Trae Tha Truth Discusses Fighting For His Daughter, ‘Truth Season’ & Rebranding Angels By Nature

Trae Tha Truth is a legend in his own right, someone who can outrap all your favorite rappers if he needed to. But beyond that, it’s his resilience, character, and desire to help out his community that fans resonate with most, and we’ll be cheering for him every step of the way. A true veteran in the game, the Houston native has been releasing music since 1998, and continues to elevate with each drop.

As part of the duo A####### by Nature (ABN) with fellow Houston legend Z-Ro, Trae unleashed 26 mixtapes and two albums, on top of his own 11 solo studio albums. 

That work ethic carries with him to this day, as he reveals he has over 2000 unreleased songs just sitting in the vault. And while Trae Tha Truth has worked with damn near everybody, from Nipsey Hussle to Young Dolph, he continues to find himself connecting with only the real, genuine artists in the rap game.

Which leads us into his newest release: Truth Season: The United Streets Of America. The 17-track album pays homage to the city of Detroit, reeling in guest appearances from all the city’s hottest artists such as Icewear Vezzo, Payroll Giovanni, Babyface Ray, Peezy, Snap Dogg, and more. 

Additionally, he has a forthcoming tape with Dave East, and continues to make strides when it comes to giving back to his community. Houston even gave him his own Trae Day for his dedication and commitment to helping the city. 

AllHipHop: How are you holding up with everything?

Trae Tha Truth: I’m here man. You know I’ve been going through a lot, so I really haven’t been doing too many interviews. I did Breakfast Club today about my daughter, so I’m just working.

AllHipHop: I saw that. How’d it go?

Trae Tha Truth: It’s cool man. It’s a process. It’s taking its wear and tear on me just trying to be an actual father. It’s a stressful situation. It’s been throwing me off because I’m supposed to be promoting the music, but it’s overtaking everything.

AllHipHop: Truth Season: The United Streets Of America out now! You got all the hottest Detroit rappers. Let’s start with Icewear Vezzo…

Trae Tha Truth: I literally just hung up with Vezzo. That’s my little brother man, we got a different type of bond. He knows I’m rooting for him, I want to see him win. We got a real real close bond, whether it be from family to talks with the kids. Even with him calling me not long ago, it was more so just being a brother. Like “bro I know you’re going through it. I see you hurt man, but you keep pushing bro. You keep fighting for your daughter, keep pushing. It’s going to be okay.” And sometimes that’s what we need. Because a lot of times we may act too hard amongst each other, be like “I ain’t gon’ say that” or “I’m weak for saying that.” But when you have people that genuinely say things like that, that lets you know they genuinely care. You have to value stuff like that.

AllHipHop: How did “Just Becuz” come about? Was that just one of the bangers you guys have?

Trae Tha Truth: That was just one man. The first song that was done with me and Babyface Ray, we were in Houston. He was on tour with Jack Harlow, we ended up doing the first one. I was definitely pushing and wanting to get everybody more in tune with him here. We started there. I already was working on the Houston one, but it’s still not done. Let me start reaching out to some of the homie.

Because that’s a good feeling when you have somebody recognize you or reach out, or want to even align itself with you genuinely. Everybody on the tape told me they appreciate me, as well as I appreciate them. I’m a real big homie, I want to see people make it. Even not just the music, I’m in the streets everyday all day in Houston. Every hood, community you can think of, I’m always embracing and doing different things. People say “man, you’re so solid. You helped so many people.” But the thing is, because I understand that a lot of people need it. Sometimes they need to hear or feel you’re here. Well, go and tell them what you got going on.

AllHipHop: What producers did you work with?

Trae Tha Truth: As far as the tape, I want to shout out everybody that took part, but I also want to shout out all the producers because they motivated me. It was so many producers, too many to name. You have Bounce Go hard, you have Moxiii, and there’s so many. I want to read them off, I want to give them their flowers because at the end of the day, they’re the ones who gave me the energy. Because a lot of times, they get forgotten too.

I don’t get the producers that are the top ones. I get the ones that are hungry, it reminds me of myself and I like to give them that opportunity. Then, I put big people on their records so now their resume goes up even more.

AllHipHop: What keeps you so humble?

Trae Tha Truth: It’s always been me, I’m a laid back cat. I’m cool as can be until you create the monster, then I can be something way different. Most of the time I’m laid back and cool man. It makes me feel different when so many people can see me on TV or see me doing this or doing that, then see me in public and realize “man, he’s the same as us and just as cool as us.” That gives me a different type of kick because everything I do is for everyone else. I never really think for myself. I don’t spend money on myself like that. Everything I do, I have some kind of mission to figure out a way to help benefit somebody else.

AllHipHop: I was watching the video with you in Peezy, you come in so hard. How’d that record come about?

Trae Tha Truth: Again, I was just reaching out. It’s so crazy, I was randomly hitting up all the homies I seen doing their thing. I was DMing them, asking for their numbers. I don’t have ego or pride like that, I’m a reach out like “hey, what you got going on?” I support them man. That means a lot because you got so many people that s### on people, act like they’re better than everybody else. I know I’ll be irritated somebody trying to handle me like that. I always said if I was ever in the position, I’m a show them the real way this stuff’s supposed to be done.

AllHipHop: Where was that video shot?

Trae Tha Truth: That was in Houston. All the videos so far have been shot in Houston. I’m getting ready to go to Detroit so I can spend some time with all the homies out there, do some stuff. Shout out my little bro Deezy, he does all my videos. On this project, Deezy and True Films. True Films did the video for my daughter that’s going to come out. I’m trying to do whatever I can to help elevate everybody else.

AllHipHop: How does it feel to have them come into your city? I’m sure you take good care of them when they do come.

Trae Tha Truth: Always. Anybody who really knows Texas, we got Southern hospitality. Anybody who’s knowing me from way back then, I’m always going to embrace and take care, stay in the frontline for them if need be. It’s all about what’s right.

AllHipHop: Houston gave you your own Trae Day. What do you have going on in the community right now that people can look out for?

Trae Tha Truth: Right now, one of my big things is I got my own youth sports foundation Athletes By Nature. I call them my boys, they’re ABN too. A lot of dope kids, including my son Houston. A lot of dope kids that are talented, that I feel I want to showcase them to the world. Let people know to check them out. We have 3 teams that made it to Nationals.

We have a boxing gym, 4 Corners Boxing. I have two #2 fighters in the country. I have one of the champions of the Golden Gloves. Some of these kids definitely have the talent, but they just need the push and support. Being able to be part of that is something amazing, all the way down to me and my partner. We had an ice cream shop for special needs. There’s so many different things that we doing.

AllHipHop: The first time I interviewed Freeway Rick Ross, he had two fighters. Now he has 12. How did you guys end up in this space? 

Trae Tha Truth: What I’m doing is I’m supporting. At the boxing gym, you’ll have my partner Daniel Grandy aka Danny and my partner Three. Danny has the Grandy Twins, some of the most amazing young fighters there is. Athlete-wise as far as football, these are some of the top kids. Top running backs, top quarterbacks, top receivers, top defense. Anything I do, I jump in it to make it more of a family thing. I don’t benefit off of it. I don’t make money off any of the stuff I do with these kids, I just keep it pushing. I share blessings and my blessings always come back.

AllHipHop: What can you expect from the Texas tape? We got legends on legends from Texas.

Trae Tha Truth: Of course I have some of the vets, but realistically it’s more about the upcoming. That’s the reason I’m doing the Truth Seasons. Someone that’s out there that’s younger trying to do their thing. Sometimes it gets frustrating when they feel it’s you against the world. I’m a be there for them as much as I can. When I do the things I do, I always let them know “man, you don’t owe me nothing. Only thing I ask for in return is to keep it solid with me. You keep it solid with me, you got someone that’ll be there with you for life.”

AllHipHop: Talk about rebranding to Angels By Nature.

Trae Tha Truth: That’s my foundation. You got a lot of people in the community, a lot of parents, kids that want to rep what I rep. I had to do it in a more suitable way for them. I can’t these babies out here reppin’ A####### by Nature, or some of these grandparents saying that. I had to make it make sense. As long as it’s ABN, you can rep it. 

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AllHipHop: Do you be up in the boxing gym?

Trae Tha Truth: Yeah, I go sometimes when I’m up there man. My son Houston does that a lot. It’s crazy, he’s working on his music. He says his video’s about to come out. He got a record coming out with Lil Lay Lay. She’s from Houston, but she’s doing a lot of stuff on Nickelodeon. That’s big for them to be two kids from there. My brother Jayton just released his album called HoustTonAThon, which features me, Mozzy, Durk, Boosie, Dolph, Payroll Giovanni, Berner. It’s a lot of them, rest in peace Dolph.

AllHipHop: Are you the one helping him get the features? Because those are some big names most of the time. 

Trae Tha Truth: Anybody knows me, you know me and my brothers regardless. We all have relationships and we make it work. Sometimes when people in the town and I’m not around to move with them, they may move with him.

Hip-Hop has taken a lot of L’s. Dolph’s death came out of nowhere and was definitely hard for everyone. How do you feel about everything?

My heart goes out to any artist, it doesn’t matter where they’re from or what they got going on. Because at the end of the day, they have families. Realistically, I have to be transparent: you do have some people that tend to nitpick and do a lot of extra stuff. With the way of the streets, it’s inevitable. You’re going to come how you get it, so that’s going to happen. But some of the ones that’s not as into the extracurricular activities, man you hate to see people get taken away from their families. At the end of the day regardless of what they got going on, the kids are the ones that’s affected.

AllHipHop: What else are you excited for? I know you always got business endeavors.

Trae Tha Truth: We got a food truck opening. I’ll be at SXSW because you know this year, we kicking it back up.

With Bumpboxx, that takes up so much of our time because we’re accomplishing so much. That’s a real full-time job. I’m excited to put out a lot of music. Me and J Prince, we’re sitting up in my jeep. In my truck, we’re going through records. He’s like “man why you keep holding all this music? What’s that doing for you? You gotta let it go.” I could be stubborn at times, but I said “man you right.” Because I have over 2000 something records, so what’s me releasing a few albums going to hurt? I can put music out the rest of my life, even if I stopped rapping today.

AllHipHop: And I’m sure you keep rapping!

Trae Tha Truth: You know what somebody told me, which should probably be another goal for me. Even though I don’t do awards, they told me as much “as I do, I shouldn’t be satisfied until I get a Nobel Peace Prize.” I haven’t even researched on what that is.

AllHipHop: That’s legendary, and I feel like you were getting these awards without even trying. 

Trae Tha Truth: At all! They catching me off guard.

AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let the people know?

Trae Tha Truth: Download Truth Season. I don’t care if you’re streaming it for free, if you add it to your playlist, if you purchase it, check it out. I’m a keep giving y’all consistent music. Get my brother Jayton’s tape, be on the lookout for the music. Most of all, this record for my daughter, I need every parent that’s been through any type of situation to feel that. This is going to be a voice for them, they need to share the song and video. People need to hear, this is a conversation that needs to be had. It’s a hidden conversation when people go through it, but they don’t have the outlet to speak up. Again, I’m not using my outlet to bash nobody. If all fails and everything never went my way, my daughter’s going to know that my daddy fought all he could do for me.