Who Is Trinidad James?

Meet the Atlanta rapper behind "All Gold Everything" who has every major record label at his beck and call.

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Complex Original

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There's no hotter commodity in hip-hop right now than Trinidad James. After we named him one of the new Atlanta rappers to watch out for, the 25-year-old rapper has blown-up overnight, propelled by his viral smash “All Gold Everything," thanks in large to an irresistibly charming music video and a really catchy lyric about Molly.

Earlier this week, he played his first headlining show in NYC and it was absolute pandemonium with fans, celebrities, and industry insiders stuck standing outside after the venue was packed to capacity. Inside, James proved that even if you're skeptical of the hype, he puts on one hell of a show, and the hundreds of camera phones on-hand caught video clips that serve as sufficient proof of that.

If you sit down with James, it’s obvious that he's intelligent, self-aware, and a natural born hustler. He hasn't been rapping professionally for long, but he clearly understands hip-hop, its culture, and most importantly, the genre's trends.

The day after his Big Apple performance, we had ATL's newly-minted star stop by the Complex office (he showed up on time, the rarest of feats for a rapper) for a conversation in which we attempted to find out, Who Is Trinidad James? James told us about being recruited by labels, his relationship with A$AP Rocky, hustling Pokémon cards, his city's buzzing music scene, and much more.

As told to Insanul Ahmed (@Incilin)

RELATED: 10 Atlanta Rappers To Watch Out For

Growing Up in Atlanta

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Trinidad James: "There’s a lot I don’t remember about my childhood. I had a head injury when I was younger, I was walking on some stone steps in Trinidad and missed a step and when I fell I split open my head in the middle. So I don’t remember anything before like age seven. The earliest things I remember about Trinidad was going to first primary school, which is basically like first grade. I went to Catholic school and we had to wear uniforms.


 

Growing up in Atlanta was cool but it took some getting used to, especially coming from Trinidad with my accent. People heckled me about it. So I got witty with it and just started giving back what the people were giving me. I started to become cool to everybody because I had to be witty with my jokes.


 

“My mom was from Trinidad and my dad from Tobago. I moved a couple times since I was little. I was born in Trinidad and when I was a baby, I went to Canada. Then I left Canada and came back to Trinidad. Then we moved to New York, then Florida, then Atlanta.

"Mostly, I grew up in Atlanta. The man that I am is basically molded out of Atlanta, I spent 10-plus years there. Atlanta’s the place I rep. All the other places were brief kid moments, I don’t really care about them.

“Growing up in Atlanta was cool but it took some getting used to, especially coming from Trinidad with my accent. People heckled me about it. So I got witty with it and just started giving back what the people were giving me. I started to become cool to everybody because when I had to be witty with my jokes, then I started to be really good so I got real cool with people.

“Eighth grade, I went to South Carolina and that’s where I kind of got really into playing basketball and sports. Coming from Atlanta and moving to South Carolina, it’s not as big a city as Atlanta so people are like, ‘Man, he’s from Atlanta, he’s so cool.’

"I was dressing with my Atlanta style at the time so it was like this dude is cool. I just started making new friends in South Carolina, playing basketball as I went through high school. I switched high schools two times between South Carolina and Atlanta, but I graduated in Atlanta.”

His Personal Style and Knack for Hustling

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Trinidad James: "In Atlanta, you have to make your name for yourself. It started with me figuring out what was my niche. Like, what do I have? I just started selling stuff. My life has been based around hustle. Elementary school I was hustling Dragon Ball Z pictures and Hot Wheels cars. Middle school it was Pokemon cards. In high school, I started selling throwback jerseys and CDs. I just made a name for myself. I done hustled everything. We won’t get into details about it, but I hustled everything. High school for me was just one big hustle.

“In Atlanta, if you need sneakers I can get them. I definitely can get them now, but that’s more of a personal level. Back then, I was connecting people to what was hot and what they needed. I could make it happen. I could make a phone call, I just knew the people with the shoes.


 

My life has been based around hustle. Elementary school I was hustling Dragon Ball Z pictures and Hot Wheels cars. Middle school it was Pokemon cards. In high school, I started selling throwback jerseys and CDs. I just made a name for myself.


 

"I’ve been collecting shoes since ’05. That really started with my Grape V’s, and all those IV’s that started to come out in ’06. I just started keeping them. A lot of Air Force Ones. I was making a name for myself being in different places and having kicks on.

“Fashions changed from ’06 to ’07. Everybody was dressing in ’80s, everybody was rock star-ish. I went through all that. Atlanta is really slow when it comes to fashion, but I was jumping on it first in Atlanta. Me and my homeboys, we was jumping on the new wave first. Now that I got older, I kind of just do me. It’s how I feel. I’m not always dressing wild like my video might portray, I’m just chilling. Jeans, button down, just chilling.

“[I have several tattoos of faces on my chests]. I have one of my mom, one of me at one age, my dad, and me at another age. I wanted to do a family collage front piece. Family first man.

“My teeth were already how they were. Eating some food and I cracked them a long time ago. You know men, we don’t fix nothing we just say, ‘I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it.’ But recently when we were getting ready to go to a show, we got too turnt up and they just came out. It was already loose and it just came out so I got to go get some fakes in a couple weeks. So I’ll go in and get it fixed. But I don’t give a fuck anyway.”

Learning To Rap

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Trinidad James: "Back in the day, when I was like 16, I used to write down my freestyles. I would just write down little raps, but they were nothing serious. I was just playing around. I was really into battle rap, and of course we wanted to do our own [battles]. So I was just writing down raps. I ended up losing all those raps and I just stopped doing anything pertaining to rap. When I turned 17, I graduated high school and started working. I was still listening to music but I forgot how to rap period.


 

I didn’t want to do no music, I was like, 'This is meaningless.'


 

“I started [recording music for the first time] in November of last year. From time to time, I’d be chilling with the boys and a beat would come on and we’d freestyle to it, just playing around. Last year my same cousins who I grew up with, they was really into the music and they have their own studio, so I’d be over there sometimes. Like November-ish, I laid down a verse on a song they were doing. I just happened to be there and they was playing it and I laid it down.

“A little bit prior to that, my cousins were rapping and I was like their assistant manager. I was helping them out to get clothes and shoes and getting photographers to shoot them because that’s what I do. I was just making sure they were straight. I wasn’t really doing the music, but I got a passion for music because I love it.

“But doing it in my own way never really crossed my mind until I stopped rocking with [my cousins] as far as doing the music, which was around the Super Bowl of this year. I didn’t want to do no music, I was like, 'This is meaningless.'”

Taking Rap Seriously

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Trinidad James: "Two months later I got into an altercation and I got locked up. I got out the same day, but I thought to myself, This ain’t cool. I don’t want to go back into that situation.The hustling that I was doing, even when I was working at the time, it wasn’t like no real life. It wasn’t a real accomplishment.

“I spent the whole day in jail, it was a misdemeanor. But just going to jail period—whether it was an hour or a week—if you’ve never been then you don’t want to go. I will say this, I do know that if I go in I could do a long time, but I don’t want to do that. That’s really what it’s all about.


 

My music isn’t something that you’ve never heard, it’s just a new way to relay it in 2012. If you listen to a lot of music, you can go do karaoke. You’re not a rapper, but if you can find your own way to relay that same music, then you could be a rapper if you wanted to be. I loved music, I could have been a rapper at any point in time because I know what rap is, I know how to rap.


 

"Until you experience something you don’t know if you can take it or not. So a lot of different people will tell you all these things about jail. It’s not where you want to go, but I know if I went, It’s whatever. I’ll be in there, and I know how to survive in jail.

“And so with that being said, I was like I’m going to open up a new lane to make some money, take care of my mom. So I was like, I’m going to do music, but I’m going to do it different. I’m going to do it by myself. If I fail, I can just blame myself. I know how hard I go, but it’s not always the same drive that people around you have.

“My music isn’t something that you’ve never heard, it’s just a new way to relay it in 2012. Time keeps on moving forward, so it gets longer and longer. If you listen to a lot of music, you can go do karaoke. You’re not a rapper, but if you can find your own way to relay that same music, then you could be a rapper if you wanted to be. I loved music to the point where I could have been a rapper at any point in time because I know what rap is, I know how to rap.

“Parodies are not my favorite thing. But in order for somebody to want to make a parody of you, you have to have your own character that somebody wants to be like. But if I rap like another artist, then you’re not going to do a parody of me. You’d just be doing a parody of that artist basically. You really got to find your own way to relay your music and that’s what I did.”

His Hit Single, "All Gold Everything"

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Trinidad James: "The good thing about 'All Gold Everything' is that song was for everybody, all the different neighborhoods in Atlanta. It was my hood anthem, but just not trap. And that was the whole purpose of it. It was to show people that I rock with you. Just because you might not see me, I respect that.

“I said, 'Shout out to them bad hoes at Onyx.' I don’t even go to the strip club that much, but I worked at a waffle house that was right up the street from Onyx, one of the most popular strip clubs. So I used to see all the girls, the DJ, everybody from Onyx.

“It’s respect because stripping is the easiest hardest job ever. Think about it: Being naked is the weirdest thing ever. Like if somebody said, 'Get naked.' You might kill yourself before you get naked. Somebody would be like, 'I’m not doing this,' and walk out.


 

The good thing about 'All Gold Everything' is that song was for everybody, all the different neighborhoods in Atlanta. It was my hood anthem, but just not trap. And that was the whole purpose of it. It was to show people that I rock with you. I've seen everything I talk about. I've been in those situations.


 

“These girls get butt-naked, everything, and still get dissed by people. Not even rappers, just regular guys who disrespect them. But they got to do what they got to do because when they’re not stripping, they’d have regular jobs and regular lives. So it’s like, I really rock with you.

“Basically, I’ve seen everything that I talk about. I’ve been in those situations, so it’s more to show you that I salute you. However you getting money, I salute you, man or woman. It don’t matter what race you are. White women, Asian women, Black women, it don’t matter.

“The colleges. I didn’t even go to college. High school, that was it. College ain’t for me. But I respect people going to college. Yeah you got some bad hoes, I respect you. Yeah I know what college kids do, I know ya’ll get on Instagram and post all these pictures of your shoes that your parents bought you. I know ya’ll flexing, I salute you for that. That’s what it’s all about. I do these things, I know about it. I can take you to it. I salute it.

“Molly is such a party drug that when you do it, it’s like automatically your mind just kicks in like whew, you’re ready to go. That’s where that came from.

“[I was holding a dog in the video because] I live life by the vibe. I was getting ready to shoot the scene and my boy was standing right there with his new dog. I’m like, ‘Let me hold the dog.’ It’s cool, I like that dog. It that just stuck out to people. Like, 'Why is he holding a dog?'


 

A lot of people are like it’s a surprise to talk to me in person compared to what you see on TV. But you got to think about it, they always say not to judge a book by its cover. But at the same time, the music is you. So I always say the imagery that you see, that’s me, but that’s a different aspect of me.


 

“But it’s like, I’m really big on visuals. This is a good look, it’s not like a full-grown pitbull [like every other rapper]. I’m not giving you that hard look. You know, DMX is a pitbull master. No, it’s a baby dog and we’re really just chilling. I want people to always feel like, 'I can chill with this nigga. He cool. If he can chill with a dog, I can chill with him.' That’s what it’s all about.

“A lot of people are like it’s a surprise to talk to me in person compared to what you see on TV. But you got to think about it, they always say not to judge a book by its cover. But at the same time, the music is you. So I always say the imagery that you see, that’s me, but that’s a different aspect of me.

"You might go out tonight, you might put on a leather shirt, you never know. That might just be you. It’s not like you’re faking the funk. Every time has its place for what you want to do and what you got to do. That’s what it’s all about.”

The Major Label Recruiting Process

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Trinidad James:"My show in Santos was like a high school recruiting game or some shit. The labels are just doing their job, I’m not mad at them guys. I’ve sat down with everybody [at the labels], but just in general you want to sit down with these people. The people that you see at these record labels, you have to deal with them.


 

Why wouldn’t the labels want in? It’s basically like you know the numbers to play for the lottery and you don’t play it.


 

“I don’t care how independent you want to be, you have to deal with them. Because if you’re hot, they’re going to do their job and they’re going to want in. It’s your job to show them what you got going on and hopefully they respect it. So that’s what that’s all about.

“You could respect somebody to a certain extent, but when you want in you still want in. So they see their chance to get in. A lot of them haven’t even heard the project or didn’t even know it was a project. But the single, they see the up in it, so they say, 'I know it’s cute with all this other stuff you talking about, but hey, we can do something.'

"I ain’t mad at that, because if they wasn’t doing that then they wouldn’t be doing their job. So why wouldn’t you want in? It’s basically like you know the numbers to play for the lottery and you don’t play it. It’s one of those types of situations.”

Atlanta's New Music Scene

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His Relationship With A$AP MOB

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Trinidad James:"They brought me out for their show in Atlanta at Tabernacle. The buzz was so strong, so they heard about me. They liked the song and I like them as artists. They’re dope. It’s just mutual respect. I always say I won’t force it with anybody, but you show me love, I’ll show it back. You ain’t got to show me love for me to show you love anyways.


 

A$AP Rocky is a good dude. I don’t never really call artists names, so for me to even say that, I really mean it.


 

“A$AP Rocky is a good dude. He’s young just like me on the come up. He’s up already, he kind of went through the same thing [that I’m going through]. And he’s from New York where it’s very tough to break through but he did it. So it’s much respect to that guy. I don’t never really call artists names, so for me to even say that, I really mean it.

“[I don’t like to call names] because people are so sensitive. Like when I say something, I never have a bad intention in my mind for the people that I don’t say. But because people think so much into this stuff, they think that you owe them. So I if say nobody’s name, then you can’t say anything. All you guys can hate me. If I say this, this and this, and I know this person is cool with that person, then they say, 'He couldn’t say [my name]?' But if I don’t say nobody’s name, it’s like okay, he didn’t say my name. People are very sensitive.”

Musical Influences

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The Making of Don’t Be S.A.F.E.

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Trinidad James: "I started on the tape and it took maybe two months to do and it just started from there. I put out the single for 'All Gold Everything,' and nobody really listened to it but a few key people listened to it and they were like, 'This is dope.' It then just started spreading like wildfire. We got to present it, and that kind of shocked people. They’re like, 'His song is controversial. Who is this guy?'

“They listened to the music and people respected it. The people really drew close to everything. That’s where we’re at right now man. I did the video for it and the visual really put me out there. I understand that and that’s cool because generally speaking I did this music game different. I didn’t ask for any co-signs from nobody. I did everything on my own, everything out of my own pocket. I just put it out there.


 

“I want people to respect me for the project, not just a song. A lot of people get caught up with, 'Oh I got the hottest song!' They’re not going to have the same song next year, the fire does go out. So I want to have myself set up so even when that strong buzz run out, I’m still respected musically.


 

“Let’s say I was signed to somebody, the single would have came out, it would have done amazing, and then that would have built up the hype behind the tape. Now that I dropped my project, everything picked up. All I got to do is just show people, this is what number two means, this is number nine, and these next four videos that you see from me, this is what Trinidad James is all about. ‘All Gold Everything’ was dope and that’s cool, but the project is dope too.

“But I got to work and show people. It takes time, especially being independent. But it’s worth it because there’s no feeling like having millions of views in two or three days and you ain’t signed to nobody. You’re at the top of anybody’s chart and you ain’t signed to nobody. It’s a real pat on the fucking back for yourself, you know? It’s a blessing. I don’t really talk about it much, I just be thankful to God for it and keep moving, trying to figure out ways to get the project out to people.

“I want people to respect me for the project, not just a song. A lot of people get caught up with, 'Oh I got the hottest song!' They’re not going to have the same song next year, the fire does go out. So I want to have myself set up so even when that strong buzz run out, I’m still respected musically and I can just continue to [work]. I paid attention and did my own thing.”

The Gold Gang Mentality

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Getting Support From Ballers Eve

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The Future

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Trinidad James:"That [major label stuff] don’t get to me. It let’s me know we doing something right, but I want to know what’s next? Can we do this with every song? I’m trying to figure out a way to turn all my music up, to get people on the project the way they on the single. It’s a harder process but it’s worth it, because you get more respect out of it.


 

You’re always going to have hate. Hate and love are two four-letter words. You got to get an equal balance of both in life, another four-letter word.


 

“[I have four new videos] already in the works. I haven’t done them yet, but they coming. I’m getting ready to knock them out very soon. We just going to put them out there and each song has a different feel. On the project, each song you can feel, each song could have it’s own video. Each video would be different. So like I said, we’ll see how it goes. When people don’t see something you just got to show them. Do the other songs, show them the visuals and go from there.

“You’re always going to have hate. Hate and love are two four-letter words. You got to get an equal balance of both in life, another four-letter word. So just in general, you pray to get more love than hate, and that’s how you win. You’re going to get hate, you can’t help it.”

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