HIP-HOP
Cinq Music Acquires T.I. Catalog, Plans 'Paper Trail' Reissue: Exclusive
11/9/2017
by
Dan Rys
T.I.'s iconic catalog has a new home. Cinq Music, the digital-first record label, distributor and rights management company run by co-founder/president Barry Daffurn, announced today that it has acquired Tip's catalog of albums released while signed to Atlantic Records from 2003 to 2012, including his first Atlantic release Trap Muzik as well as No. 1 Billboard 200 albums King, T.I. vs. TIP and Paper Trail, among others.
With the catalog, Cinq plans to release a new greatest hits album, which will include alternate versions and remixes of some of his biggest hits, as well as a reissue of Paper Trail -- the highest-selling album of his career with 2.3 million units in the United States, according to Nielsen Music -- to coincide with its 10th anniversary next year. Additionally, the company acquired T.I.'s YouTube channel, and is helping promote his latest Hustle Gang collab project We Want Smoke, which was released Oct. 13 via Roc Nation.
Across his career, T.I. has landed seven top 10 singles on the Hot 100, including two No. 1s: "Whatever You Like" and "Live Your Life" feat. Rihanna, both off his Grammy-nominated 2008 LP Paper Trail. A third single off that album, "Dead and Gone" feat. Justin Timberlake, reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 and was nominated for two Grammys, for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song; the star-studded "Swagga Like Us" feat. JAY-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne, which reached No. 5, took home the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group in 2009.
T.I. has released nine official albums over his 15-plus years in the business, seven of which were released by Atlantic; those albums have collectively sold 9.8 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen Music. His major-label debut, I'm Serious, was released in 2001 by Arista; his ninth LP Paperwork came out via Columbia in 2014; while his latest album, The Dime Trap, is scheduled to be released by Roc Nation.
"Through artists like T.I, we’re showing Cinq is a company that artists of all sizes can rely on to maximize the value of their intellectual property," Daffurn said in a statement. The acquisition arrives as part of Warner Music Group's divestment plan following its acquisition of Parlophone Music Group in 2013.
It's also the first major move for Cinq since the company made two major announcements in recent months: in August, GoDigital Media Group invested $20 million in Series B funding in the company; and in October, Master P joined Cinq in the newly-created position as president of urban music in the United States.
