T-Pain Parties Like a Rockstar

Rapper T-Pain's new album, Thr33 Ringz, hits stores today. T-Pain mentioned it once or twice.

I was unfamiliar with any of the rapper's music and couldn't have even told you the difference between T-Pain and T.I. Nevertheless, I decided to attend T-Pain's promotional concert last night at Hiro Ballroom in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. I braved the cold weather outside on a line for an hour plus before receiving my blue MySpace bracelet. I then headed to the line to be frisked.

Inside, I found a club that had been transformed into a small concert venue. It was dark, yet cozy. People were seated at tables to the side of the stage and VIPs hung over the balcony railing up top. At around 10 p.m., T-Pain took the stage.

Between each song, he and his DJ informed the crowd that the album is available for purchase at record stores. His fans cheered while they listened to a selection of the rapper's newest tracks. Album sales were what drove this underground, free concert, so I expected the rapper to play a few songs and then to call it a night. Instead, T-Pain gave the crowd what they wanted but couldn't have expected.

The rapper was his charming, enthusiastic, I-can't-believe-I-get-to-do-this-for-a-living self. He showed off his two-stepping dancing skills, waved his arms and jewelry-laced microphone with the crowd, donned a green and black striped top hat, and drank Patron silver on stage. He, and the venue, offered even more sights to see -- a hula hooper on stilts, face-painted dancing midgets, a middle-aged breakdancer, and a star-studded cast. Above the stage -- the performer's playground -- was a sign that fittingly read "Circus."

And the entertainment ensued. He played dozens of songs during the night, laughing and gallivanting around the stage like a ringmaster.

It was appropriate, and not just because there's a track on the album titled "Ringleader Man." Lots of T-Pain's lyrics center around the luxuries he enjoys now that he has achieved fame and success. For this celebration of his career, he welcomed his friends to come share in the revelry. The event offered plenty of special guests who came out to pay homage to T-Pain. It was his party and everyone was invited.

The first and most prominent guest of the night was Diddy, who sang a song with T-Pain before heading off. This was the pattern that carried on throughout the night. Various rappers and hip hop artists joined T-Pain on stage for a song or a toast to his new album. They included Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, DJ Khaled and many others I confess I did not recognize (although pretty much all of the rest of the crowd did). Even executives from Jive Records and B.E.T. were on hand for this memorable night.

It wasn't only for this one special night that these artists came out to play. Take a look at the list of tracks on T-Pain's new album and you'll find a who's who of the rap industry. Ten of the album's 17 tracks feature guest vocalists. These guests contribute everything from a beat to lyrics to the songs, as well as exposure and marketability.

But it was clear from the concert last night that these artists mean something more to T-Pain than as occasional collaborators. For instance, when he introduced Busta Rhymes, T-Pain talked about how Rhymes is an older brother to him. At other times, T-Pain spoke emotionally about how some believed in him when he was first starting out in the business. He even called out members of his record label to thank them for not forcing him to make concessions like cutting off his dreadlocks, as others had previously told him to do.

The message was clear: Despite whatever skeptics or obstacles once stood in his way, T-Pain is now releasing his third album in four years. He's solidified his place among the most recognizable and profitable in his industry. What seems to matter most to the man, though, is that he's earned the respect and admiration from some of the big shots he once studied and likely idolized. In this way, the celebration was a coronation ceremony, these stars coming out to admit and welcome T-Pain to their elite club.