In case you have not been paying attention, we are proud to take this moment to educate you in preparation for her forthcoming album that will drop later this year. Bar none, Trina is the most consistent female artist in the history of hip-hop. You are welcome.
What would you say has been the biggest key to the longevity of your successful music career?
I would just say my determination, drive, and me doing something that I love. The minute I stop loving it will be the minute I’m no longer interested. There’s still a lot of energy me and I love what I am doing as an artist. I am being creative and growing. Watching myself start from the beginning, being on a Trick Daddy record to now approaching my fifth album, it’s just an amazing evolution. It just shows me how I went from a kid into a woman. I am taking in and absorbing all of that. It’s has been a great journey.
Having the most consistent career of a female artist in hip hop, how have found ways to stay relevant when so many of your peers have fallen off?
I will just say it’s the energy from my fans. They love me. They are searching for me for music, for concerts and shows. It’s just a great energy. I have hiatuses between putting out albums where I put out several mixtapes. I am all about the people. I consider myself a great people-person. I just stay true to myself and do what I love. That’s how I maintain my relevancy.
How would you define the Trina brand?
It evolves and continues to grow every day. There are so many perceptions, even misperceptions, about myself and my brand – my whole aura, but I stay true to who I am as a person, as a woman, and as a human being. I feel like each day I’m growing, each day I’m learning something different. I am never going to stop learning. Each day I look forward to being a better me than I was the day before. I am in competition with myself to be the best person I can be for me. I think that’s what keeps me grounded and keeps me going.
I saw a recent Breakfast Club interview and I have to say you are incredibly down to earth for a celebrity of your status. you are very honest and in touch with who you are as a person.
I am just me. My family, my friends, the people I am around, my interactions with them is normal. I have friends that are married. Some are divorced. Some have kids and some don’t. We have real woman conversations. When it comes to my music, I am inspired by them and their stories. Some hang out and party all the time, get drunk and act a fool. Others are differently cultured. It keeps me humanized and in touch with reality as well as the separation between what’s real and what’s fake. For myself, each and every day of my life is a reality. I sit with my friends, we laugh, we party, we cry, we talk and I’m inspired by that. Those are the things that keep me humble and keep me grounded. Life is what you make it. There are people who do all kinds of ridiculous things. Good or bad, you have to take them both.
Throughout your career, no matter who you have dated, whether they were famous or not, no one can credit someone else for your success. What are some of the lessons you have learned and would share with other female artists?
You have to always do what’s best for you, follow your mind, and always be independent. I came from a family of six women, my mother had five sisters. There were independent women who had their own businesses. They were going always hold it down for their kids and their families. As a woman, you should be your own dependent and depend on no one for absolutely nothing. It’s something I learned growing. I don’t care who you are, I’m not there for your good situation. I am the situation.
I always want to be independent. God blesses the child that has its own. I have me. We may be happy, months or years later we may not be in the same space. I don’t want to be your dependent and then something goes wrong and I’m out here looking like a cuckoo brain. That’s not how I grew up. That’s not how I carry myself. I don’t care who it is. It could be an oil tycoon or a garbage man, you need to make sure that you are dependent on yourself and can provide for yourself. Be determined for yourself. Work hard for yourself so you can take vacations for yourself and create beautiful moments for yourself. Live the lifestyle that you want to live so that you will never have to worry.
I saw a recent Breakfast Club interview and I have to say you are incredibly down to earth for a celebrity of your status. you are very honest and in touch with who you are as a person.
I am just me. My family, my friends, the people I am around, my interactions with them is normal. I have friends that are married. Some are divorced. Some have kids and some don’t. We have real woman conversations. When it comes to my music, I am inspired by them and their stories. Some hang out and party all the time, get drunk and act a fool. Others are differently cultured. It keeps me humanized and in touch with reality as well as the separation between what’s real and what’s fake. For myself, each and every day of my life is a reality. I sit with my friends, we laugh, we party, we cry, we talk and I’m inspired by that. Those are the things that keep me humble and keep me grounded. Life is what you make it. There are people who do all kinds of ridiculous things. Good or bad, you have to take them both.
Throughout your career, no matter who you have dated, whether they were famous or not, no one can credit someone else for your success. What are some of the lessons you have learned and would share with other female artists?
You have to always do what’s best for you, follow your mind, and always be independent. I came from a family of six women, my mother had five sisters. There were independent women who had their own businesses. They were going always hold it down for their kids and their families. As a woman, you should be your own dependent and depend on no one for absolutely nothing. It’s something I learned growing. I don’t care who you are, I’m not there for your good situation. I am the situation. I always want to be independent. God blesses the child that has its own. I have me. We may be happy, months or years later we may not be in the same space. I don’t want to be your dependent and then something goes wrong and I’m out here looking like a cuckoo brain. That’s not how I grew up. That’s not how I carry myself.
You are simply amazing. Name some of the people your fans can expect to find on your forthcoming album.
I worked with so many producers, but let’s just start off with Rico Love. He’s like my brother, my family. He’s the reason behind this project. He’s so inspiring, he inspired me when he didn’t even know I needed inspiration. He just put his foot down. He came to a session. I told him I needed to finish this album, he asked what I needed and told me that we were going to make this happen. He wasn’t going to give me any breaks and he wasn’t going to accept any excuses. I needed that push. I had been working on my album for two and half years. There had been both, high and low moments, but I think that timing is everything. I am super happy and excited in the space I’m in.
I started off this first single with Torey Lanez, a guy I have been working with for several years. I have Rico Love obviously, on the album. I also have Lil Wayne and Kelly Price on the album. There’s the single I have out right now with K. Michele. There are Two Chainz, Lil Boosie and some surprises that I won’t mention yet. It’ a full album, my sixth… I worked so hard to get it completed. I’m super excited.
– BE’N ORIGINAL
