Spotlight: Trae

Houston rapper Trae sees no reason to apply fantasy projections upon a rap culture that still exists within the crosshairs of a disapproving society. Many of the tracks on Trae's third solo effort, 2006's Restless, address confounding issues of loss, pain, and seemingly-insurmountable adversity.

Ask Trae what his top priority is and you won't hear about money, fame, or gold grills. Instead he'll speak about the prospects of his fellow street soldiers Jayton and Dinky being released from prison as soon as possible. Another of Trae's incarcerated cohorts, Z-Ro, has been the subject of rumors pointing to a conflict between Rap-a-Lot loyalists.

"Z-Ro and I never had a falling out," insists Trae. "People just got used to always seeing us together. And now that we're both focusing on our solo careers, people want to assume that it's because we have some sort of problem between us. In the end, Ro and I will always be cousins."

Trae's affiliations with Austin run just as deep, which has helped him build an overwhelming cult following in the 512.

"I have family up there," affirms the MC. "So it's always been natural for me to spend a lot of time in the streets of Austin. Some people damn near think that I'm from Austin instead of Houston."

Trae cites his upbringing as the inspiration for his blunt, matter-of-fact orientation to life. "I just happened to be born and bred to be truthful. Having come up learning the right way, you know when it comes down to it that I'm going to give it to you raw."

How Trae keeps his composure amongst an ever-rising tide of torment is a mystery with a practical answer. "What qualifies as drama to others, in many cases, is just everyday life to me."