Published: Friday - October 17, 2008
Words by Allen Starbury
T-Pain (Photo: Blender)
A lot has changed since T-Pain's success has turned him into a full-blown R&B superstar. Not only do tourists spot him in the streets and know who he is, but his wealth has also soared.
In a recent feature story by Blender, T-Pain discusses some of these changes, but says he's managed to not lose sight of the guy he was before the fame.
According to what the singer tells the mag, he's not the average heartthrob that most of the ladies swoon over. He's doesn't have a rock hard physique like his peer Usher, or a babyface like Chris Brown. In fact, Pain is pudgy, and wears sunglasses out of insecurity -- thanks to a car that struck him in third grade, his left eye droops slightly. He's not a ladies man either.
"Out of the 200 dudes in any club, only six are macks. I talk to the other 194," he says.
Even Akon can see how much of a regular guy Pain is, "He's real average. Like, I'm getting him into Lamborghinis, but he'd rather buy Mini Coopers, Smart cars, Scions -- it's funny."
It's his signature Auto-Tune effect on his voice that's helped him carve out his niche in the business. His use of the effect has influenced artists like Snoop, 50 Cent, and Lil Wayne to manipulate their own voices. Pain admits, initially, he wasn't feeling that.
"At first, I was real pissed about them using the effect," he told the mag. "Like, You guys don't need this -- I do!"
The wealth he's obtained from his popularity has given him the ability to afford almost anything he wants. He spends stacks on custom top hats ordered from a London haberdashery, 300 of them so far, and he recently bought a '70s-era hearse, which he had painted in Miami Dolphins orange and installed a pricey sound system in its coffin.
However, while there's a lot more pros then cons in Pain's life today, he says the fame does affect some parts of his life negatively. His bank account has put a strain on his relationship with his family, he admitted.
"Now my dad asks for money every time I talk to him, and that's just weird," Pain explained. "He and I used to get along fantastic -- until all the dollar signs.
"My whole family, man, they see what they see and they automatically ask for stuff," he continues. "It ain't a problem except when they ask for sh** they don't need. I bought my mom a house and a Porsche truck. I bought my sister a Buick truck. I gave my dad $20,000. I didn't even feel that one. But he asked for more, like, two days later. It got to the point where he straight up said, 'Gimme $250,000 and you don't have to worry about me no more.' Like, what the f***? That's a payoff for your dad. God damn."
The feature story, which can be read in its entirety at Blender.com, was done in promotion of his upcoming circus-themed album, Thr33 Ringz. There is no release date for the album just yet, but he is slated to hit stores by year's end.
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