T-Pain mixes drink recipes, personal anecdotes in book
There may be a plethora of adjectives to describe music superstar T-Pain, but boring is never included. So when the idea of writing a book was presented, he knew what he would not be writing: an autobiography.
“I want to bring joy to other people. I don’t want to kill the mood. I want people to feel good when they read what I do,” said the “Bartender” singer.
“So, I felt like why not do something that people can actually get something from?”
The “Buy U a Drank” singer is transitioning from consumer to instructor with his new book, “Can I Mix You a Drink?” Co-written with professional cocktail expert and beverage executive Maxwell Britten, the book is filled with 50 alcoholic drink recipes inspired by Pain’s music and career travels. He offers personal anecdotes before each recipe, many named after some of his biggest hits.
“When I go to these different places, all these different things that I probably didn’t think I would like, I ended up liking when it was done correctly in the region and from the culture that I was getting it from,” said the singer. “It helped to make this book pretty broad.”
This interview with T-Pain has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: How hands-on were you with the book?
A: I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t just a book of like screwdrivers, so I definitely was hands-on with a lot of it. I put in my weird requests … the I’m So Hood drink, I requested that be served in a paper bag. The 5 O’Clock, I made sure that
I had ice cream inside of it, like it was a beer float, basically. I had a song called “Red Cup” — one of the recipes is called Red Cup. It had to be served in a red cup — it’s the exact portions, and you actually pour into the lines on a red cup.
Q: What’s your favorite drink?
A: It was the I’m Sprung because I was drinking wine at the time. But now, it’s I’m So Hood, just because of the sheer ridiculousness of it being served in a brown paper bag. Seeing that paper bag just brings light to my day.” (laughs)
Q: Can you tell us about your new music? “I Like Dat” has already hit 22 million views on YouTube, and you just dropped “I’m Cool With That.”
A: It’s fun to not have to chase anything. I’m actually having fun making music again, and it’s not a job. It’s actually still my passion. It’s not something that I have to do to survive. It’s just something that I’m doing with my hobby in my spare time, and if it comes out dope, then why not let the world hear it?
Q: You’re independent, so were you surprised at the success of “I Like Dat?”
A: Absolutely. Like I said, I’m not chasing the No. 1 spot, I’m not chasing money, so, you know, seeing the exposure and seeing the acceptance that it’s getting, yeah, that’s amazing. … The fact that people are still vibing with T-Pain in 2021 — yeah, I love it. That’s a dream come true. People would kill and die to last in the game this long.
Q: You’ve received a lot of criticism in the past for popularizing Auto-Tune, but have you begun to realize how much you’re actually appreciated by your fans and music lovers?
A: I see it sometimes, man. And it does break through the negativity a lot. As an artist and as a public figure, we always see the negative first. That’s just what happens first. When we sit down and actually relax and chill out and stop trying to impress everybody, we do get to see the appreciation. And that’s where I am in my life. I’m actually chillin’, relaxing and sitting back and enjoying it.