Trae Tha Truth

The career of prolific south Houston-based MC Trae, or Trae tha Truth, began with a guest appearance on Z-Ro's Look What You Did to Me and took root in Guerilla Maab, a group that released several albums during the late '90s and early 2000s. Through a series of solo albums -- 2003's Losing Composure, 2004's Same Thing Different Day, and 2006's Drama -- he further established his status as a lyricist who focuses more on the streets than wealth. In addition to being a member of Screwed Up Click, he has also released a pile of mixtapes that have surfaced outside his region. Restless, another 2006 release, was picked up by J. Prince's Rap-A-Lot label -- and therefore the Warner-affiliated Asylum -- for nationwide distribution. Life Goes On landed in 2007 with Lil Wayne, Jadakiss, and Slim Thug leading the long guest list, and Thug returned for the 2008 effort The Beginning, which also featured Paul Wall and Z-Ro. The 2011 release Street King rounded up unreleased tracks and appeared on the ABN label, and 2015 found ABN linking with T.I's Grand Hustle imprint for a release of the LP Tha Truth. A sequel -- his eighth LP overall -- arrived in 2016. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi