Trae The Truth Restless Zip
Ilana Crumley
For comparison's sake, New England grumpster laureate Robert Frost once summarized life with the same grey truth as veteran Houston rapper Trae titles his fourth full-length: It goes on. It's not a party. It's not a bitch. It just keeps moving.
Speaking directly to H.A.W.K.: "Tell the devil I'm the truth, that's why he's hiding this one out/ I feel my body had to fight to walk your casket to your grave/ No matter how it went I never thought I'd put you in your grave." Trae's deft enough to come up with a different rhyme then ending the last two lines with near verbatim phrases. It's the emphasis in repetition and the slight diction change ("put" versus "walk") that gives its resonance. Trae's not an exceptional formalist, but he's an organically savvy MC and his flourishes are subtle.
On May 23, 2021, Trae received the Change Maker Award at that year's Billboard Music Awards. The award, according to Billboard, pays tribute to "the artist or group that speaks truth to power through their music, celebrity, and community. They are socially conscious, politically aware, active in their community and charitable with time, money and/or influence to improve the lives of others."
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