Don Trip

Christopher Don Wallace (born August 20, 1985), better known professionally as Don Trip,[1] is an American rapper. As a pioneer of the Memphis sound, he's put out a consistent stream of mixtapes, albums, and projects since the mid-2000s.[2]

Don Trip
Don Trip (left) with Starlito; 2013
Background information
Birth nameChristopher Don Wallace Jr.
Born (1985-08-20) August 20, 1985
OriginMemphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
Years active2008–present
Labels
Associated acts
Websitemrdontrip.net

Introduction

Don Trip first started to break out in 2011, with the re-release of his song "Letter to my Son" featuring Cee Lo Green.[3] This eventually led to his signing to Interscope in 2012,[4] and being named an XXL Freshman later that year.[5] After being dropped from the label, he managed to find further success as an independent artist with his critically acclaimed series of mixtapes titled Step Brothers, in collaboration with fellow Tennessee rapper Starlito.

Early life

As a child, Don Trip grew up in the low-income East Memphis.[2] Living in a fatherless household, Trip watched as his mother worked three jobs, and still struggled to support him along with his brother and sister. At the age of 12, he began working to provide for his siblings, saying that "all we ever had was us."[6] Even at an early age, though, Don Trip was inspired by Jay-Z and Tupac, and even studied Jadakiss verses with an almost religious fervor.[7] At 15, he noticed his family was falling apart, and felt the urge to do something more to help them. Inspired by the pre-teen duo of Kriss Kross, he began rapping and making music.[6]

Career

Early Career - 2012

Don Trip's career began at 15, when he started rapping.[6] After working on his craft, he began to release mixtapes and singles in very late 2000s, leading to a string of 9 projects being released between October 2010 (Crossface Crippler)[8] and February 2012 (Guerilla).[9] Releasing his mixtapes on websites such as Datpiff and HotNewHipHop, Don Trip began to amass a following as a street rapper. However, his song "Letter to My Son," (originally released in 2009) went semi-viral on YouTube, fueling his transition toward mainstream hip-hop.[7] The song, which detailed Trip's struggle with being unable to see his son due to court ruling, was lauded for its accurate depiction of a hardship not often portrayed in rap music. In 2012, hot on the heels of "Letter to My Son," Don Trip was named one of XXL's 2012 freshmen, alongside Future, Danny Brown, Hopsin, and more.[5] Soon after, he was signed to Epidemic Records, a joint enterprise between production duo Cool & Dre and Interscope Records.[4]

Step Brothers - Present

Prior to his signing at Interscope, Don Trip scored big with his collaborative Step Brothers mixtape with Starlito.[10] Released in 2011, the mixtape was peppered with references and in-jokes relating to the Judd Apatow movie Step Brothers, and gained a cult following among the rap community. A few months before the mixtape's release, Starlito and Don Trip were introduced to each other by Yo Gotti, with whom Don Trip was touring.[7] Both rappers were already familiar with the other's music, and after discovering their musical compatibility, decided to make a joint project.[11] Three studio sessions later, Step Brothers was fully recorded. Due to the success of the mixtape as well as their collaborative chemistry, Starlito and Don Trip continued to collaborate, releasing the Step Brothers 2 mixtape in 2015.[12] While Don Trip was based in Memphis while Starlito was based in Nashville, the two continued to meet up to record, never emailing each other songs back and forth.[13] Eventually, in 2017, the two linked up again for the third installment of the Step Brothers series,[14] preceded by the Karate in the Garage collaborative mixtape.[15] Released independently, like the two previous mixtapes, Step Brothers 3 received widespread critical acclaim from publications such as Pitchfork,[16] XXL,[17] and USA Today.[18]

Discography

Albums
Name Year Notes
The Threat 2010 [19]
Step Brothers Two 2013 Collaboration with Starlito[12]
Godspeed 2015 [20]
The Head That Wears the Crown 2016 [21]
2 Clip Trip 2016 [22]
Step Brothers Three 2017 Collaboration with Starlito[14]
Christopher 2018 [23]

Mixtapes
Name Year Notes
Surviving da Drought 2009 [24]
Human Torch 2010 [25]
Crossface Crippler 2010 [8]
Terminator 2010 [26]
Free D Boi 2010 [27]
Human Torch 2 2011 [28]
Terminator 2 2011 [29]
Step Brothers 2011 Collaboration with Starlito[10]
Human Torch 3 2011 [30]
iHeart Strippers 2011 [31]
Guerilla 2012 [9]
Help Is on the Way 2013 [32]
Randy Savage 2014 [33]
In the Meantime 2015 [34]
In the Meantime 2 2016 [35]
Step Brothers (Karate in the Garage) 2017
Don't Feed the Guerrillas 2019

References
  1. "Don Trip On Sharing the Same Name as The Notorious B.I.G. - XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  2. "Don Trip Official". mrdontrip.net. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  3. "Letter to My Son (feat. Cee Lo Green) - Single by Don Trip on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  4. "Don Trip Jumps "In the Mix" [DJBooth Interview Exclusive] - DJBooth Article". DJBooth.net. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  5. "XXL Freshman Class Of 2012". Stereogum. 2012-02-28. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  6. sasheezy. "Don Trip: 'Help Is On the Way' (Interview) - Prefixmag.com". Prefixmag.com. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  7. "Interview: Don Trip". The FADER. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  8. "Crossface Crippler, by Mr. Don Trip". Mr. Don Trip. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  9. Don Trip - Guerilla (Hosted by DJ Drama) | Download & Listen [New Mixtape], retrieved 2017-05-16
  10. "Step Brothers, by Mr. Don Trip". Mr. Don Trip. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  11. "Starlito And Don Trip: Writers First, Rappers Second". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  12. "Step Brothers Two by Starlito & Don Trip on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  13. "Interview: A Discussion With Starlito and Don Trip On Independence, the Evolving Industry, and "Step Brothers 2"". Complex. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  14. "Step Brothers THREE by Starlito & Don Trip on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  15. Starlito & Don Trip - Step Brothers (Karate In The Garage) | Download & Listen [New Mixtape], retrieved 2017-05-16
  16. "Starlito / Don Trip: Step Brothers THREE Album Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  17. "Starlito and Don Trip Deliver a Dose of Reality Rap With 'Step Brothers Three' - XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  18. "'Step Brothers 3': Don Trip, Starlito continue Memphis/Nashville union". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  19. "The Threat by Don Trip on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  20. "Godspeed by Don Trip on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  21. "The Head That Wears the Crown by Don Trip on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  22. "2 Clip Trip by Don Trip on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  23. "Christopher by Don Trip on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
  24. "Surviving Da Drought, by Mr. Don Trip". Mr. Don Trip. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  25. "Human Torch, by Mr. Don Trip". Mr. Don Trip. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  26. "Terminator, by Mr. Don Trip". Mr. Don Trip. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  27. "Free D Boi, by Mr. Don Trip". Mr. Don Trip. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  28. "Human Torch 2, by Mr. Don Trip". Mr. Don Trip. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  29. "Terminator 2, by Mr. Don Trip". Mr. Don Trip. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  30. "Human Torch III, by Mr. Don Trip". Mr. Don Trip. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  31. "iHEARTStrippers, by Mr. Don Trip". Mr. Don Trip. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  32. Don Trip - Help Is On The Way | Download & Listen [New Mixtape], retrieved 2017-05-16
  33. Don Trip - Randy Savage | Download & Listen [New Mixtape], retrieved 2017-05-16
  34. Don Trip - In The Meantime | Download & Listen [New Mixtape], retrieved 2017-05-16
  35. Don Trip - In The Meantime 2 | Download & Listen [New Mixtape], retrieved 2019-07-05
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