After spending years rapping underground, Memphis wordsmith Don Trip captivated the nation with 2011’s “Letter to My Son,” a harrowing single chronicling his estrangement from his child.
• Inspired by the preteen rap duo Kriss Kross, Don broke into the Memphis hip-hop scene at 15. One of his earliest projects was 2005’s Reloaded. • Don’s autobiographical 2011 single “Letter to My Son,” featuring Cee Lo Green, exploded on the internet, garnering millions of video views. • The single’s performance positioned Don for a record deal with Interscope and a placement on the 2012 XXL Freshman Class list. • Also in 2011, Don and fellow Tennessee rapper Starlito released Step Brothers, a nod to the 2008 film of the same name. The project—a blend of entertaining rhymes and pop culture references—earned Don a cult following. • Step Brothers performed so well that Don and Carlito delivered two more volumes. Step Brothers THREE (2017) made it onto the Billboard 200.