Young Trap is one of the many talented artists to come out of Memphis, Tennessee, and he plans on taking his career all the way to the top.
Currently residing in Los Angeles, the rapper not only hustles in the rap game, but with his multiple businesses as well. While he’s recording music on the daily, he also runs a tax business and sells cars.
Getting his start as a teenager as part of Memphis crew Da Ridahz, the group went on to release 2 albums both produced by Drumma Boy. After moving to the A, Trap released his debut solo album titled Money Talk, via his own label Debonaire Music Group.
Now, Trap returns with his most fire project yet: Betrayed. All 7 tracks were recorded and mixed by Tommy D Daugherty, who also mixed Tupac’s standout Makaveli project.
AllHipHop: Being from Memphis, what was the household like growing up?
Trap: Man, Memphis was crazy. We don’t have a lot of things going on, so you’re either going to be a truck driver, a nurse, police, or a dope dealer. You had to choose one of those, that’s how it was. If you chose the streets, then it’s you versus the robbers. Really it’s a cat and mouse. You’re hustling, the robbers are stealing. Either you’re already in jail or you shoot the robber, now you’re in jail. Real street business, it’s dangerous.
AllHipHop: When did music come into play for you?
Trap: I was trying to start singing when I was a kid, at 7 or 8 years old. Once my voice started getting a little deeper, I lost it, but I was still writing records. We had this rapper named Playa Fly in the city of Houston, he used to drop mixtapes and leave a long ass instrumental at the end. That’s how I learned to freestyle, on the end of his tapes. I started freestyling at 8 or 9 years old, kept going. I dropped 2 albums in high school produced by Drumma Boy.
AllHipHop: How’d you tap in with Drumma Boy in high school?
Trap: We worked at the same place, at a shoe store like Shiekh. That’s our first job, we put the plays together. I was in a rap group called Da Ridahz, we linked up with Drumma and he made our albums. We still got that relationship, I don’t think any of Da Ridahz are still rapping. I went solo of course.
AllHipHop: When did you realize you could do music for a living?
Trap: In Atlanta when I booked my first few shows. When you get your little paid shows, it’s like “damn, they’re paying me fam.” My CDs were moving, I was making money. I was able to pay bills off of it so it felt like I could grow this. It’s still going, the streams pay my bills. I can’t perform shows right now but we’ll figure it out.
AllHipHop: How’s it feel to have “My Ex” hit a million views?
Trap: It was fun. We shot the video in Pensacola, Florida with Boneyafterparty, it’s actually a solo artist and a group. There’s Boney then there’s Afterparty, they merged it. We had a good time, it was going to be a good video because of the vibes we had. It was natural with the song. I wish we could’ve performed it a lot more together, they live in Florida so it’s hard to put the plays together.
AllHipHop: You just released your new album Betrayed, what was the creative process behind this?
Trap: I had a lot of songs, over 100 songs sitting. I was going through something business-wise in the streets. n##gas kept wanting to backstab me, backdoor me, kept trying to play with me. I started recording records about how I’m feeling at the time versus going in the vault and putting together songs I already had. I started feeling like I was going to crash out and do something I wasn’t supposed to, and wanted to vent about it. I got it out, now I’ve moved past that and I’m happier. [laughs] It’s good.
AllHipHop: You say you come from the mud, what was the reality of where you came from?
Trap: My mom was on drugs, I never had no daddy. I helped raise my siblings, my grandma was forced to raise us. She didn’t have much, me hustling as a kid was me feeding myself. Buying my own cap and gown, my first car. Putting my own money in my music, it came from childhood hustling. I saw my uncles, they had Rolls Royce’s and houses off the streets. I saw it and knew I could touch it. Boom, one of my best friends Drumma Boy is over here, he blew up. He broke Young Jeezy, I’m like wow. It was right there in my hands. I had to handle my business.
AllHipHop: You say family and close friends betrayed you, how’d it feel putting that into the music?
Trap: It was a new experience for me. I’m normally rapping about how good my life has gotten. It took me back to when I was in the streets, hit me like flashbacks. I had to get it off my chest: bad business deals, people lying. They come to borrow or get fronted. They’re so thankful when they get the money but after they get the money, they act tough and bold. Now it’s an issue to get your bread back, I have to do something to a n##ga. Or let him roll and I take the L, I had to talk about it.
AllHipHop: How is music a coping mechanism for you?
Trap: It’s become more of one as I start going through more. I don’t know what the next album will be, I’m feeling all kinds of ways. I’m cooking up, damn black people are getting hung right now. There’s protests, COVID, etc. I don’t know which direction to take the music, I’m making all kinds of songs. It’s crazy right now.
AllHipHop: How do you create a vibe in the studio?
Trap: I usually record alone. I go to the studio at 10am, stay until 5pm or 6pm in the evening. It’s like my 9 to 5. I go in, sit in there and cook up. It’s really wherever the beat takes me. I pick a beat or 2, maybe create a hook at home, go the studio and vibe out with my engineer. My engineer’s Tommy Daughtery who recorded all the stuff for Tupac and Death Row. We rock out and vibe out with each together. Pull up a beat, we laugh, s##t might come up in conversation. I make at least one song a day. Go in, cook up, I’m back home cooking together. Usually gym but there’s no gym now.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
Trap: Water. I’ve been off and on weed. I’ve been smoking since a little kid so I be burnt. I took a 3 month break, I just got back smoking maybe one month now. I felt more energized honestly, weed has me laidback and tired sometimes. I fight through to get my business down but the kind of weed I was smoking was heavy and had me down.
Water, sometimes weed, I like to be a little faded. I might take my 1942 or my Jose, I f##k with tequila right now. And a Twix!
AllHipHop: How’s the independent grind?
Trap: It’s not for everybody. You have to put a lot of money in this s##t, it’s a lot of work. From the artwork to getting the mixes to doing the mastering, to the uploading to marketing, coding, f##king with DJs, trying to get it on sites, trying to get write-ups — I’m doing everything alone. I pay certain people to do certain things, but it’s still me overseeing the project and putting up the time. Of course, funding it. A lot of people are too lazy to make it effective for them. They’ll f##k their careers up if they’re not active enough.
AllHipHop: Talk about all the business you have. Does it fund your music career?
Trap: The music pays for itself and pays my bills now. Initially yeah, I’ve been selling cars since I was 18. I used to go to police auctions and get little box Chevys, flip them and put them in the front yard. Eventually got my car-dealing licence and went to auctions to sell cars independently. In turn, cars get cashed out. I dibble and dabble in the tax business, I’m a part of a tax company. I’m about to get this Amazon route. You know the Amazon Prime trucks that pull up? I have a fleet of those and take care of a zip code. They’ll sell that actual route to me. I buy in and obviously the profits are split. Thinking of other ways to play with the stock market, we’re playing around.
AllHipHop: Who are your Top 5 artists?
Trap: I have 2 different Top 5’s. My all-time is Tupac, Jigga, Nas, Fab, I’ma have to split 5 with Wayne and T.I. My right now is Drake, Future, Meek, Kendrick, and J. Cole. I wish Kendrick and Cole would drop. Cole just dropped a song, he went crazy.
AllHipHop: What is it about Young Trap that fans love?
Trap: Initially, it started off because they were liking my looks. I’m making female-friendly songs, we did the research and my fanbase is 85% girls. But I was rapping street s##t, I’m like damn it’s connecting to women. I didn’t have a balance, the album’s full of street s##t. I just keep going. Keep recording, keep picking up fans and keep growing. It’s been a long ride, my fans are constantly building. With me dropping Betrayed, I picked up a lot more street fanbase which I didn’t have a ton of. . My single “Opps” I’m doing a video for, all the little kids are doing dances to it. n##gas are really getting in on the “Opps” song.” It’s cool, the men are f##king with me now. Go figure.
AllHipHop: Best encounter you had with a fan?
Trap: In Atlanta, I had a lady strip down and jump up on stage. I wish I could find the footage, it’s on Youtube somewhere. A couple years ago, I’m doing a show and this young lady took off her top. She came up, had her skirt on. She went up. n##gas started throwing money on her on the stage, it was a vibe. She was litty.
AllHipHop: You said you missed touring right?
Trap: For sure, I was supposed to put a tour together for Betrayed. Last year round the same time I did a college tour that was real successful. I wanted to go touch more schools on the East Coast. I can’t even go on vacation, everything’s on quarantine. We can’t go anywhere, it’s horrible.
AllHipHop: First thing you’re going to do when the worlds open up?
Trap: First thing I’ma do when the borders open? Go on vacation ASAP. I want to go to Honolulu.
AllHipHop: What are some goals for yourself?
Trap: I want a plaque. I haven’t sold enough to get a plaque, maybe this “Opps” single will get me some gold in the house other than my jewelry. I’m finna shoot and drop the video. It’s the energy on it. We’ve been saying opps for so long, but it feels so new. n##gas be chanting that s##t, little kids be eating that s##t up. They go on TikTok, they put together the little dances. It’s a vibe, it’s ghetto as hell too.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
Trap: Go get that Betrayed album. Stream my catalog, there’s a lot of jewels on there you probably haven’t heard. Go back on them old albums and singles, it’s crazy. Young Trap, let’s get it!
