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T-Pain’s ranging artistry has seen him dabble outside the lines of R&B/hip-hop plenty of times throughout his decorated career, but he’s recently opened up about even writing country songs.
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The Florida-bred singer-rapper said in a recent TikTok that he’s penned some country tracks for artists, but ended up removing his name from the songwriting credits because of racism he’s experienced.
“Good music is good music. I don’t give a f–k where it come from or what style it come in,” he began in the video. “All the people I know feel like it’s not cool to listen to other genres of music. Country music is where I get all my harmonies.”
T-Pain continued: “I done wrote a lot of country songs [but] I stopped taking credit for it because as cool as it is to see your name in those credits and s–t like that, the racism that comes after it is just like, ‘I’ll just take the check. Don’t put me on that s–t. I’ll just take the check, bro. Nevermind, dude.’”
The 38-year-old didn’t reveal any context as to who he’s written country songs for or if he’s doing it under a different alias. (his real name is Faheem Rashad Najm.)
But just last week, The Breakfast Club dug up a years-old interview during which T-Pain delved deeper into his ghostwriting phase, and during the chat said he’s worked with the likes of Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan during his two-year stint living in Nashville.
“I write a lot of country music for huge country artists that would rather not have it known that I write for them,” he said. “I got back up with Taylor Swift, Luke Bryan, Rhett Akins [and] Dallas Davidson. So, you know, I’ve written a lot for a lot [for] very important country artists.”
Per Songview, T-Pain isn’t credited as a writer on any songs by the aforementioned artists. However, he did connect with Swift for a parody of her “Love Story,” which the duo flipped to “Thug Story” and performed a recorded version of it at the 2009 CMT Awards.
Billboard has reached out to T-Pain’s reps for comment.
Last year, T-Pain leaned into his affinity for country music when he covered David Allan Coe’s “Tennessee Whiskey” as part of his On Top of the Covers album.
“Tennessee Whiskey” has been covered a ton over the years, and Chris Stapleton delivered a memorable performance of the record at the Country Music Awards with Justin Timberlake in 2015.
Listen to the “Buy U a Drank” artist’s explanation as well as The Breakfast Club‘s discussion below.
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Toby Keith, the iconoclastic country music singer, songwriter and hitmaker behind songs including “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “American Soldier” and “Red Solo Cup,” died Feb. 5 at age 62, following a battle with stomach cancer.
Since his career debut in 1993, Keith lobbed 20 songs to the pinnacle of Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart. Born in 1961, the Oklahoma native worked in the oil fields alongside his father after he graduated from high school. He also launched the Easy Money Band and began playing small clubs around Oklahoma and Texas. In the early 1990s, Keith moved to Nashville to continue pursuing music. After Keith’s demo tape was given to producer Harold Shedd, Keith signed a deal with Mercury Records.
His first hit came in 1993, when “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” a solo write from Keith, hit No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, while his eponymous debut album was certified 4x multi-platinum by the RIAA. His early career hits were marked by ballads that showcased his strong baritone and emotional range, such as “He Ain’t Worth Missin’” and “Who’s That Man,” as well as the romantic “Me Too.”
In 1998, seeking greater creative control, Keith left Mercury for DreamWorks Nashville. Beginning with 1999’s “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” Keith’s image and song selections began to shift, embracing an in-your-face swagger and braggadocio, along with more novelty-oriented songs such as “Who’s Your Daddy?” In 2001, inspired by both the loss of his father and the 9/11 attacks, Keith released “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American),” with the controversial line “We’ll put a boot in your a–/ It’s the American way,” which both underscored the rage that many Americans felt, but also garnered garnered backlash. Not long after, he would release “American Soldier,” which depicted the everyday sacrifices of military personnel.
Keith co-founded the label Show Dog Nashville in 2005 and released his album White Trash With Money in 2006, earning top five Country Songs hits from the album including “A Little Too Late.” He continued scoring hits patriotic-themed songs such as “Made in America” and “American Ride.” In 2011, another novelty song, “Red Solo Cup,” gave Keith his highest-charting song on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 15.
Keith won three Billboard Music Awards during his career, and was named the Country Music Association’s male vocalist of the year in 2001. He earned the ACM’s Merle Haggard Spirit Award, and was inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was named a BMI Icon in 2022, and won BMI’s country songwriter of the year honor three times.
From 2002-2013, he also went on 11 USO tours, performing for active-duty service members in over 15 countries. He also supported organizations including his own Toby Keith Foundation, as well as Ally’s House (an Oklahoma organization dedicated to aiding children with cancer), and the OK Kids Korral, a cost-free home for families of children battling illness.
In October, bolstered by his performance on the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards, Keith’s “Don’t Let the Old Man In” topped the Country Digital Song Sales chart.
As the world remembers the burly-voiced singer, the hitmaker, the heartfelt songwriter, the staunch, outspoken American military supporter, and businessman that was Toby Keith, Billboard recounts his 20 biggest Hot Country Songs chart hits.
Toby Keith’s Biggest Billboard Hits chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Hot Country Songs chart through the list dated Feb. 10, 2024. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower ranks earning less. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
“A Little Less Talk (And a Lot More Action)”
Gwen Stefani and husband Blake Shelton rock their snappiest Canadian tuxedos in an Instagram post promoting their upcoming duet, “Purple Irises.” The retro-looking snap posted on Monday night (Feb. 5) has Stefani lounging on a 1970s stripey couch in a denim jumpsuit, chunky-heeled shoes and a bra, while Shelton sits on a chair in jeans […]
One of the hardest balancing acts in entertainment is appearing gracious and happy when the person on stage opens the awards envelope and doesn’t read your name. That was the spot Kelsea Ballerini was in on Sunday night at the 2024 Grammy Awards when Lainey Wilson‘s Bell Bottom Country bested her Rolling Up the Welcome […]
As country music fans and the country music community mourn the passing of singer, songwriter and musical iconoclast Toby Keith, who died Feb. 5 at age 62 following a battle with stomach cancer, it is notable the fortitude he possessed in his final months.
On Sept. 28, Toby Keith played what would be his final television performance when he took part in the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards held at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House. Keith was honored with the Country Icon Award during the ceremony.
During the show, Keith’s fellow country artist Blake Shelton called him a “global country superstar, award-winning singer-songwriter, devoted and beloved activist, business powerhouse … Toby Keith is a multi-dimensional artist like no other … a global megastar, a man of the people, and a genuine inspiration. Toby Keith is a true icon.”
In accepting the country icon honor, Keith’s speech was both lighthearted and heartfelt. “I bet you never thought y’all’d see me in skinny jeans,” he joked before getting serious. “I want to thank the Almighty for allowing me to be here tonight. He’s been riding shotgun with me for a little while now. I want to thank my beautiful family that’s here. A lot of people go in and make a career like this of 30 years.”
Keith also gave one of the evening’s most powerful performances as he took the stage to sing “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” a song he wrote solo, and which was included in the 2018 Clint Eastwood movie The Mule. Though the physical toll of Keith’s cancer battle was evident as he stood onstage, his voice was a strong as ever — filled with grit, refined by life — as he offered a musical tribute to living every day to its fullest. “Try to love on your wife and stay close to your friends/ Toast each sundown with wine/ Don’t let the old man in,” he sang.
Following the performance, Keith’s “Don’t Let the Old Man In” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales in October.
Keith, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015, followed the performance by releasing the album 100% Songwriter — an album filled with songs he wrote — in November 2023. His final concerts came in December at the Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, when he spearheaded a trio of sold-out concerts, performing several of his hits, such as “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “Red Solo Cup.”
Since his career debut in 1993, Keith notched 20 No. 1 Country Airplay hits. He also earned three Billboard Music Awards during his career, including country singles artist of the year (2002), as well as country artist of the year and country albums artist of the year (both in 2005).
See Keith’s People’s Choice Country Awards performance above.
Toby Keith may have passed away, but the thousands of songs he penned in his lifetime will carry on his legacy forever. In fact, a post on the country music icon’s Instagram page just days before he died Monday (Feb. 5) notes that Keith built a catalog of more than 5,000 tracks. Thirty-nine of them […]
Musicians are raising their red Solo cups in honor of Toby Keith after news broke that the country star died on Monday (Feb. 5) after a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62. The singer-songwriter had revealed his battle to fans in 2022, a year after he was diagnosed.
Keith’s death was announced Tuesday (Feb. 6) in a statement posted to the country star’s official website and social media accounts. “Toby Keith passed peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family,” the message read. “He fought his fight with grace and courage.”
His impact was felt among many artists, who spoke out to remember the seven-time Grammy nominee.
“Toby inspired millions and I was one of them,” Jelly Roll wrote in an Instagram story, noting that he covered Keith’s 1993 Billboard Hot 100-charting song “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” at “every show last year.”
“An American icon,” singer-songwriter Randy Houser called Keith in his Instagram post, which included a video of himself singing the late artist’s 2003 hit “I Love This Bar.” “They do not make em like him everyday in my opinion. One of my favorites that he and @Scottyemerick wrote. It’s late at night or early in the morning but I wanted to sing one in his honor no matter what time it is. Rest In Peace. Job well done.”
The Country Music Hall of Fame also reflected on Keith’s career and impact on the genre. “Toby Keith was big, brash, and never bowed down or slowed down for anyone,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, in a statement. “His story is a distinctly American one — a former roughneck oil worker who carved out his own space in country music with a sinewy voice and an unbending will to succeed. He wrote his breakthrough songs and later formed his own record label when he felt underserved by Nashville. He relished being an outsider and doing things his way. Proudly patriotic, he didn’t mind if his clear-cut convictions ruffled your feathers. For three decades, he reflected the defiant strength of the country music audience. His memory will continue to stand tall.”
Read on for more heartfelt tributes from musicians:
“Saddle up the horses, Jesus, ‘cause a true blue COWBOY just made his ride up to heaven!!! Introduce him to all the Okies and sign that boy up for the choir! We’re gonna miss you, Toby, but my heart has no doubt that you are standing in the presence of our King right now!!! See you again someday, friend.” — Carrie Underwood on Instagram
“RIP. A Country Music and American Legend.” — Morgan Wallen on Instagram Stories
“Just waking up to the news of Toby Keith’s passing. Today is a sad day for Country music and its fans. Toby was a huge presence in our business and someone we all looked up to and respected. You and your music will be forever remembered big man.” — Jason Aldean on X
Waking up to the terrible news that our friend, and legend @tobykeith has passed away from cancer. He was a true Patriot, a first class singer/songwriter, and a bigger than life kind of guy. He will be greatly missed.— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) February 6, 2024
too many rides in my old man’s car listening to Toby Keith. really hard thing to hearrest in peace friend we love you— Zach Bryan (@zachlanebryan) February 6, 2024
Toby Keith came out from nowhere to become one of the major success stories of country music in 1993 with his debut single “Should’ve Been A Cowboy.” The singer rode in from Oklahoma armed with some of the strongest material that Nashville had seen in quite some time. That helped his self-titled album to be […]
Warner Chappell Music has signed a global publishing deal with artist-writer Morgan Wallen. As part of his deal, Wallen will have the ability to sign songwriters in partnership with WCM.
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Wallen has earned 10 No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hits and has sold out arenas and stadiums on his One Night at a Time tour. But he’s also been deeply involved in writing many of his own chart-topping hits including “7 Summers,” “Chasin’ You,” “You Proof” and “Thought You Should Know.” Wallen’s third studio album, One Thing at a Time, has spent 18 weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart, and was named Luminate’s top album of 2023 in the U.S. Wallen was honored with the songwriter of the year accolade at the 2023 BMI Country Awards last year.
As a songwriter, Wallen’s prolific abilities as a songwriter have extended to writing songs that have become hits for Kane Brown, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Corey Kent and other artists.
Wallen said in a statement: “I look forward to working with Warner Chappell as my new music publishing partner and would like to thank them for also offering support in signing songwriters I believe in. In many ways, I feel like I’ve always been a songwriter first, and because of that, the publishing community is especially close to my heart. I’m honored to use this partnership as an opportunity to give other songwriters a helping hand. Thanks to Ben, Phil, Jessi, and their great team.”
Ben Vaughn, president/CEO, Warner Chappell Music Nashville, said in a statement, “When you listen to the craftsmanship of songs that Morgan is writing, such as the modern-day classics ‘7 Summers’ and ‘Thought You Should Know,’ and the impactful songs he’s written for other artists like ‘You Make It Easy’ (Jason Aldean) and ‘Wild As Her’ (Corey Kent), you start to understand that the man from East Tennessee is quickly becoming one of the most important songwriters of this generation. Our entire Warner Chappell team is so proud of the opportunity to represent his songs.”
Jessi Vaughn Stevenson, Sr. Director, A&R and Digital, Warner Chappell Music Nashville, added, “Morgan’s songwriting style has been original and distinct from the beginning and it is so exciting to get to work with someone who has seen massive commercial success built on authenticity.”
Country music icon Toby Keith has died at 62 following a three-year battle with stomach cancer. The singer-songwriter known for such patriotic anthems as “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” and “Made in America” passed “peacefully last night on February 5th, surrounded by his family,” according to a statement on his official website. “He fought his fight with grace and courage.”
Keith was diagnosed with cancer in 2021 and revealed the news to fans a year later, telling them that he was undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and having surgery. He returned to the road to play a pair of pop-up gigs in his hometown of Norman, OK during the summer of 2023 and made his first TV appearance since the diagnosis in September, when he performed at the first-ever People’s Choice Country Awards, at which he received the Country Icon award.
At the time he gave an update on his condition, saying, “I’ve walked some dark hallways. Almighty’s riding shotgun. But I feel pretty good, you know? You have good days and bad days. It’s a little bit of a roller coaster. I’m doing a lot better than I was this time last year… I’ve always rode with a prayer. As long as I have Him with me, I’m cool. You just have to dig in. You don’t have a choice.” That night, the visibly skinnier singer elicited many tears in beers when he sang the moving “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” a track about a man facing death that he’d written for Clint Eastwood’s movie The Mule.
The 6′ 3″ singer who as born Toby Keith Covel on July 8, 1961 in Clinton, OK worked in the oil industry and played in the USFL football league before pivoting to music. Keith busked on Music Row in Nashville in an attempt to break through, handing out his demos to no avail and making a vow to get a contract before hitting 30 or quit the business. His big break came a short time later when a flight attendant handed his demo to Mercury Records exec Harold Shedd, who signed him to the label.
Keith’s 1993 self-titled Mercury debut featured such traditional country tunes as “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action.”
Keith, who wrote or co-wrote many of his own songs and had a chart-topper out of the gate with “Cowboy,” a trad country song that harkened back to a dustier time with references to Gunsmoke, ropin’ and ridin’, six shooters and Gene Autry and Roy Rogers; it went on to be one of the most-played country songs of the decade.
His follow-up albums, 1994’s Boomtown and 1996’s Blue Moon continued his early streak of success with hits such as the No. 1 Billboard hot country songs charting “Who’s That Man” and “Big Ol’ Truck” (No. 15) from the former and “Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine on You?” (No. 2) and “Me Too” (No. 1) from the latter.
His fourth and final album on Mercury, Dream Walkin’, continued his hot run on the Billboard country songs chart with another passel of top 10 charting tracks, including “We Were in Love” (No. 2), “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying” (No. 2) and the title track (No. 5). He moved over to Dreamworks Records in 1999 for How Do You Like Me Now?, whose title track proved to be his mainstream breakthrough, spending five weeks at No. 1 on the country chart and providing his first pop charting track when it hit No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. He followed up with 2001’s Pull My Chain, which spun off three more hot country songs chart-toppers: “I’m Just Talkin’ About Tonight,” “I Wanna Talk About Me” and “My List.”
In a town where artists often rely on professional songwriters to help hone their voice, Keith was proud to write or co-write many of his own tracks, telling Billboard in 2018 that, “I wanted to be better at it and I wanted to write the best songs I could write. So if I wouldn’t have gotten a recording contract and had some success, I would have still been pitching songs. God forbid, if something ever happened to you and you couldn’t sing no more or perform, you could still write songs.”
The singer won the Academy of Country Music’s top male vocalist and album of the year award in 2001 and the following year his duet with hero Willie Nelson, “Beer For My Horses,” from 2003’s Unleashed album, peaked at No. 22 on the Hot 100, marking Keith’s highest-charting pop single to date. Despite the playful title, the lyrics penned by Keith and and frequent collaborator Scotty Emerick hinted at a a dark underbelly to the American dream, with images of people being shot, abused, someone blowing up a building and stealing a car.
The vengeful refrain tapped into a deep vein of outlaw values and patriotic themes Keith would become known for on lines such as, “Grandpappy told my pappy, back in the day, son/ A man had to answer for the wicked that he done/ Take all the rope in Texas find a tall oak tree/ Round up all them bad boys, hang ’em high in the street/ For all the people to see/ That justice is the one thing you should always find/ You got to saddle up your boys, you got to draw a hard line/ When the gun smoke settles we’ll sing a victory tune/ And we’ll all meet back at the local saloon.”
Following the death of his father — a Navy veteran — in a traffic accident in 2001 and the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Keith channeled his rage and emotion into the controversial hit “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” from his 2022 Unleashed album. The jingoistic song hit No. 1 on the hot country singles & tracks chart and No. 25 on the Hot 100 and became a flag-waving staple of Keith shows thanks to the lyrics, “Justice will be served and the battle will rage/ This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage/ And you’ll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A./ ‘Cause we’ll put a boot in your ass/ It’s the American way.”
Through 19 albums, Keith repeatedly returned to themes of American life and symbolism on songs such as “American Soldier”and “Made in America.” He also mixed in many signature, more light-hearted drinking songs, including “I Love This Bar,” “Whiskey Girl,” “I Like Girls That Drink Beer,” “Get Drunk and Be Somebody” and one of his most enduring anthems, “Red Solo Cup,” which marked his peak Hot 100 success at that point when it reached No. 15.
In addition to his long music career, Keith also dabbled in acting, appearing Ford truck commercials and starring in the 2005 film Broken Bridges as country also-ran Bo Price, as well as 2008’s Beer For My Horses, which he wrote and starred in. The entrepreneurial singer also lent his name a chain of Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill restaurants, with outlets from Oklahoma to New York, Michigan, Las Vegas, Arizona, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Cincinnati and several other states.
Keith was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021 and received the Merle Haggard Spirit Award from the ACM in 2020, as well as the National Medal of the Art in 2021. As a testament to his prodigious songwriting abilities — he scored 52 top 10 hits and 32 No. 1s — Keith released a 13-track collection entitled 100% Songwriter in November, featuring some of his biggest hits.
