The song has burned a hole in your head. From its catchy hook to its intoxicating beat, T-Pain has mixed together a smooth concoction called, “Buy You A Drank [Shawty Snappin']”. The Tallahassee native wowed audience with his first album Rappa Ternt Sanga and is now hoping to bless them with his second offering.

Epiphany is a blend of sex, pain and the experiences that fame and money has brought Faheem Najm. With a new single blowing up the radio and a video creeping it’s way up the charts, Najm better known as T-Pain sits down with HHDX. In this interview, the “sanga” turned musical bartender talks about his favorite drink, if he’ll ever do a full-length album with R. Kelly and shares a few personal epiphanies of his own.

HHDX: Your use of the vocoder makes you stand out in the game – was that something that you came along by chance or was it just a decision on your part?
T-Pain: Honestly, I came across it by chance. It just happened. I didn’t plan on that making me into the person that I am. I wasn’t trying to do it, at first. I was just really into making music. So, the using of the vocoder had just came about out of nowhere, but I’m glad that it’s worked for me.

HHDX: The style of music you make is a hit with the ladies. What determines your songwriting – the ladies or the clubs?
T-Pain: Songwriting is determined by me, man… just me. I write from real life, you know? I’m not trying to get at anybody. I just make the music for myself. It’s real life. Personally, I have to like the music that I make more and before everybody else.

HHDX: The single, “Buy You A Drink (Shawty)” is a burner. How’d the concept of the song come about?
T-Pain: The song just came up. That’s just how everyone is meeting these days. “Can I buy you a drink?” That’s how people are cultivating a relationship. It’s how one may have a one night stand [laughs]. The song is just a reflection of those things.

HHDX: So, when T-Pain is in the club what can a shawty get to drink on your tab?
T-Pain: [Laughs] You know the boy has to have two shots of Patron on the rocks with a little bit of lime.

HHDX: Can you talk a little bit about your new album, Epiphany?
T-Pain: It’s just more this time on this album. There’s more pain being exposed. There’s more experiences that I have been going through. The whole album is mature. There’s a song on there called “Right Hand.” It’s about a dude that cheated on his girl and he has to tell her before the rumor mill started up about his infidelity. Continued on page 2 »