Clifford “T.I.” Harris explains in a recent interview, how Sean “Diddy” Combs gave up the track for “Castle Walls,” featuring Christina Aguilera, for the Atlanta MC’s album No Mercy, which is on shelves now.
Apparently, the Alex da Kid-produced record was originally slated for Diddy-Dirty Money, but the Bad Boy mogul thought it would be a better fit for Tip and he graciously handed it over…T.I. explains:
A funny thing about this record: It belonged to my big homey Puff first.
Puff, he acknowledged it, ‘Yeah, this is my record, but you know what, I think this is a better fit for you. I think you should rock out on this one. I think this speaks volumes to where you are, what you going through, what you living and how you feel.’
Tip took the track and penned a personal ode to his life, which has become clouded with controversy in the past year as the beloved star has exited and re-entered prison.
“See with the Phantoms and Ferraris in the driveway/ But you see it came in exchange of a sane man’s sanity,” he rhymes on the song. “Your vision jaded by the Grammys on the mantelpiece/ Just switch your camera lenses, you will see the agony.”
The embattled rapper explained the song’s inspiration: “I live the life that most would die for, but there’s a lot of things that come with this life. People don’t take that into consideration. There are a lot of things in this life that I would trade in a minute just for a slice of normalcy.
“I just listed a few things that they probably never viewed from that particular perspective,” he continued. “Because I think people need to see things another way; they need to see it other than just celebrity. (source)
“Castle Walls” ~ T.I. feat. Christina Aguliera