.

T.I. Raps About Fears Of Jail On "Hallelujah'

December 20, 2012 5:44 PM ET
T.I.
T.I.

T.I. is doing a lot of testifying on his new album, "Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head." The Atlanta rapper counts his blessings on "Wonderful Life," expresses gratitude for his relationship with his wife on "Guns And Roses" and takes on faith on a gospel ballad interpolation of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

"Hallelujah" deeply reflects the set's "Trouble Man" theme. His first lyric references the posttraumatic stress of his incarceration from 2010 to 2011.

"Sometimes I wake up feel like I'm in Forrest City Arkansas," he rapped about his bid at the Forrest City Correctional Facility. T.I. spent 10 months in the prison after violating his parole in September 2010, six months after being released from a halfway house.

The artist born Clifford Harris said it was difficult serving back-to-back sentences. "I went to jail, stood tall, then I fell again," he rapped. "It seems like I'm Jonah and right back in that whale again."

T.I. even admitted to fears. "I felt a panic when they locked me in that cell again," he rhymed.

In addition to Jonah, T.I. compared himself to a number of biblical figures. He described rising from the bed of death like Lazarus, praying for the strength of Solomon and feeling crucified like Jesus.

Despite losing everything from riches to family, T.I. rapped that he never lost hope.

Instead of leaning on his tough-guy rap persona to prevail, he found solace in his faith and insistence to persevere, making "Hallelujah," arguably, the most lyrically potent song on the 16-track "Trouble Man" set.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

prev
Yahoo Hip Hop Next

blog comments powered by Disqus
Daily Newsletter

Get the latest RS news in your inbox.

Sign up to receive the Rolling Stone newsletter and special offers from RS and its
marketing partners.

X

We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Rolling Stone and its partners. For more information please read our Privacy Policy.

Song Stories

“Is It True”

Brenda Lee | 1964

As the British Invasion reached its peak in 1964, Brenda Lee went from Nashville to London to record one of her hardest-rocking hits, her perky vocal backed by a stuttering, squalling guitar. That guitar was played by session musician Jimmy Page, yet to skyrocket to fame with first the Yardbirds and then Led Zeppelin. "She said to me, 'I've come here to make a record with the British sound,'" remembered producer Mickie Most. "She felt she wouldn't get the same sound in Nashville because they're only just catching up on the British beat group sound of about six months ago."

More Song Stories entries »