The Year Is 2008!
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This features the pop singer Rihanna, who contributes a verse and sings the hook. T.I. told Artist Direct how he got the Barbadian singer on board: “It was a back and forth studio thing with Rihanna. I picked her. I was just able to ‘Hear’ her voice on this record. I could hear her, so I reached out and she said, ‘Yes,’ thankfully.”
- This song leapt from #80 to #1 on the Hot 100, breaking the record for the largest vault to the top. T.I. already held the record as the song this replaced at the top, “Whatever You Like” jumped from #71 to #1 six weeks previously. One week later, Britney Spears took the record away from T.I., when “Womanizer” leapt from #96 to #1.
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Rihanna is officially credited as a featured artist on this track. When this reached #1 in the US, the Barbadian singer became the first female to achieve five chart-toppers in the 21st century.
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T.I.’s rap name used to be “Tip” but he changed it out of respect for one of his idols. After signing with Arista Records subsidiary LaFace Records in 2001, “Tip” took on the name T.I. because he didn’t want to be confused with label mate Q-Tip, who he admired.
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