Last Night: Trae Tha Truth At House Of Blues

Photos by Marco Torres

Trae Tha Truth Street King CD release
feat. Jadakiss, Waka Flocka, Yung Joc, Yung Quis, Lupe Fiasco & Pimp C's mom
House of Blues
June 28, 2011

10:16 p.m.: So here we are again. Trae, the man who walked face-first into a war with corporate radio because his morals dictated he do so, has planned a concert tonight to celebrate next month's release of Street King, his first solo album in more than three years. In addition to advertised guests, there have been whispers about a proper stage show and various high-end merchandise giveaways. Should be fun. Prop bets for the night:

Yung Joc is the first guest pulled out: 1:1
Someone asks, "Wait, who's that?" when Yung Joc comes out: 1:1
Trae ends the show with "Swang": -13:1
Trae references 97.9 The Box more than twice: 1:3
Z-Ro makes an appearance: 1:40
Someone says, "Oh shit. I think I just saw someone get stabbed in the restroom": 5:2

And we're off.

10:23: Ack, ack, ack. That Amber Rose haircut, don't do that, ladies.

10:48: Lights out. The band - we forgot to mention Trae has a live band with him - is warming up.

10:50: Don Cannon, music tastemaker and host of Trae's last mixtape, is onstage. Cool. Wasn't expecting that. Surprise no. 1.

10:52: So we guess you'll just wear a Chad Ochocinco T-shirt then, concertgoer? Cool, cool.

10:53: Show's starting. Lights are low. The song that opens Trae's last mixtape that uses the Adele vocals (very somber, very heavy) is playing. It's dark and spooky and the mood is set.

10:54: Oh snap. Trae just came riding out on a lowrider bike. He's like Jody from Baby Boy. Trae just pulled a Jody, bros. He stops at the center of the stage, bows his head, raises his handmade H and the crowd pop, trunk, waves all over the place. Surprise no. 2.

10:56: There are two versions of Trae you generally get at a show, each dictated by the type of song he's doing. If he's going to do a song where he raps fast (think "Real Talk"), he roots himself into the stage, bracing himself like a fireman holding a hose that's about to kick on. He hunches down a little more than normal, focuses inward, and then BLAM!, words come rocketing out in that wispy swordswipe he's perfected.

When he's in Fast Rap Trae mode, it's like he's bolted to the floor. He looks as stable as an oak tree. With Slow Rap Trae mode ("Swang," "No Help," all of the songs from It Is What It Is that are considered classics), his hip-hop bounce is considerably more obvious. He's not necessarily carefree, his likely never been described as such in his life*, but he's certainly less weighty. Right now, he's doing "Still Throwed."

*To wit: In "Hypa" he reveals that, upon his birth, drugs were placed in his diaper. Of course that's hyperbole, but still, the fact that it might not be is good enough.

10:59: ...aaannnddd the first guest of the evening is Joc. Even money paid for that one.