September 20, 2017

Learn more about the bassist turned rapper.

N
Contributor

Trip Carter is one of the most underrated artists in the game. Music’s been in his blood all his life, as he perfected his talents on instruments before even attempting to rap.

Armed with am array of musical knowledge and good energy, Trip has been making plenty songs worthy of a celebratory night of drinking. I recently hopped on a call with the Los Angeles native and got to talk 2273, waves and more. Read our full conversation below.

 

Tell us about yourself.

I’m Trip Carter from Los Angeles, California. Just a musician, artist, creative force, all that shit.

Are you signed to 2273?

I’m not fully signed to 2273. I’m definitely like with the squad, but I haven’t signed anything.

Who’s all in the squad besides Felly and Gyyps?

Yeah basically Felly and Gyyps are the homies, I met them in school. We ended up putting a band together for Fel and going on tour. There’s also Trey who does all the graphics and shit, that’s my homie who connected me with all them. He’s also a director, he directed my new music video. Maybe Peter $un, he’s not in 2273 but he’s definitely the homie from there. Ya girl called Frex out of Philly, she’s pretty sick too.

Have you ever played a show without 2273?

I’ve been doing shows for years as a rapper. I haven’t done any shows of my own since my new music’s come out, like probably since last year or so, but I’ve got some planned pretty soon. Probably LA shows because I haven’t done a hometown show in a while.

You’re a bassist. Is that what you studied at USC?

Yeah, I studied jazz at USC. I’m basically like a professional bass player, that’s how I make my bag. Just now the rapping’s been starting to pick up a little bit, but that’s how I’ve been making my bag since I got out of school.

Did you always want to be a rapper? Or did that start in college.

I always listened to rap, always just been a big fan of it. But definitely didn’t even think about rapping until I was like 16 and started flipping around with it a little bit, but then I was off that, and I was just like writing songs, just like full on, regular songs without rap. But then I got back into it when I linked with my producer Rondo who’s also a USC student in the jazz program.

Did you grow up actually in the city of LA?

I’m from just outside the city, like kind of the valley, but just north of the valley, in a town you’ve probably never heard of.

What was it like there?

It was chill, just regular like middle class, cool. Nothing crazy.

Typical California city?

Full-on California shit.

At the end of your song “Use”, there’s talk about waves and energy. Explain these beliefs a little more deeply for us. 

That’s my homie, he used to live with me, he was fire. He was really talking about like positivity, just putting out good thoughts and everything, waves, like just helps you manifest and brings your dreams and visions and shit to life. Really putting some good shit out into the universe.

Tell us a bit about this Oasis that you talk about?

On the album, the Oasis is really just the dream. Trying to get to the money, the fame, and just being successful. For me personally, it’s music, that’s always been a thing for me. I’ve been doing music since I’ve been ten years old. So, I’ve always been seeing that. It’s like, ya know, when you’re in a desert and there’s nothing around you but fuckin’ sand and bugs and shit. You see off in the distance something that might be, like some water or whatever, out there in the desert, thirsty. That’s the Oasis, and I have been hypothetically traveling through this desert on my musical journey, I’ve kind of like gotten a glimpse of the Oasis. It honestly really came from when I went on tour, last year around this time with Fel and them, and just got a glimpse. Like we put on some pretty big shows and it was just crazy. And then we did that shit, and then I came back home, and I was still in my same shitty house, and still broke as fuck. I just got a taste of that shit, and it just motivated me more.

How’d you link up with Sad Money?

We have the same manager, and when I met said manager, he was like I gotta sign you, I gotta get you in with my guy Sad Money. And I guess Sad Money didn’t really fuck with me at first, but we got him and we made a track in like one day and it was fire, it was crazy, we bounce off each other really well. And then we just ended up making like mad tracks, like we probably have like sixty tracks, just have good creative chemistry. And his blend of sounds is crazy, just like insane sounds.

Lots of rappers rap about being rich before they actually are. You rap about being broke and blowing money. What do you like to spend that fast money on?

Man, I blow most of my money partying, and definitely fuck with clothes and video games, too. Music equipment, though, is probably the number one thing that I be buying. Really, that’s where my money be. I’ll be like, “oh I partied a bit” “oh I got this tight hat or shirt”, but really the fucking bag is like “oh I need to get a fuckin new speaker, new mic, or keyboard, or MacBook. That’s what it is. Trynna get lit on the music shit.

You’re obviously very musically talented. Do you ever plan to produce your own stuff?

I feel more inspired when I work with other people, producing, a lot of the time, but I definitely got some new shit that like I’ll produce, and then have somebody really make it tight. I just feel like my producing and my rapping and songwriting skills are at different levels. Producing is just so different then like playing bass, with the sound and the mixing and whatever.

What’s in store for the future?

I got a music video coming real soon, directed by my homie Trey and my other homie Sam. And they’re fuckin killing it, so that’ll be fire, expect that shortly. And I’m going on fuckin tour with Fel November 1st, that’s gonna be wild. Coming to a city near you.

 

Featured Photo by Dillon Healy

 


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