Just a year ago, hot singer/writer/producer T-Pain was an unsigned solo artist, whose music career consisted of being a member of the regionally-popular rap group, Nappy Headz. However, this Florida-based artist has demonstrated that a lot can happen in a year. Now in 2006, T-Pain has landed a label deal with Konvict Muzik/Jive Records, and he has already released two, smash pop/R&B hits, “I’m Sprung” and the current single, “I’m N Luv (Wit A Stripper).”

In a new interview, T-Pain (who is 20) talked about his breakthrough on the charts, and his transformation from being a rapper to becoming a cutting-edge R&B vocalist, songwriter & producer. In fact, his album title aptly describes his career shift: Rappa Ternt Sanga. This CD contains 18 cuts, the majority which T-Pain wrote, produced and performed. In addition, the album features contributions by hit rapper Mike Jones, who co-wrote “I’m N Luv (Wit A Stripper)” with T-Pain and raps on the cut, and R&B star Akon, who wrote the cut "U Got Me." It was Akon who signed T-Pain to his Konvict Muzik label, and serves as the CD’s executive producer.

Born Faheen Najm in Tallahassee, Florida, T-Pain started creating tracks at the age of 10, when he turned his bedroom into a mini-studio, with a keyboard, beat machine and four-track recorder. His name T-Pain is derived from his home city (“T” stands for Tallahassee) and from the struggles he has experienced. He explained, “The pain in my name T-Pain is about the pain and struggle I went through, to get my music out there.” When he was a teenager (in the early 2000s), he joined the five-member rap outfit Nappy Headz, which had regional success (in the Southeast) with their singles “Robbery” and “F.L.A.” But after the group broke up, he decided to pursue a solo career as an artist and writer/producer. T-Pain subsequently recorded and released his own CD, which included the song “Time To Make Love,” which received local airplay. However, a key break occurred when he wrote and produced his street record, “F**ked Up,” which was a reworked version of Akon’s hit, “Locked Up" (which was about his prison life). The song became a street hit, and T-Pain further promoted the single by filming a music video. “I released “F**ked Up” in August 2005,” said T-Pain. “It was the first song I sang on. [Soon after] the word started to spread about the record, and Akon heard and liked it.”