot

T-PAIN
Epiphany
Konvict Muzik/Jive Records, 2007
4.0/10, Sub-Par [scale]

Epiphany

Last year, T-Pain’s brand of pop R&B party jams had veejays, deejays, and gentleman’s club emcees… sprung. He was compared to R. Kelly and even Marvin Gaye, but still remained a hip-hop guilty pleasure. Much like falling in love with a stripper, enjoying the attractive sounds of T-Pain (aka Teddy Penderazdoun) is easy, but usually not ideal.

Now, the “Stripper Song Guy” is back, armed with his signature voice encoder digital tweak- with two hit singles already (”Buy You a Drank”, “Bartender”). If the title of his second release is any indication of his progress, Epiphany sets the tone to reveal T-Pain’s insightful transformation from his solo debut. He doesn’t disappoint. Lines like “Baby let’s do 69/ In the back of my Lincoln/ With the suicide doors” and “Ooo she made us drinks/ To drink/ We drunk ‘em/ Got drunk”, suggest momentous growth in Teddy’s lyrical ability.

Seriously, the highlight of the album might be T-Pain’s ode to the female midsection, “Yo Stomach”. While maybe not completely intentional, this cut includes some of history’s funniest rhymes. Everything from “I should be payin’ money/ I’ma have her walkin’ funny” to “It’s the reason that I’m singing this song/ Cuz I don’t got nothing else to bust a nut on,” are ridiculous enough to have been lyrics in a Dave Chapelle R. Kelly parody.

Of course, Epiphany is obviously not a joke. Debuting at the top of Billboard is serious business. The reason for its success? The sound is hot. T-Pain’s got a rare knack for writing hooks and making beats. To his credit, he also has a pretty decent flow (see: “Show U How” or “Put it Down”). Don’t forget the guy’s propensity to actually sing his own hook. “Bartender” features Akon harmonizing on the refrain and spitting his own verse. If one could just look past Pain’s ghetto fabulous eccentricities (like his obsession with voice alteration) and take him seriously, perhaps he could garner respect outside of the mainstream.

To be honest though, it’s doubtful that respect from the most critical hip-hop and R&B fans is what he was aiming for. The serious issues Ted tackles on Epiphany don’t sound like desperate attempts at legitimacy. “Suicide” and “Right Hand” aren’t fantastically written, but come off as sincere R&B laments.

Whether or not T-Pain is a genuine presence in any genre, the verdict on this record is relatively straightforward. Those that can dig Pain’s style, will. Epiphany’s sound goes down pretty smooth… regardless of your state of mind. But, if you’re looking for something stimulating, you’ll need to buy a few dranks from the bartender before your first listen.

by Brian Meredith