In hip-hop, every few years a rare voice emerges from a regional scene that carries so much weight that it cant be denied. While the young up and comers flourish on MTV for all the world to see, theres always an underground champion who represents the real pulse of his city, sometimes deeper and more intensely than some want to hear. As artists like Mike Jones, Paul Wall and Slim Thug paint Houston as a city of diamond waterfalls and never ending Bentley dealerships, theres one rapper who is determined to give the world a real picture of his H-Town streets.
Trae grew up in Houston, Texas. Born and raised a product of its south side streets. Among other notable distinctions, hes a member of the Screwed Up Click and the ABN Gang. Since his first appearance on wax, on his cousin Z-ros debut CD, Look What You Did To Me, to this moment today, Trae has been one of the most consistently lyrical, street reporters this region has ever known.
His first official release hit the world in 1999, the classic Guerilla Maab album, Rise. Rise helped set the tone for a whole resurgence in Houston. Back then, Trae, Zro and Dougie D were all about 16 or 17 years old, and their youthful fire showed through on every track. Theirs was a new sound for Houston, harder, more aggressive, yet also smarter and more focused than many who came before them. Not since the Geto Boys released their classic Grip It On That Other Level, ten years earlier, had the city heard such genuinely heartfelt angst.
Rise was recorded and released just after Trae returned from a short stint in jail. That experience taught him to focus on his music, but still he remained in the streets. I caught an aggravated robbery case by being young and crazy. Trae remembers, I was on the streets. It was a blessing. I didnt do nothing but probably some weeks in jail, but I was on paper for like two years for aggravated robbery. They tried to give me close to 40 years. But it was a blessing man, the DA knew my lawyer and they felt they could give me another chance for me to not mess my life off. Cuz I had been doing music, so I was already known for that. They ended up doing that to where I only got two years deferred, but if I had messed up on that deferred probation then Id have did the max that I could do on that case.
