Troy Ave made his debut on the iTunes yesterday with New York City (The Album). In issue #260, which is on newsstands now, we featured him in The Source Magazine’s Microphone Check column. Check out the piece here.
Electric Ave
Troy Ave on the road success and how an artist with street records can make hits.
Written by Danny McLean
Nothing out of the ordinary, on a cool, sunny day, Troy Ave lights a blunt up as he writes a song on the roof of his Brooklyn home. Far from a gimmick, when asked what makes Troy Ave special, he’ll tell you, “Through it all, I make actual honest music. You don’t have to necessarily be into the gritty content, but you will still love my flow, the melody, or the catchy hook.”
Troy’s moniker was taken from the block he was raised on in Brooklyn. From his beginnings freestyling in the hallways of his high school, Troy’s rap content was always about what he currently was up to and what he didn’t want to be. Flirting with street life, Troy encountered unfortunate situations that made him quickly realize the shock value of being locked up and the life he didn’t want for himself. Rapping became serious for the 27-year-old once 50 Cent released Get Rich Or Die Tryin. It was evident from that point that this could be something he could do as well.
“My broke different from another ni**a broke, they’ll wait until they down to that last 20 dollars,” Troy says. “If I’m low on stacks, I’m going feel like I need to pick up the pace.” Touring out of town, doing local shows, and flooding Brooklyn with his mixtapes made the people start to listen.
Since then, Troy has made his mark again and again, proving he’s an artist to look out for. His Bricks In My Backpack 3: The Harry Powder Trilogy was received well and proved that a rapper with street records also has the ability to make a hit. “I got a ritual before I record: I listen to a lot of old music like Al Green, David Ruffin, all that smooth, old-player s**t, and I’ll implement that sound in my music with influences from Biggie while doing my own thing,” Troy says. He won’t listen to new rappers on the regular because he will tell you he doesn’t want his subconscious to influence him to sound like a rapper on the radio.
Although co-signs and working with artists from Fabolous to Noreaga, Raekwon, Pusha T, and Prodigy has its benefits, it’s not enough for Troy Ave. His demeanor, humility, and charisma are attributes that have helped Mr. Powder up to this very day, and it’s clear that it’s only a matter of time before Troy Ave gets his just due.
DOWNLOAD NEW YORK CITY (THE ALBUM) HERE
Issue on newsstands now! Cop that.
