How does T-Pain own his individuality? That was the topic of the day as the 2x Grammy winner and 12x nominee prepared for this weekend’s 2021 Grammy Awards and simultaneously dished on his new campaign with Ruffles, “Own Your Ridges.” [The Official Chip of the NBA also partnered with basketball stars Anthony Davis, who launched the Ruffles Lime & Jalapeño as well as a Ruffles-inspired signature shoe, The Ruffles Ridge Tops, and Jayson Tatum, who launched the new Ruffles Flamin’ Hot BBQ,for the campaign — which aired its first spot during the NBA All-Star Game last weekend — in celebration of individuals who live their originality out loud.]
But back to T-Pain. Here, we chatted with the award-winning rapper (who’s live from a swish home studio) about his new album, Precious Stones, his love of cars (and new venture with drift driver Vaughn Gittin Jr.) and most of all, why you should never have to apologize for being exactly who you are.
Photo Credit: Frito-LayTell us about the ‘Own Your Ridges’ campaign from Ruffles, which will be airing during the Grammys. What’s it all about?
Basically, Ruffles has come through with a campaign that’s about owning your uniqueness and owning the things that make you you. I think it goes along with what I’ve been doing in music. When you see the way that I was dressing on my third album, Thr33 Ringz, with the top hats and all that, I feel like those are the things that were just me. I owned up to it, I owned it, I kept it in my heart and poured it out into the world. Ruffles is on the same path, be you and don’t apologize for it.’ It’s pretty cool.
So, how do you ‘own your ridges’? What makes you unique?
My music. My music doesn’t sound like everything else. I don’t go to the charts to see what’s working and copy that [and say]hopefully mine will work too. The decisions I make in my life to be who I am, you know what I’m saying – [from] my hair to everything I do, I make sure that I’m the one that’s making the decisions… It’s always just me. Anytime you see me in the studio — unless it’s someone else’s sessions — it’s just me by myself, my wife and I or me and my kids. I make sure my decisions come from me and that’s how I keep that unique and owned.
