“Swagga Like Us”: Looking at the creation of T.I., JAY-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne’s ambitious collaboration

“Swagga Like Us”: Looking at the creation of T.I., JAY-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne’s ambitious collaboration

In an era dominated by blog buzz, designer flexes and a growing obsession with what it meant to have “swag,” one record emerged as a defining cultural moment. “Swagga Like Us,” a heavyweight posse cut featuring T.I., Kanye West, JAY-Z and Lil Wayne, was built atop a defiant hook lifted from M.I.A.’s runaway hit “Paper Planes,” which made for one high-stakes collaboration. On paper, it looked like a corporate attempt to manufacture a moment. In p…