Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Trent James. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Trent, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on has to be my new project, “The World Is A Strange Place” which releases on 9/23/2022.

This body of work encompasses what life has been like for the past 2 years for me. A lot has happened in that span of time. I got married, had my son, left my job, bought a house, got my first plaque and trimmed a lot of fat all in 2 years.

I’ve made sacrifices and created opportunities for myself in the past few months that I would never imagine possible. This album is a tale of meaningful sacrifice and what comes as the result when met with consistency.

Trent, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When I was 16 years old I signed my first major deal with Sony Epic by way of Cinematic Music Group. It was a single deal for a song called “Crank Dat Yank.” At that time, a young executive named John “Shipes” Shipiro signed me and my crew, Cash Camp, to his indie label when he had heard that we created several of the hottest dances for some of the best rappers at that time circa 2007-08.

A minor in the game, I had to have my mother read over my contract with me at Epic and sign it because I was too young to both understand what any of the legal jargon meant and not of legal age to even represent myself on paper.

The feeling alone of being ignorant to the business of music made me want to study it. After the success of Crank Dat Yank, it was time to make a choice; To continue my rap/dance career, or to go to college and study the business of music. Struggling to release a second single, and internal issues within my crew, I decided that college was the next step for me.

I never struggled with academics. I carried the HOPE scholarship and kept my grades up while learning the business, graduating in 4 years with a double-major BBA in Marketing & Management from the University of West Georgia. Now that I had the skill and the knowledge of business behind me, it was time to put in the work.

The most important things that I learned while in school, ironically, never came from a textbook. My college experience taught me principals like time management, discipline, networking and valuing relationships, which are all essential in business and I still value them today.

Before I could make my mark on the rap game with my new understanding of the business, I would need capital. Knowing what I am artistically capable of and already having achieved huge milestones early in my musical career helped me but also hurt me in some ways. In the song “Easier” with P L A Y B O I I on my new project “The World Is A Strange Place”, I have a line that states, “imagine knowing that you’re better than everyone else but you gotta prove it.”

This is what it felt like while sitting in a cubicle to earn capital to fund my passion for music. At the height of mumble rap, I felt that my craft was superior. Rapping substance over a trap beat had never been done before, and I planned to shake up the status quo by putting the medicine in the candy.

My message in my music has always been to create opportunities for yourself (don’t wait), rise above none sense, separate yourself from anyone that stifles your growth, spread love and positivity, and to love on yourself. That’s still my message in my music with a new twist.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

There was a time that I was at a crossroads as far as what I wanted to do with my life. I had worked a job for five years while using the capital that I had earned from the job to invest into my musical dream. At some point during those five years the vision had become bleak and I felt uninspired. The battery in my back has always been my big brother, Playboii. It’s very easy to become complacent and satisfied with an average life. You know earning a decent living having a decent house driving a decent car or two, but the challenge is to challenge yourself to be the best version of yourself daily. My brother Playboii challenged me to be the best version of myself. In a way, I guess he was my accountability partner that I didn’t know that I need it.

The challenge was to continue to get better at the musical craft and never lose sight of the vision. The job was the investor, the dream was the investment. As a daily reminder for myself and whom ever needed to see it, I printed out a quote that I came up with one day in my cubicle at my job that read, “He, who seizes opportunity excels; He, who creates opportunity DOMINATES.”

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

“The Way of the Superior Man” is a great book that was highly recommended by Nipsey Hussle, my favorite rapper. It’s teachings and endless wisdom I carry with me daily.

The book that changed my life is “Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy” by Sadhguru.

Contact Info:

• Website: ybt3fly.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ybt3fly
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ybt3fly
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/YBT3FLY
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/officialybt
• Other: https://pay-up.us

Image Credits
Danny Nguyen