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Birthday Bitch: An Interview With Trap Beckham

One of Def Jam’s own Trap Beckham tells Above Average Hip Hop the importance of being a team player and explains to us how It is a central component to his overall success. Beckham, recognizing that you can never do anything alone, has been under the radar for some time. Now with a new single titled “Birthday Bitch,” Beckham shows off his down south flavor with that southern trap bass. “I try to bring that bass back! There is like nobody with the bass now.”

Trap Beckham has that party vibe, having and an ear for making hits and keeping it real for the ladies. He has a genuine flow and organic feel to his music, generating a very real and strong presence, not only in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, but the national spotlight as well. “We are on the road on promo — in New York! Then following up in the cities with actual material. We are growing organically.”

Being signed to Def Jam is a dream come true for Trap Beckham. During our interview, he discusses what it’s like affiliating with real players in the game. “Just coming from where I come from without being a major artist. It is a major accomplishment for my city, and everybody is behind me because they know I stay in my lane.” He tells Above Average Hip Hop how he grew up rapping and naturally became a local star on the rise in Jacksonville, Florida, making that southern trap movement soon branded by industry.

How has your new single “Birthday Bitch” been received overall?

It’s crazy man! The record has just been taking off. I’ve been making music for years, so to see it grow is like amazing! It’s a dream come true being with Def Jam.

So you put out a mixtape every year on your birthday?

Yeah! Every year I drop a mixtape on my birthday July 14. Since 2010, I’ve been dropping one every July 14. So this year I dropped my seventh one, and it was great to see a legacy going. Even though I was underground when it started, but the world will see the eighth one. Def Jam was all good with it! They like my legacy. They were like – do you, don’t change you! So they let me do they mix tape so it was all good. I try to bring that bass back. There is like nobody with the bass now. I understand that everybody likes different types of music but like, there are no bass artists. I just want to bring a different aspect to the game. Outside from that, I just want to lighten up the vibe. It’s just that there are not enough happy people out there so I want to get the vibe going!
Tell me a bit about how you developed your sound coming up in the game.
Well, I came up in the game down in North Florida. When I did a song called “Top of the Line” with a local artist, that was my first single. That was the first one that everybody took to. It was the first song that DJ’s picked up and downloaded for no reason. It was just crazy! From that point, I knew that the easiest way was to cater to the ladies and to cater to the party. So that played a big part in like developing the type of music I made. I continue to make party songs, and I continue to cater to the ladies. I just perfected it! In the song “Birthday Bitch,” I cater to the party and the ladies. It is just the perfect record!

Do you have any tour dates set?

No, I don’t, but we are on the road on promo. Like right now, we are in New York! Then following up in the cities with actual material. It’s all good! We are growing organically. I’m a fan of organic growth. I wanted to make sure it looked like it was coming from the ground up.

When did you first start rapping?

I first started rapping when I was like 7 or 8 years old. I started writing music for a while and then my mom bought a tape recorder for my 12th birthday. With that tape recorder, I recorded my first song, and I performed it at a talent show with a pencil, beating on a desk. From there, I was about 14 when my mom bought me an old computer and a magic music maker. That is when I first learned how to structure my recordings and when I first learned how to dub my vocals. When I turned 17, I recorded a song that became very popular around Jacksonville, the one I was telling you about! Ever since then my name has been known around the city.

Now you are signed to Def Jam. What is that like?

It is a dream come true! Every day I’m meeting someone new. It just hits me! Like today, I’m supposed to be running into Desiigner, and it’s like – dang, we are on the same label! Just coming from where I come from without being a major artist. It is a major accomplishment for my city, and everybody is behind me because they know I stay in my lane.

If you could do something different
with Birthday Bitch like do a remix, what would you do?

It would ride out! It would drop, and the beat would flip. It would either be an all-girl remix or an all singer remix. I wouldn’t just like get a gangster get on it and just do whatever — because you got to cater to the ladies! It’s a ladies’ song. You know what I’m saying?

What can you tell me about your team Dj Pretty Ricky and Grand Prix?

My team is like the three headed monster! I am the voice. Grand Prix, he is the brain and Ricky is the one who is going to snap first! He is going to make sure we get it right. Grand Prix is the one who is going to engage in conversation in any environment and express how much we appreciate you; you know, as men we don’t express our feelings like that. Grand Prix will be like – “listen to what’s in your emails.” He makes sure we get it all! That is a major part of my career because it helps me focus on other things. You need a strong team. If you don’t have at least one or two people with while you are making your music, it is going to stretch you out as an artist.

Where can I follow you at?

You can follow me on all my social media Instagram: Trap Beckham, Twitter: @TrapBeckham_, my snap chat is Yung Trap Beckham

Is there anything else out there you want your fans to know?

We are coming and we have been cooking up music! I’ve been out in L.A and the beats have been getting crazier. The parties are getting crazier. The features are going to get crazier! I’m just telling people to buckle up! Trap Beckham will be here for the long haul.

AA Hip Hop Staff About Author

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