HollywoodLife caught up with TIP at his Trap House pop-up exhibition where he reflected on the impact that trap music has had on a new generation, & the lasting legacy OG trap artist Nipsey Hussle left behind.
Before the Lil Yachtys and the Migos of the world, came a generation of artists that paved the way for those artists to burst onto the scene. No one knows this better than T.I., 38, who is not only one of the earliest trap artists, but is always happy to celebrate his community. That’s exactly what he did at his Los Angeles Trap House pop-up exhibition, where he honored the likes of Nipsey Hussle, YG, Gucci Mane, Pusha-T, and more. HollywoodLife caught up with the rapper to hear all about the inspiration behind the month-long event, and what rappers he thinks have set the scene for more talented artists to follow in their footsteps.
For TIP — it was a no brainer when it came down to deciding which artists to include in the pop-up space. “It was simple,” he tells us during a a private tour of the Hollywood event, tucked inside of Hollywood’s Delicious Pizza. “It was the most significant contributors to the culture. We started with the founding four fathers of trap music if you would and that consists of Jeezy, Gucci Mane and myself and then we kind of crossed referenced that against who were the strongest, most consistent contributors of today which led us into the Futures and the 2 Chainz and the [Young] Thugs and the Migos of the world, and then we went to who has been most consistently relevant within their region over time,” the hip-hop icon tells us.
Now, with more trap artists striking out on a music career than ever before, the “Whatever You Like” hit-maker remains heavily invested in the trap scene and is always on the lookout for new talent. “That led us into the Kevin Gates and the Trae Tha Truths of the world,” TIP says. “And then we asked who the new, up and coming young trappers of tomorrow are and so that’s where we got the culmination of names from the Richie Riches to the Moneybagg Yos and so on and so forth.”
Of course, the late Nipsey Hussle has left a profound legacy on the hip-hop community and TIP was sure to include the rapper in the Trap House pop-up as well as reflect on his undeniable impact on music. “Man — It was a legacy of self awareness, community effort and I think that his legacy is of ownership and not sitting back and waiting on people to do something for you or asking for help but taking the initiative, starting from the bottom from where you are and building step by step, brick by brick until getting to where you want to be and making your own table to sit at,” T.I. told HollywoodLife.
The Trap House Exhibition launch event was hosted by Karen Civil on July 15. The exhibition was open to the public for the remainder of July and will allow patrons to fully experience the visual journey of art, culture and creativity as a part of the interactive installation. The Lil Trap House exhibition will continue touring to music festivals and college campuses around the country.