T.I. Says He’s Still The Only Southern Rapper To Put A Dancehall Artist On A Hook

T.I. says he’s the first and only southern rapper to put a Dancehall artist on a hook.

The Live Your Life rapper made the statement during an Instagram Live session last week with singer/rapper CeeLo Green while discussing that early time in his career when he collaborated with Beenie Man, who was already a Billboard-charting, Grammy Award winner.

T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., was referring to his 2001 single I’m Serious which was produced by The Neptunes, and was the title track off his debut album.  According to T.I., linking up with Beenie for the track was a pioneering stride for the southern rap movement.

“When you listen to the Beenie Man record, I’m still the only southern Hip Hop ni–a that have a Reggae-Dancehall mothaf–ker on the hook … and we brought Beenie Man to Bankhead [Atlanta],” he said.

T.I. pointed out that the music video for I’m Serious, which was shot on the rapper’s stomping ground of Atlanta, and in Jamaica, was instrumental in showcasing people from a different culture with similar backgrounds. “There was no internet to even show mothaf–kers what everybody in other hoods and other cities …what was going on,” he added.

Beenie Man, at the time, was riding high from the success of his 12th studio album Art and Life, which peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard 200 in 2000.  The album included his Reggae fusion hit Girls Dem Sugar with R&B singer Mya, which peaked at No. 54 on the Hot 100.  Art and Life won Beenie the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2001.

The I’m Serious album peaked at No. 98 on the Billboard 200 in 2001.  Due to poor commercial reception, T.I. asked for a joint venture deal with Arista Records or to be released from his contract.  He was subsequently dropped from the label and I’m Serious remains his lowest-selling album to date.

There have been several collaborations between Dancehall artists and southern rappers over the last decade—though not all of them feature a Jamaican singer on the hook.

Megan Thee Stallion, who is considered a southern rapper, has collaborated with Popcaan on Intercourse (2020), and with Shenseea on Lick last week.

Georgia rapper Young Thug has collaborated with Popcaan on I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times) and with Shenseea and Rvssian on IDKW with Swae Lee.  Rich The Kid, another Georgia rapper, has collaborated three times with Skillibeng, on Real Boss (with Jay Critch), Rocket Launcher (with Popcaan), and the 2Gyal (Remix).  

Florida rapper SpotemGottem released an official Beat Box remix with Shenseea in 2021, while YK Osiris, who also hails from the State, recruited Jah Vinci for Closer in 2019.  

Other Southern rappers to collaborate with Dancehall artists include Rick Ross on Big Belly (2018) with Konshens and Rvssian; DJ Khaled, who has collaborated several times with Buju Banton, Sizzla, Bounty Killer, Mavado, and more; and Trina on Come See About Me with Barbee.

Overall, I’m Serious ranks among a string hit Dancehall/Rap collaborations from the era including Shyne’s Bad Boyz with Barrington Levy (2000), Foxy Brown’s Oh Yeah with Spragga Benz (2001) and her Tables Will Turn with Cham (2001), The Game’s It’s Okay (One Blood) with Junior Reid (2006), DMX’s Top Shotter with Sean Paul and Mr. Vegas (1998), and Busta Rhymes’ Make It Clap (Remix) with Sean Paul and Spliff Star (2002).

Interestingly, while the Beenie Man collab was also the first single off T.I.’s debut album, it wasn’t supposed to happen that way.  Dope Boyz was T.I.’s first choice but the radio stations and the industry were giving him a fight.  The rapper said he was advised to go with I’m Serious because it had a better ‘high level’ appeal with its feature with Beenie Man and The Neptunes.

“When I dropped I’m Serious, I was a rapping mothaf–ker, all I wanted to do was rap rap rap … and tell stories and rap,” he said. However, T.I. was advised to “take some of dem words out” because not everyone could hear his lyrics properly.

“And then when I did Dope Boyz … I basically just recounted a lot of my teenage experiences you know what I mean. The sh-t I was doing before they walked me in the studio …”

T.I. also said he and his team worked extremely hard to push the I’m Serious track with Beenie, as there was no big budget involved in the project.  However, the success of Dope Boyz ultimately influenced his decision to create an entire album of similar rap music, which started the “Trap music” trend.

“When Dope Boyz was the one that poked its head up, I said ‘sh-t, if this what they like, I finna give them a whole album full of this sh-t and call it Trap music’. And that’s basically what it was, but what I did then was I made a conscious decision to dumb my material down …”

“It [Trap] wasn’t impressive to me but what it did was, it tapped into a consciousness and ability to relate to people who were going through the same things as we were going through and going through it at the same time, which is just as important.”

Beenie Man and T.I. performed I’m Serious together for the first time at Reggae Sumfest 2015 in Montego Bay.

Speaking during a press conference at the time, T.I. said, “I have a lot of respect for dancehall and reggae artists and would work with anyone at the top of their game. It’s all about chemistry… How you vibe together to bring about the best.”