Trouble Trouble

“My face ain’t new at all…” – Trouble
‏Having just made his official rap debut in 2011, the artist known as Trouble may be new by rap industry standards. But as far as life outside the studio goes, he has a face you have seen before.
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The bold stare. The tattooed face. The toothy smile..
‏All of these features run in the streets and perhaps somewhere in your own family tree. Which is why in just three years, Trouble’s real life approach to music has already garnered a following of devout fans who either relate to his story personally, or knows of someone has seen a similar life.
‏ Born Mariel Semonte Orr on November 4, 1987 in Atlanta, Georgia’s notorious Thomasville area, Trouble’s family moved to the equally sketchy Edgewood community when he turned eight years old. As he grew up in the rough neighborhood, the lure of drugs and crime disguised itself as independence from his parents and before long, he earned the nickname Trouble and had no problem living up to it.
‏Seeing the path he was headed down, neighborhood street king Big Bank Black offered Trouble a glimmer of hope, recruiting him to his Duct Tape Ent. label to start a career as a rapper.
‏However, on the same night that Trouble was helping write Black’s future hit “Try It Out,” he was later caught in a home invasion gone wrong. Charged with a barrage of felonies ranging from kidnapping to armed robbery, Trouble was sentenced to two years in prison.
‏ Upon his release, Trouble locked himself up again, but this time in the studio to record his debut mixtape December 17th, named after his prison release date. The critically acclaimed tape introduced a blend of hard core street narratives with emotion driven confessions that chronicled a life in Atlanta that was rarely heard. Every release since then has cemented Trouble as one of rap’s most earnest voices.
‏ “I’m not ashamed to tell people who I am,” says Trouble. “When I go through struggles, I make more music. I feel like anything I’m going through, there is a beat for.”
‏ Trouble’s ability to tap into so many emotions has had him record with names like Pusha T, Killer Mike and Yo Gotti as well as share stages with T.I. and Lupe Fiasco. And even though he has the street cred that many rappers dream of having, Trouble isn’t out to promote his rap sheet. He’s here to make his raps matter.
‏ “I’d rather see young people make it, rather than go through the things that I did,” he says. “People say I’m more conscious now, because I know people are listening. You don’t have to go through the streets to be respected. It’s about being real with yourself.”