Lil' Troy

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Lil' Troy
Birth nameTroy Lane Birklett
Born (1966-02-24) February 24, 1966 (age 58)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Genres Hip Hop
Occupations
Years active1986–present
Labels

Troy Lane Birklett (born February 24, 1966), [1] [2] known professionally as Lil' Troy, is an American rapper and songwriter.

Contents

Early life

Birklett was born in Houston and grew up there.

Career

Early career

In 1987, Troy Birklett founded Short Stop and joined the group Mass 187 in 1987. Mass 187's song "Gangsta Strut" was featured on local radio. [3] He was arrested in November 1999 and sent to a federal detention center in Beaumont, Texas west of Orange. He was there nine months. [4] [5]

Wanna Be a Baller and later career

In the late 1990s, Lil' Troy featured many of Houston's rappers in his songs. He reached national audiences with his single "Wanna Be a Baller". [6] The song reached No. 70 [1] on the Billboard Hot 100, and propelled Sittin' Fat Down South , his debut album on his Shortstop/Me & Mine Entertainment label, to the Top 25 albums on the Billboard 200. After the success of the lead single, Lil' Troy was picked up by Universal Music Group, which re-released his debut album in 1999 with national distribution. The debut album was a success; it was certified Platinum by the RIAA selling 1.9 million copies in the US. [4] [7] Lil' Troy released a follow up in 2001, titled Back to Ballin . The album did not have a charting single and did not fare nearly as well as his debut. He released his third album, Paperwork, in 2006.

Lil' Troy later became a truck driver, forming Birklett Trucking Company in Missouri City, Texas west of Pearland. [8]

Discography

Albums

YearTitleChart positions [9] Certifications
US US R&B US Ind
1998 Sittin' Fat Down South 206–
2001 Back to Ballin
  • Released: September 11, 2001
  • Label: Koch/Short Stop/Me & Mine Entertainment
95244
2006Paperwork
  • Released: February 14, 2006
  • Label: Short Stop/101
–––

Singles

YearTitleChart positionsAlbum
US US R&B US Rap
1998"Small Time"–––Sittin' Fat Down South
1999"Wanna Be a Baller" (featuring Fat Pat, Yungstar, Lil' Will, and H.A.W.K.)704031
"Where's the Love" (feat. Willie D & Ardis)–––
2001"We Gon' Lean"———Back to Ballin
"Back to Ballin"–––

References

  1. 1 2 Birchmeier, Jason (2008). "Lil' Troy > Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved January 17, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Free Family Tree, Genealogy, Family History, and DNA Testing". Myheritage.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  3. ↑ O'Connor, Christopher (October 27, 1999). "Label Head Lil' Troy Turns Rapper". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  4. 1 2 Baker, Soren (October 8, 2001). "Lil' Troy, Free From Prison, Is Back To Ballin'". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 14, 2001. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
  5. ↑ Mariani, Anthony (October 16, 2001). "Never Surrender". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Label Head Lil' Troy Turns Rapper". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  8. ↑ Conner, Briana (December 8, 2021). "Houston rapper Lil' Troy survives 18-wheeler fire on I-10: 'I thank God'". ABC13 News. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Lil Troy Billboard albums". AllMusic. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Gold & Platinum". Riaa.com. Retrieved December 13, 2019.


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