Obie Trice III (born November 14, 1977) is an American rapper. He was signed to fellow
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
rapper
Eminem's
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, after the highly successful release of Eminem's ''The Slim Shady LP'' (1999).
Shady has seen negative times when being part of the unsuccessful ...
in 2002, where he released the albums ''
Cheers
''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...
'' (2003) and ''
Second Round's on Me'' (2006). Trice formed his own record label, Black Market Entertainment, upon leaving Shady. He does not use a
rap name like most rappers, instead using his birth name on stage.
Biography
Obie Trice III was born and raised on the west side of
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
, by his mother, along with three brothers. He is of
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
descent. Trice was given a karaoke machine by his mother when he was eleven and he used it to rhyme over
instrumental
An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to inst ...
s from artists such as
N.W.A
N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...
. By the age of fourteen, he was attending rap battle gatherings around Detroit, including the Hip Hop Shop, where he and his friends would go on Saturday afternoons. The battles were hosted by
Proof, from
D12. Positive response from watchers encouraged Trice to get into rap music seriously."
[Mark Binelli (September 10, 2003)]
Hot Rapper: Obie Trice
''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''. Accessed January 22, 2008.
Trice was calling himself "
Obie 1" at that time, but before Proof introduced him at the Hip Hop Shop, he asked him his real name and introduced him as "Obie Trice", which remains his rap name. Trice was introduced to
Eminem through D12 member
Bizarre. Later, Trice's manager arranged for him to have dinner and go to a
Kid Rock party with Eminem.
[Ruben Diaz (September 18, 2003).]
Obie Trice: Real Name, No Gimmicks (Interview)
". BallerStatus.com. Accessed January 22, 2008.
Career
Shady Records (2000–2002)
Trice signed to
Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, after the highly successful release of Eminem's ''The Slim Shady LP'' (1999).
Shady has seen negative times when being part of the unsuccessful ...
in 2000. He created a freestyle skit on the D12 album ''
Devil's Night'', following up with an intro snippet in Eminem's ''
The Eminem Show'' lead single "
Without Me", as well as the song "Drips".
Later in 2002, Trice rapped on songs for the
''8 Mile'' soundtrack, and also had a cameo appearance in
the film as a rapper in a parking lot.
''Cheers'' (2003–2004)
Trice's debut album, ''
Cheers
''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...
'', was released on September 23, 2003, with its first single "
Got Some Teeth
"Got Some Teeth" is the first single from American rapper Obie Trice's debut studio album, ''Cheers (Obie Trice album), Cheers''. The song was used as the theme song for the character "Terry Kennedy (skateboarder), Compton-Ass Terry" in the TV sh ...
" being well received on radio in a number of countries. "Got Some Teeth” peaked at number 54 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and peaked within the top ten of the charts in Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. In the latter country, "Got Some Teeth" debuted and peaked at number eight on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in October 2003. He also released the singles "
The Set Up" and "
Don't Come Down". The album consists of 17 tracks with production from
Eminem,
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and w ...
,
Timbaland,
Mike Elizondo, Emile,
Fredwreck
Farid Karam Nassar (born June 23, 1972), better known by his stage name Fredwreck, is a Grammy Award-winning American hip hop recording artist, DJ and record producer. He got his big break when he became a producer for Dr. Dre's newly founded re ...
and
Mr. Porter
Denaun Porter (born December 7, 1974), also known by the stage names Mr. Porter, Kon Artis, and more recently simply Denaun, is an American rapper and music producer. He was a member of Detroit hip hop group D12 until its disbandment in 2018.
...
. Artists featured on ''Cheers'' include
Busta Rhymes,
Eminem,
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
,
Lloyd Banks,
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and w ...
,
Nate Dogg,
D12,
Tony Yayo
Marvin Bernard (born March 31, 1978), better known by his stage name Tony Yayo, is an American rapper. He is best known as a member of G-Unit, a hip hop group he formed with his childhood friends 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks. Yayo released his debu ...
, and
Timbaland. The album was eventually certified platinum by the
RIAA.
Trice also featured on the track ''Hennessey'' on
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...
's posthumous album ''
Loyal To The Game''.
''Second Round's on Me'' and shooting (2005–2007)
In 2005, Trice began work on his second album, entitled ''
Second Round's on Me''. The album was released on August 15, 2006. Following the release of ''Second Round's on Me'', he released a mixtape called ''Bar Shots'' with
G-Unit's
DJ Whoo Kid
Yves Mondesir (born October 12, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Whoo Kid, is an American hip hop DJ. He is currently signed to G-Unit Records and its subsidiary label, Shadyville Entertainment. He is the host of ''The Whoolywood Sh ...
.
Shortly after his label-mate
Proof was shot to death in a Detroit nightclub, a song emerged on the mixtape circuit called "Ride Wit Me". The song was dedicated to Proof. Trice made a speech at Proof's funeral, addressing the problem of black-on-black violence:
In the single "
Cry Now" from his second album, Trice addresses his shooting, as well as Eminem's rumored retirement,
[Christina Fuoco (August 9, 2006).]
LiveDaily Interview: Obie Trice
". LiveDaily.com. Accessed January 22, 2008. referenced with the following line, "Rock City is my voice / The white boy has stepped down / So I will accept the crown." Trice also addresses the shooting in the song "Pistol Pistol" from the album
Eminem Presents: The Re-Up claiming he's after revenge, "I solemnly swear on my daughters tears/The nigga that got him in the head will feel it before the year ends / Hope you inconspicuous my friend / `Cause once the word get back ya in a world of sin / Bullets will hurtle at him for tryin to murder what been determined as the first solo African " and later "I'm so sincere you seein' a hearse this year / it's not a verse it's curse for burstin' what's on ya person". He has since given insight as to why he feels the shooting occurred, and has labeled it "
haterism", as well as a bad mind state by saying, "it's a lot of do-or-die type individuals. They want to get that plug and there's really more to the game than they think it is
..it's competition on a real vicious level."
[Seth Berkman (July 2, 2007).]
Obie Trice: Take a Ride (Interview)
". ''XXL''. Accessed January 25, 2008.
Departure from Shady Records (2008–2009)
In June 2008, Obie Trice departed from Shady Records due to concern that he was not being promoted properly. Contrary to public belief at the time of the announcement, Trice did not have a falling out with
Eminem or
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and w ...
. Both contributed vocals and production to Trice's upcoming album. A misunderstanding was made where it was believed he was attacking the label and
Eminem on a single titled "The Giant"; however, this was quickly dismissed.
[Tai Saint-Louis (June 30, 2008).]
Shady Records Issues Statement On Obie's Departure
". AllHipHop.com. Accessed July 1, 2008.
''Special Reserve'' (2009–2010)
On December 15, 2009, a compilation album, ''
Special Reserve
The Special Reserve was established on 1 April 1908 with the function of maintaining a reservoir of manpower for the British Army and training replacement drafts in times of war. Its formation was part of the military reforms implemented by Rich ...
'', by Obie Trice and
MoSS, the first producer of
DJ Premier's "Works of Mart" production company, was released. The album is a collection of eleven of Trice's tracks recorded with MoSS from 1997 to 2000. The album served as a preface to his next album, ''Bottoms Up''.
Move to Black Market Entertainment, ''Bottoms Up'', ''The Hangover'' and ''The Fifth'' (2010–present)
On April 22, 2010, "Rap Basement" reported that Obie Trice would launch his own independent music label, Black Market Entertainment, on May 7.
The label would be owned by
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a t ...
.
[Jason (April 22, 2010).]
Obie Launches New Label
. Rapbasement.com. Accessed March 11, 2011.[Jason (May 4, 2010). ] On May 4, he confirmed that
Eminem would be a featured guest artist on his upcoming album, ''
Bottoms Up''.
On August 24, 2010, he released a new single, "My Time 2011", from ''Bottoms Up'' via
myspace; the track is produced by Geno XO.
The music video was released on March 22, 2011; footage for the video was filmed at the Black Market Ent. Launch Party.
On September 2, 2010, Trice announced that he would be hosting "The Black & White" concert after party, following the
Eminem & Jay-Z Show at Comerica Park (held the same night), at the Goodnight Gracie's; the party goes from 9pm to 2am.
On April 5, 2011, another street single from Trice was released, called "Learn to Love". Although some of the lyrics were changed, it was just a remixed version of his song titled "Haters" from his "Bar Shots" mixtape.
On August 2, 2011, Obie Trice tweeted the release date for the album, October 25. The first official single, "Battle Cry" featuring Adrian Rezza, produced by Lucas Rezza was released on
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
on August 23.
On April 3, 2012, ''Bottoms Up'' was released. On May 7, Trice released a new song from his upcoming mixtape ''The Hangover'' titled "Get Rich Die Tryin" featuring
Bilal __NOTOC__
Bilal may refer to:
People
* Bilal (name) (a list of people with the name)
* Bilal ibn Rabah, a companion of Muhammad
* Bilal (American singer)
* Bilal (Lebanese singer)
Places
* Bilal Colony, a neighbourhood of Korangi Town in Karac ...
.
On August 1, 2012, in an interview with HipHopDX, Trice announced that he was working on an album that would also be also titled ''The Hangover'', which features one of three tracks produced by
Warren G
Warren Griffin III (born November 10, 1970) is an American rapper and producer known for his role in West Coast rap's 1990s ascent.Steve Huey"Warren G: Biography" ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited May 8, 2020. Along with Snoop Dogg and ...
, who suggested that
Eminem should be featured on one of those tracks.
On June 15, 2015, Obie Trice released the first single "Good Girls" from ''
The Hangover'', which was released on August 7. The track was produced by the Grammy award-winning producer
Magnedo7, who was one of the producers of Eminem's seventh studio album, ''
Recovery''.
In a 2016 interview with Mr. Wavvy, Trice announced that he was already crafting his fifth studio album, which he planned to releasing later in the year. Additionally, he revealed plans of a box set that included all four of his previous studio albums, along with previously unreleased tour footage. On August 23, 2019, his fifth album simply named ''
The Fifth'' was released. It includes guest appearances from Magnedo7, Directorkasper,
Xzibit and others.
On December 10, 2019, Obie Trice released a diss track called "Spanky Hayes" against
Nick Cannon to defend
Eminem after Nick Cannon released two diss tracks against Eminem. In the diss track, Trice was rapping over the instrumental of "30 Something" by
Jay-Z. On December 16, Trice released a second diss track against Cannon called "Spanky Hayes 2" and under original production by Dubmuzik, who has produced for Trice in the past. In the diss track, he also calls out
Suge Knight for calling Cannon "the new
2Pac" on the latter's first diss track against Eminem.
Personal life
Shootings
On December 31, 2005, Trice's car was shot six times and while driving on the
Lodge Expressway by Wyoming Avenue in Detroit. One of the bullets hit him in the head. Trice was able to drive off the expressway, where his girlfriend waved down the police. He was taken to Providence Hospital and released later that day. Doctors contemplated whether or not to remove the bullet. As it was too dangerous to operate, the bullet is still lodged in his skull.
TMZ reported on December 6, 2019, that Trice was arrested for shooting his girlfriend's son. On July 8, 2020, Trice was sentenced to 90 days in the
Oakland County Jail in Michigan from charges related to the shooting.
Meeting with Michigan State Senator
On April 22, 2011, Trice met with Michigan State Senator
Virgil Smith Jr.
Virgil K Smith (born December 18, 1979) is a Democratic former member of the Michigan House of Representatives and Michigan Senate. Smith previously represented the 4th Senate district, which is composed of Allen Park, Lincoln Park, South ...
to discuss providing local artists with entertainment venues.
Michigan arrest
On June 16, 2022, Trice was arrested and jailed after an arraignment in District Court in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan on a charge of using a telephone to harass or threaten someone. Soon after, he posted the $10,000 bond in the case.
Discography
;Studio albums
* ''
Cheers
''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...
'' (2003)
* ''
Second Round's on Me'' (2006)
* ''
Bottoms Up'' (2012)
* ''
The Hangover'' (2015)
* ''The Fifth'' (2019)
;Mixtapes
* ''The Bar Is Open''
(with DJ Green Lantern) (2003)
* ''Bar Shots''
(hosted by DJ Whoo Kid
Yves Mondesir (born October 12, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Whoo Kid, is an American hip hop DJ. He is currently signed to G-Unit Records and its subsidiary label, Shadyville Entertainment. He is the host of ''The Whoolywood Sh ...
) (2006)
* ''The Most Under Rated''
(hosted by DJ Whoo Kid) (2007)
* ''Watch the Chrome''
(hosted by DJ Whoo Kid) (2012)
;Compilation albums
* ''
Special Reserve
The Special Reserve was established on 1 April 1908 with the function of maintaining a reservoir of manpower for the British Army and training replacement drafts in times of war. Its formation was part of the military reforms implemented by Rich ...
''
(with MoSS) (2009)
;Collaboration albums
* ''
Eminem Presents: The Re-Up''
(with Shady Records
Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg, after the highly successful release of Eminem's ''The Slim Shady LP'' (1999).
Shady has seen negative times when being part of the unsuccessful ...
) (2006)
References
External links
Official Obie Trice website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trice, Obie
1977 births
African-American male rappers
African-American Christians
American people of German descent
American shooting survivors
Living people
Midwest hip hop musicians
Rappers from Detroit
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century African-American musicians
20th-century African-American people