Samuel Lindley (born July 14, 1973), better known by his stage name The Legendary Traxster, is an American

songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...

and

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

. He is best known as a producer for hip hop artist

Twista Carl Terrell Mitchell (born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Twista (also known as Tung Twista), is an American rapper. He is best known for his Chopper (rap), chopper style of rapping and for once holding the title of fastest ...

and group Do or Die. Lindley is the owner of Traxster Inc. and co-CEO of CWAL Records. In 2017, he launched Nothing But Dope, an imprint distributed through

Priority Records Priority Records is an American distribution company and record label known for artists including N.W.A, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, Master P, Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Silkk the Shocker, Jay-Z, Paris, Mack 10, 504 Boyz, Brotha Lynch Hung, ...

. He is also one half of the hip hop duo ''House Lindley'', which is composed of him and his wife Latia "Tia London" Lindley.

Career

A native of Chicago, The Legendary Traxster rose to prominence for his production work for fellow Chicago artists Twista and famed rap trio Do or Die, for whom he produced several albums, including their 1996 debut ''Picture This'', which was certified gold. In 1997, Traxster produced the entirety of Twista's certified platinum album, '' Adrenaline Rush''. He has also produced for

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

Ty Dolla Sign Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Griffin gai ...

Big Sean Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. He met Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popul ...

Mystikal Michael Lawrence Tyler (born September 22, 1970), better known by his stage name Mystikal, is an American rapper and actor from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is noted for brash, obstreperous vocal delivery, characterized by a Southern rasp. He si ...

E-40 Earl Tywone Stevens (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. Stevens is a founding member of the rap group The Click (band), The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 27 stud ...

Cam'ron Cameron Ezike Giles (born February 4, 1976), known Mononym, mononymously as Cam'ron, is an American rapper. Beginning his career in the early 1990s as Killa Cam, Giles signed with Lance Rivera, Lance "Un" Rivera's Lance Rivera, Untertainment, a ...

Tech N9ne Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "tech nine"), is an American rapper and singer. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold ...

, and

The Outlawz Outlawz was an American hip-hop group founded by Tupac Shakur and Yafeu Fula in 1995. Originally known as Thoro Headz and Young Thugs, the group attracted attention with their appearance on Tupac's song "Flex", which was the B-side of his singl ...

, with songs featuring notable artists, including

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...

Waka Flocka Flame Juaquin James Malphurs (born May 31, 1986), known professionally as Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper. He first became known for his 2009 single "O Let's Do It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and led him to ...

Yo Gotti Mario Sentell Giden Mims (born May 19, 1981), known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper, singer, and record executive. Rooted in Memphis rap, he released five independent albums—''Youngsta's on a Come Up'' (1996), ''From da Dope ...

Ray J William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, television presenter, and actor. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother o ...

, R. Kelly,

T.I. Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgi ...

Lil Boosie Torence Ivy Hatch Jr. (born November 14, 1982), better known by his stage name Boosie BadAzz or simply Boosie (formerly Lil' Boosie), is an American rapper. Hatch began rapping in the 1990s as a member of the Southern hip hop collective Concentr ...

Scarface Scarface may refer to: Gangster-related * Scarface, nickname for Al Capone (1899–1947), an American gangster and a businessman. * ''Scarface'' (novel), a novel by Armitage Trail, loosely based on Capone's rise to power ** ''Scarface'' (1932 ...

Bun B Bernard James Freeman (born March 19, 1973), known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the Southern rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz), a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work wi ...

, WC,

C-Bo Shawn Thomas (born January 14, 1972), better known by his stage name C-Bo, is an American rapper from Sacramento, California. Known for his extensive legal troubles, he was the first notable rapper to be jailed due to his lyrical content in 1998. ...

Static Major Stephen Ellis Garrett Jr. (November 11, 1974 – February 25, 2008), known professionally as Static Major (and previously as Static), was an American R&B and hip hop producer, singer, rapper, and songwriter from Louisville, Kentucky. He is be ...

Raekwon Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon ( ), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success following the release of the ...

, and

Shawnna Rashawnna Guy (born January 3, 1978), better known by her stage name Shawnna, is an American rapper and singer from Chicago, Illinois. She is best known for her guest appearances on Ludacris' 2000 single " What's Your Fantasy", as well as his 2 ...

. He earned a

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

nomination for Album of the Year in 2006 for his work with

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...

, co-writing and producing the track "One and Only" on her 2005 album, ''

The Emancipation of Mimi ''The Emancipation of Mimi'' is the tenth studio album by American R&B singer Mariah Carey, released through Island Records in the United States on April 12, 2005. The album was considered Carey's "comeback album" by critics and became her hi ...

''. In 2009, he reunited with Twista for ''

Category F5 ''Category F5'' is the seventh studio album by United States, American rapper Twista. Its title is taken from the Fujita scale. The album marks the first collaboration with Chicago producer the Legendary Traxster since 2004's ''Kamikaze (Twista ...

'', including the single, "Wetter", which was certified gold and went on to win two

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

Rhythm & Soul Music Awards in the Rap and R&B/Hip Hop category. The duo also collaborated on "

Make a Movie "Make a Movie" is a song by American rapper Twista featuring American singer Chris Brown, released by Get Money Gang and EMI on August 24, 2010 as the second single from the former's eighth studio album, '' The Perfect Storm'' (2010). Written by ...

", which featured Chris Brown. The song was the lead single for Twista's 2010 album, ''The Perfect Storm'', which featured eight songs produced by Traxster. Traxster participated in the

SCORES program, leading a songwriting class with kids at Chalmers Elementary School in Chicago on December 1 and 8, 2010. Traxster and the students recorded the song at

Chicago Recording Company Chicago Recording Company, or CRC, is a recording studio in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1975. Boasting twelve studios, CRC is the largest recording company in the Midwest, and the largest independent studio in the country. History Early histo ...

studios on December 14, 2010, with the finished track included on a compilation CD produced by ASCAP, and distributed to music industry decision makers and each of the schools involved. The following year, he produced the single " My Chick Bad" by Ludacris featuring

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...

, from his chart-topping album, '' Battle of the Sexes'', as well as the official remix, which featured

Eve Eve is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Creation myths develop through oral traditions and there ...

Trina Katrina Laverne Kearse (née Taylor; born December 3, 1974), is an American rapper. She rose to prominence in the late 1990s for her collaborations with Trick Daddy on the singles " Nann Nigga", " Shut Up", and " Take It to da House". In 2000, ...

, and

Diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of e ...

. The song peaked at number 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was nominated for a 2011 Grammy Award in the category

Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance. The award was discontinue ...

. On November 30, 2022, the single was certified triple platinum in the US. In January 2017, Traxster signed a deal with Priority Records for his label Nothing But Dope. The new Priority Records launched in 2013. The label's re-launch was a venture by Capitol Records, which is owned by the Universal Music Group.

Personal life

In 2015, he married singer-songwriter Tia London. They have one child together, who was born in July 2015.

Discography

*2001: ''All Hell Breaks Loose'' *2008: ''The Return of Gangsta Music'' *2013: ''You Owe Me A Favor'' (Beat tape) *2015: ''You Owe Me Another Favor'' (Beat tape) *2016: "Black Saints" *2020: "Vintage Traxster" *2021: "The Wedding" *2023: "CHICAGO" *2025: "LAMBS"

Production discography

2025

The Legendary Traxster – LAMBS

* 01. "Once Upon A Time" * 02. "The Reign Remains" * 03. "Silence The LAMBS" * 04. "Bane" * 05. "Famous Friends" * 06. "Do You Love Me" * 07. "I.I.L? (feat. Tia London)" * 08. "The Code" * 09. "Bitches" * 10. "What I Say" * 11. "Selfish" * 12. "Grammy Night" * 13. "Chevy With Sounds" * 14. "Genuis Is Too Small (feat. Tia London)"

2024

Kanye West, Ty Dolla Sign, Future, and Metro Boomin – "Like That Remix"

¥$ – Vultures 1

* 01. "Stars" * 02. Keys to My Life * 03. "Paid" * 07."Do It" * 08. "Paperwork" * 09. "Burn" * 10. "Fuk Sumn" * 12. "Carnival"

2023

Beyoncé – "Cuff It (Wetter Remix)"

2014

Twista – ''Dark Horse''

*01. "The Dark Horse" *02. "I Am Sucha Mobsta" *06. "It's Yours" *11. "Nothing Like Me" *12. "Me And You"

2013

Java Starr – ''Troubled Waters''

*02. "Smoke" *04. "Pop A Crate" *05. "See Me" *07. "Lost" *09. "Let Me In" *12. "Dreamer" *14. "Champion" *15. "What's Pop'n" *19. "My City" *20. "Gotta Do Better" *23. "Peakin"

Twista – ''Back to the Basics (EP)''

*01. "Intro/Freestyle" *02. "Ferocious" *05. "Put It Down"

2012

Tia London – ''The Overdose''

2011

Tia London – ''Love Junkie''

Big Sean – ''Finally Famous''

*02. "I Do It"

2010

Ludacris – ''Battle of the Sexes''

*03. "My Chick Bad" *14. "My Chick Bad (Remix)"

Twista – ''The Perfect Storm''

*01. "Darkness" *03. "Make a Movie" *04. "I Do" *05. "2012" *07. "Back To The Basics" *08. "Hands Up, Lay Down" *09. "Call The Police" *09. "Give It To Me"

2009

Twista – ''Category F5''

*01. "Misunderstood" *03. "Fire" *05. "Yellow Light" *07. "Wetter" *09. "Yo Body" *11. "Gotta Get Me One"

2007

WC – ''Guilty by Affiliation''

*11. "Side Dick"

2006

Do or Die – ''Get That Paper''

*03. "Get Yo Gunz" *06. "It Ain't Hard" *07. "On My Own"" *08. "Get This Paper" *09. "Somethin' Like a Playa" *10. "Street Sh$" *11. "Up That Scratch"

Tech N9ne – ''Everready (The Religion)''

*15. "My World"

2005

Mariah Carey – ''The Emancipation of Mimi''

"One and Only" Featuring Twista

Do or Die – ''D.O.D.''

*01. "Against All Odds" *03. "Chain of Command" *14. "Around Here" *15. "Wa da da Dang" *16. "Getcha Weight Up" *17. "For My Niggaz"

2004

Twista – ''Kamikaze''

*13. "Like a 24"

Cam'ron – ''Purple Haze''

"Chi (Skit)/Adrenaline/Phone (Skit)"

2003

Do or Die – ''Pimpin' Ain't Dead''

*01. "One More Way 2 Die" *02. "Do U?" *03. "Fantasy" *04. "See It Through Reality" *05. "Lil' Ghetto Boy" *06. "Stateville" *07. "Don't Give No Fuck (No Love 2K3)" *08. "Bomb on Contact" *09. "Not 4 U" *11. "Who I Fuck Wit" *12. "Cold World"

2002

Do or Die – ''Back 2 the Game''

*02. "Ain't No Punk" *05. "I Got A Problem" *07. "A.M." *08. "Secret Indictment" *09. "Dead Homies" *10. "That's My Car" *11. "Menage A Trois"

2001

Snypaz – ''Livin' in the Scope''

"Searchin"

1999

Mystikal – ''The Corruptor (soundtrack)''

*11. "I Ain't Playin"

1998

Do or Die, Danny Boy, and Johnny P – ''Caught Up (soundtrack)''

*07. "All in the Club"

Do or Die – ''Headz or Tailz''

*04. "Lil Sum Sum" *05. "Nobody's Home" *07. "All in the Club" *08. "Can I" *10. "Gangsta Shit" *11. "Bustin Back (Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Diss)" *13. "Who Am I" *14. "Caine House"

Twista & the Speedknot Mobstaz – ''Mobstability''

*01. "Intro" *02. "Crook County (Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Diss)" *03. "Mob Up" *04. "Front Porch" *05. "In Your World" *06. "Legit Ballers" *07. "Mobstability" *08. "Party Hoes" *09. "Warm Embrace" *10. "Smoke Wit You" *11. "Loyalty" *12. "Motive 4 Murder" *13. "Dreams" *14. "Rock Y'all Spot"

Latanya – ''The Big Hit Soundtrack''

*03. "What U On"

1997

Mystikal – ''Dangerous Ground (soundtrack)''

*06. "Mr. Shit Talker"

Twista – ''Adrenaline Rush''

*01. "Intro" *02. "Adrenaline Rush" *03. "Death Before Dishonor" *04. "It Feels So Good" *05. "Overdose" *06. "Mobster's Anthem" *07. "Get Her In Tha Mood" (skit) *08. "Emotions" Featuring Johnny P *09. "Unsolved Mystery" *10. "Korrupt World" *11. "Get It Wet" *12. "No Remorse" *13. "Emotions" (Remix)

Mystikal – ''Unpredictable''

*10. "Still Smokin"

Mic Geronimo – ''Vendetta''

*02. "Vendetta"

1996

Do or Die – ''Picture This''

*01. "Alpha and Omega" *02. "Shut 'Em Down" *03. "Po Pimp" *06. "Playa Like Me and You" *07. "Promise" *08. "6 Million" *09. "Search Warrant" *10. "Anotha One Dead And Gone"

References

External links

*
Fake Shore Drive Interview
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Legendary Traxster 1973 births Living people African-American male rappers 21st-century American male rappers Record producers from Illinois American hip-hop record producers Rappers from Chicago 21st-century African-American musicians 21st-century American rappers