The American rapper TI plans to release another album with tracks from his unreleased songs. Kevin C Cox / Getty Images / AFP
The American rapper TI plans to release another album with tracks from his unreleased songs. Kevin C Cox / Getty Images / AFP

Music

TI tries hard with Trouble

The American hip-hop star has created a free-flowing record that's consistent both musically and thematically

Saeed Saeed
Saeed Saeed
Abu Dhabi

January 01, 2013

TI

Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head

(Grand Hustle/Atlantic)

***

Jail seems to have taken the swagger off the once invincible TI.

A nine-month prison stint in 2010 took the wind out of his sails. His last album No Mercy tanked due to its sheer derivativeness.

With southern hip-hop still influencing pop culture, TI went to work to reclaim the regional crown. The result of a two-year songwriting period saw him record more than 120 tracks, 16 of which made the final cut for the latest album Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head.

Considering the avalanche of songs to pick from, TI has done reasonably well to create a free-flowing record that is relatively consistent, both musically and thematically.

Where earlier records found TI revelling at his escapades, Trouble Man is where he accepts the pitfalls of who he is.

Those expecting a sombre self-analysis should think again: the big crunk beats and blazing horns are back, as well as a whole swag of hip-hop stars including Lil Wayne, Akon, Andre 3000 and Cee Lo Green.

The album's self-titled opener finds TI fresh out of jail and unrepentant. Over a soulful yet percussive production - lifted from Marvin Gaye's song from the 1972 blaxploitation film, also called Trouble Man - TI proceeds to stomp on critics. What gives this song a subtle emotional edge is the crooning of the hook: "Call me trouble man / always in trouble man."

The macho bluster continues with G Season, where he pairs up with Meek Mill and heads to the streets, throwing lyrical jabs at all those crossing his path.

Moments of reflection are interspersed throughout with the slow burning Wildside and the album highlight Sorry, featuring Andre 3000.

Andre 3000 returns with a solid-rap effort recalling the glory days of Outkast. His nimble shape-shifting flow and different accents are a welcome reminder of where Nicki Minaj picked up some of her tricks.

The album's big pop hope is the calculated Pink duet Guns and Roses. Produced by the solid T-Minus, the track is begging to be a summer smash; it is this eagerness to please that's working against it.

Trouble Man may not win new fans, but it proves TI is still hungry despite his setbacks.

Just in case this album doesn't reach expectations, TI stated he plans to select another batch from the songs left unreleased for a quick follow-up next year.

That's not surprising. After all, TI made his career by playing all angles.

The team

Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory 
Videographer: Jear Valasquez 
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory 
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat 
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova 
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi 

 

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Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Results:

5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1.400m | Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)

5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Saab, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Majd Al Gharbia, Saif Al Balushi, Ridha ben Attia

6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed Dh 180,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Money To Burn, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh 70,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Kafu, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 2,400m | Winner: Brass Ring, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed

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