As of October 2008, T.I. has had nine Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles, with 3 of them reaching number 1 ("My Love" by Justin Timberlake on which T.I. was featured, "Whatever You Like," & "Live Your Life" featuring Rihanna).
The Love This Life Songfacts reports that Love This Life, the first official single from T.I.'s eighth album, Trouble Man, was released on April 2, 2012 via YouTube.
T.I. is from Bankhead, Atlanta, Georgia and was raised by his grandparents. T.I. explained the origin of his nickname Rubber Band Man, saying, "We used to wear rubber bands to signify how much money, how much blow we had." He was nicknamed "Tip" after his paternal great-grandfather. Upon signing with Arista Records subsidiary LaFace Records in 2001, he shortened his name to T.I. out of respect for label mate Q-Tip.
T.I. has been in a relationship with former Xscape member Tameka "Tiny" Cottle since 2001. Together, they have two sons: King and Major Harris. He has three other children with ex-girlfriend Lashon Dixon: Domani, Messiah and Deyjah. Overall, T.I. has five children.
T.I. was co-executive producer of B.G.'s upcoming album and making beats for artists like Mariah Carey, Cassidy, Rick Ross, Maino, B.o.B., Yung Joc, Young Dro, and himself. He also executive produced the soundtrack to the film Hustle & Flow and released the collection through his record label.
Touch Down
T.I. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Chorus]
In the Midwest we OK
Everybody know them southern boys love that bass
Atlanta go bananas, Alabama, Louisiana
Mississippi tenekeys, every mothafuckin' state
When we touchdown
When we touchdown
On the private plane gettin' brain, till we
Touchdown, eh ain't no way to keep 'em quiet
Wit T.I. and Shady baby we bout to insight a riot
When we touchdown
When we get in town, you know how we getting down
Pull a cling an hop on out, snatch all the freaks then walk on out
I'm livin' what they talkin' bout, shinin' if it dark or not
That one hundred D-X double R, you'll find that in the parkin' lot
You barkin' up the wrong tree, I do this shit for zone 3
4, 5 and 6 as well as 1, atlanta I'm forever son
Still be on whatever coat, grindin' blowin' heavy smoke
Him you better tell 'em fo, won't hesitate to let him go
They know I put that green light on them haters
Keep on tryin' me I'll put that beam right on ya tater
(Bow wow wow wow)
You don't wanna see T.I.P he irate
Try to keep in a cage but some how he keep escapin'
That's why I be on vacation, Virgin Islands I be takin'
Private planes out to Spain, now keep on flyin' I ain't fakin'
The money ain't a thing, think I'm lyin' your mistaken
You can find long lines, and all kinds of bitches your way
When we touchdown
[Chorus]
Welcome to the Midwest, yes
Where the Detroit players, ball like you have no idea
The boy is here
Got the whole place lookin' like its candy painted, ain't it
Like we left the kids at home and just let 'em loose with the crayons
Fuck, I just hit a jogger
People lookin' like frogger
They hoppin' out the way whenever they see Marshal's car comin'
The kids painted my windows with black, permanent marker
And left the rest of the car color cover like swirl pops
And I got the bass thumpin' but I'm bound to bump into something
Kids are flyin' through the air lookin' like they're crumpin', the way they're tumbling
I gotta do something
But soon as I hit the carwash, to get the tar off
Then it's right back at it tomorrow
They're like dad, this is in, so get with the trend
This is for the pimps, listenin' to MIMS, nail polish on the rims
And now it's custom chrome, but I gotta go do a show
So go on with your bad self, just have it back to normal when I
Touchdown
[Chorus]
From my arrival, to my departure
I guarantee I put this d-i-c-k in somebody daughter, ey
I still have my way with the ladies across the water
Flew from Paris to Haiti, just some shit that I thought of
Its ironic kind of shit that we buy man
Make us psychotic
Threat to corporate America, then why they runnin' from me
How could they be so ignorant look at what hip hop den done
Its allowed us to run a business, we should of made it our money
Got us out the ghettos, relocated our mommies
I made it all the way here, ain't no way you takin' it from me
So excuse me Oprah honey I'm sorry really I promise
But niggas bitches and hoes do exist I'm just bein' honest
But why am I bein' punished why is you so astonished
Now I ain't got a degree just intelligence and abundance
So you ain't gotta like me I know millions folks that love me
Well u can tell how they yellin' and screamin'
An waitin' for me
When I touchdown
[Chorus]
The song "Touchdown" by T.I. features Eminem and is a track that celebrates the power and influence of Southern rap on hip hop culture. The chorus notes that in every state, when they touchdown, they bring with them their signature sounds and style that people can’t resist. T.I.’s verses, in particular, highlight his status in the urban music world, speaking on how his success and reputation have granted him access to a lavish lifestyle of private planes, exotic vacations, and luxurious cars. On the other hand, Eminem's verse seems to be a tongue-in-cheek critique of the superficial elements of modern hip-hop, from customized cars to the use of nail polish on rims. Eminem's verse, in particular, speaks of his fear of hitting joggers in his custom car, while children run around him like they're crumpin'. All in all, the song is a fun, energetic tribute to Southern rap and a condemnation of the increasingly superficial, consumerist side of hip hop.
Line by Line Meaning
In the Midwest we OK
When we're in the Midwest, everything is okay
Everybody know them southern boys love that bass
People know that Southern boys love music with a heavy bass
Atlanta go bananas, Alabama, Louisiana
People in Atlanta, Alabama, and Louisiana get really excited when we're there
Mississippi tenekeys, every mothafuckin' state
People in Mississippi and every other state love us too
Go right from the plane to the range
As soon as we arrive, we get straight to business
On the private plane gettin' brain, till we
On our private plane, we're enjoying ourselves with a woman
Eh ain't no way to keep 'em quiet
There's no way to keep people from getting excited around us
Wit T.I. and Shady baby we bout to insight a riot
When T.I. and Eminem are together, they make people go crazy and cause a commotion
When we get in town, you know how we getting down
When we arrive, we immediately get to work and have fun
Pull a cling an hop on out, snatch all the freaks then walk on out
We grab all the attractive women and leave the scene
I'm livin' what they talkin' bout, shinin' if it dark or not
I'm living the life they talk about, even when it's not glamorous
You barkin' up the wrong tree, I do this shit for zone 3
You're messing with the wrong person, I do this for my neighborhood
4, 5 and 6 as well as 1, atlanta I'm forever son
I represent multiple areas of Atlanta and will always be a part of them
Him you better tell 'em fo, won't hesitate to let him go
You better warn him, because I won't hesitate to take him out
They know I put that green light on them haters
Haters know that I am coming after them
Keep on tryin' me I'll put that beam right on ya tater
If someone keeps pushing me, I will use my weapon on them
(Bow wow wow wow)
Sound effect
You don't wanna see T.I.P he irate
You don't want to make me angry
Try to keep in a cage but some how he keep escapin'
People try to keep me contained, but I keep breaking free
That's why I be on vacation, Virgin Islands I be takin'
That's why I go on vacation, to get away from everything
Private planes out to Spain, now keep on flyin' I ain't fakin'
I take private planes to Spain and keep living this lifestyle
The money ain't a thing, think I'm lyin' your mistaken
Money is not a problem, don't doubt me
You can find long lines, and all kinds of bitches your way
There are many people waiting to see us and lots of attractive women
Welcome to the Midwest, yes
Hello, we are now in the Midwest
Where the Detroit players, ball like you have no idea
Detroit athletes play exceptionally well and are underestimated
The boy is here
I have arrived
Got the whole place lookin' like its candy painted, ain't it
My car is so bright and flashy that it looks like it's painted with candy
Like we left the kids at home and just let 'em loose with the crayons
It looks like a group of children had fun decorating my car with bright colors
Fuck, I just hit a jogger
Oops, I accidentally hit a person jogging
People lookin' like frogger
People are quickly jumping out of the way
They hoppin' out the way whenever they see Marshal's car comin'
People are jumping out of the way when they see my car coming
The kids painted my windows with black, permanent marker
Children wrote on my car windows with permanent black marker
And left the rest of the car color cover like swirl pops
They covered the rest of the car in different colors like a swirl popsicle
And I got the bass thumpin' but I'm bound to bump into something
My music is loud and exciting, but I'm likely to hit something while driving
Kids are flyin' through the air lookin' like they're crumpin', the way they're tumbling
Children are falling and tumbling in the air, as if they're performing a dance called 'crumpin'
I gotta do something
I need to address the situation with my car and the children
But soon as I hit the carwash, to get the tar off
As soon as I can, I'm going to the car wash to get the tar off my car
Then it's right back at it tomorrow
But tomorrow, I'll be back to the same lifestyle
They're like dad, this is in, so get with the trend
My children tell me this is the current trend and to adapt
This is for the pimps, listenin' to MIMS, nail polish on the rims
This lifestyle is for pimps who listen to MIMS, and decorate their wheels with nail polish
And now it's custom chrome, but I gotta go do a show
Now my wheels are custom chrome, but I have to go perform
So go on with your bad self, just have it back to normal when I
You can do whatever you want, just make it look normal when I return
From my arrival, to my departure
From the moment I arrive until I leave
I guarantee I put this d-i-c-k in somebody daughter, ey
I'm confident that I'll have sex with someone's daughter
I still have my way with the ladies across the water
Women from across the ocean still find me attractive
Flew from Paris to Haiti, just some shit that I thought of
I flew from Paris to Haiti on a whim
Its ironic kind of shit that we buy man
It's ironic that we spend money on certain things
Make us psychotic
It makes us crazy
Threat to corporate America, then why they runnin' from me
We're seen as a threat to corporate America, but they are afraid of us
How could they be so ignorant look at what hip hop den done
How can they be so ignorant despite the accomplishments of hip hop
Its allowed us to run a business, we should of made it our money
Hip hop has allowed us to run successful businesses, but we should have made more money from it
Got us out the ghettos, relocated our mommies
Hip hop has helped us leave the ghetto and move our mothers to better places
I made it all the way here, ain't no way you takin' it from me
I have come so far, and no one can take my success away from me
So excuse me Oprah honey I'm sorry really I promise
Sorry Oprah, please forgive me
But niggas bitches and hoes do exist I'm just bein' honest
Sorry Oprah, but there are people who act negatively
But why am I bein' punished why is you so astonished
Why am I being punished for being honest? Why are you surprised?
Now I ain't got a degree just intelligence and abundance
I don't have a degree, but I'm intelligent and have a lot of it
So you ain't gotta like me I know millions folks that love me
You don't have to like me, but millions of people do
Well u can tell how they yellin' and screamin'
You can hear how excited and happy my fans are
An waitin' for me
And waiting for my arrival
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CLIFFORD HARRIS, MARSHALL MATHERS, JEFFREY IRWIN BASS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind