Rubber Band Man
by T.I.

Album: Trap Muzik (2003)
Charted: 30
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The Spinners The Rubberband Man used the office supply as a bass, and Soulja Boy used them as jewelry, but T.I. wore rubber bands around his wrists to signify how much money he anticipated making - the more rubber bands, the bigger his predicted haul. He was always very organized, and back in his days as a hustler, he would use the rubber bands to wrap his loose bills in neat stacks, usually $1,000 per stack. As his career took off, the rubber bands became symbolic, representing the people still in the drug game. He was often asked about them in interviews. He wrote "Rubber Band Man" as an explanation.
  • This track was produced by David Banner, who had a hit of his own two years later with "Play." Banner went on to produce tracks for Chris Brown and Lil Wayne.
  • T.I. raps "call me trouble man" in this song, and brags about carrying a gun in each hand ("9 in my right, .45 in my other hand"). Unfortunately, he was on probation for 1998 charges of distribution of cocaine, for which he served a year in jail, and he wasn't supposed to have a gun in either hand. The day he finished shooting the video for this song, he found out there was a warrant for his arrest. Police found a gun in his house and called his probation officer, who had T.I. arrested. He served about 9 months in jail, and was arrested on gun charges again in 2007.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Songs Discussed in Movies

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.