ATLANTA, Dec 27, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Rapper T-Pain says he is surprised by
his current success in the U.S. music industry, noting the harsh criticism that
greeted his first album.

The 24-year-old rapper said when his first album, "Rappa Ternt Sanga," was
released in 2005, he expected to find minor success and then disappear from the
nation's music scene, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Saturday.

"I didn't even see myself making it past the first album," he said of his first
album's unexpected success in light of criticism. "The amount of hate I was
getting for it; just seeing how people didn't really accept me at first. It was
weird. I thought I was going to sell a quick 200,000 and be out the game."

Now T-Pain is releasing a third album, "Thr33 Ringz," in the wake of earning
gold and platinum CD honors with his first and second album efforts
respectively.

Songwriter Bryan-Michael Cox told the Sun-Times the "I'm Sprung" star's success
has been based on his ability to produce rhythmic, yet innovative, songs

"T-Pain found a unique way to connect with the audience, the listeners by
creating music that is innovative ... with simple rhythmic patterns," he said.

"The result is a hot track that is memorable."