Pastor Troy

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Pastor Troy
Pastor Troy WHTA 2023.png
Troy in 2023
Background information
Birth nameMicah LeVar Troy
Also known as
  • The Pastor
  • PT Cruiser
  • Pastor Dizasta
Born (1977-11-18) November 18, 1977 (age 47)
College Park, Georgia, U.S.
Origin Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
Years active1998–present
Labels

Micah LeVar "Pastor" Troy (born November 18, 1977) is an American rapper from Augusta, Georgia. He is best known for his 2002 single "Are We Cuttin'" (featuring Ms. Jade), which entered the Billboard Hot 100. The year prior, he signed with Universal Records to release his fourth album and major label debut, Face Off (2001), which entered the Billboard 200. "Are We Cuttin'" spawned from his sixth album, Universal Soldier (2002), which peaked at number 13 on the chart. His seventh, By Any Means Necessary (2004), served as his final release with the label.

Contents

Along with his solo career, he was the lead member of the Southern hip hop group D.S.G.B. (Down South Georgia Boyz).

Early life

Micah LeVar Troy was born on November 18, 1977, in College Park, Georgia. His father, Alfred Troy, is a former drill instructor turned pastor. [1]

Troy graduated from Creekside High School and attended Paine College in Augusta, Georgia, before deciding to fully pursue his career in rap. His rap name comes from his last name and his father's profession as a pastor, and is also a pun on the name Castor Troy, a character from John Woo's 1997 film Face/Off , played by Nicolas Cage and John Travolta. His fourth album is titled Face Off in reference to the movie.

Career

He released his first album, We Ready (I Declare War), in 1999. To generate attention and buzz, he attacked record producer Master P verbally on the song "No Mo Play in G. A."

Fellow Georgia-based rapper Ludacris enlisted Troy to appear on his Jermaine Dupri-produced song "Get Off Me", from the former's Def Jam Recordings debut, Back for the First Time . [2] Troy also formed the Augusta, Georgia-based hip hop group D.S.G.B. (Down South Georgia Boyz) during this time, for which he served as frontman. [3] He guest appeared on Lil Jon & the Eastside Boyz' song "Throw It Up", from their collaborative album Kings of Crunk (2002). [4] In 2002, Troy's album Universal Soldier became popular in the South; it spawned the single "Are We Cuttin'" featuring Ms. Jade, which was also featured on the soundtrack for the action film xXx , released that year. [5] The album debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200. [6] In 2003, Troy appeared on Young Jeezy's 2003 album Come Shop wit' Me on the track titled "GA". [7]

Troy released By Any Means Necessary in 2004. Following this album, Troy was released from his Universal contract due to creative disputes. [1] He then released Face Off, Part II , which addressed some issues with Lil Scrappy and BME. In 2005, he appeared with Killer Mike on Chamillionaire's track "Southern Takeover" off of The Sound of Revenge.

He released three albums in 2006, starting with Stay Tru , followed by By Choice or By Force and Atlanta 2 Memphis , the latter on which in collaboration with Memphis, Tennessee, rapper Criminal Manne. Stay Tru entered the Billboard 200 at number 150, selling 6,000 copies its first week. [8]

Troy released his sixteenth solo album, Ready for War, in June 2009, and released seven follow-up studio albums until 2011. In 2012, he released The Last OutLaw, and in 2013, he released The Streets Need You. In 2014, he released the mixtape Crown Royal Part 4, as well as the album Welcome to the Rap Game, while he released the sixth installment of his Crown Royal mixtape series in 2015, along with WAR (We Are Ready) in Atlanta, which featured Paul Wall and Bun B.

In 2017, Troy announced his retirement, and released his last album O.G.P.T in July of that year. He also announced he was in the process of completing his second film, titled Down 2 Come Up, which he wrote, directed, and starred in, which was slated for released on March 17, 2020. Despite announcing his retirement, his career continued with the release of two albums: Clubber Lang (2018) and Enemy of the State (2019).

Personal life

In January 2020, Pastor Troy made homophobic comments on the outfit Lil Nas X wore during the Grammy Awards. [9] [10] [11] In a subsequent interview, Pastor Troy said he was not being homophobic but then claimed that "being gay isn't right" and made several other homophobic comments. [12] [13]

Awards

On April 5, 2016, Pastor Troy received the Legends of ATL Award from BMI for his contributions to music in Atlanta. [14]

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
US
[15]
R&B
[15]
Rap
[15]
Ind
[16]
We Ready (I Declare War)
  • Released: March 16, 1999 [17]
  • Label: Madd Society Records/Candy Coated Management
I Am D.S.G.B.
  • Released: September 12, 2000
  • Label: MCA Records
Pastor Troy for President
  • Released: November 7, 2000
  • Label: Real Thang Records
Face Off
  • Released: May 22, 2001
  • Label: Madd Society Records/Universal
8313
Hell 2 Pay
  • Released: January 1, 2002
  • Label: Madd Society Records
Universal Soldier
  • Releases: September 24, 2002
  • Label: Universal
132
By Any Means Necessary
  • Released: March 23, 2004
  • Label: Universal/Khaotic Generation
307
Face Off, Part II
  • Released: March 1, 2005
  • Label: Money & Power Records
112
Stay Tru 150211215
By Choice or by Force
  • Released: July 25, 2006
  • Label: Koch Records/Money And The Power LLC/Fastlife
130
Tool Muziq
  • Releases: July 3, 2007
  • Label: SMC Recordings/Money And The Power Records
911149
Attitude Adjuster 11615414
A.T.L. (A-Town Legend)
  • Released: May 13, 2008
  • Label: Siccness Records
TROY
  • Released: November 18, 2008
  • Label: Madd Society Records
Feel Me or Kill Me
  • Released: April 14, 2009
  • Label: SMC Recordings/Money And The Power Records/Fontana Distribution
121
Ready for War
Love Me, Hate Me
  • Released: July 28, 2009
  • Label: Siccness Records
G.I. Troy – Strictly 4 My Soldiers
  • Released: February 16, 2010
  • Label: Madd Society Records
Zero Tolerence
  • Released: May 25, 2010
  • Label: Bcd Music Group
Attitude Adjuster 2
King of All Kings
  • Released: August 3, 2010
  • Label: Madd Society Records
Still Troy
  • Released: March 15, 2011
  • Label: Turned Up Ent
H.N.I.C.
  • Released: April 5, 2011
  • Label: Siccness Records
The Last Outlaw
  • Released: June 19, 2012
  • Label: Madd Society Records
The Streets Need You
  • Released: July 30, 2013
  • Label: Madd Society Records
Welcome To The Rap Game
  • Released: October 7, 2014
  • Label: Madd Society Records
WAR in Atlanta
  • Released: June 27, 2015
  • Label: Khaotic Generation
O.G.P.T
  • Released: July 28, 2017
  • Label: Madd Society Records
Clubber Lang
  • Released: September 28, 2018
  • Label: Madd Society Records
Enemy of the State
  • Released: September 13, 2019
  • Label: Madd Society Records
I Said What I Said
  • Released: April 10, 2020
  • Label: Madd Society Records
PT Cruzza
  • Released: May 31, 2021
  • Label: Madd Society Records

Collaborations

With D.S.G.B.

YearTitleChart positions
US US R&B
2001The Last Supper
2003Til Death Do Us Part42

Other collaborations

YearTitleChart positions
US US R&B
2000 Book I (with The Congregation)
2006 Atlanta 2 Memphis (with Criminal Manne)88
2008 A.T.L. 2 (A-Town Legends 2) (with The Lumberjacks)

Mixtapes, compilations and remix albums

YearAlbum
2001A Thin Line Between The Playaz And The Hataz
2002Revelations
2004I Am American (Compilation) (presented by Lil Jon & Pastor Troy)
2005Hood Hustlin': The Mix Tape, Vol. 1 (with Nino of P.K.O.)
Hood Hustlin': The Mix Tape, Vol. 2 (Slowed & Chopped) (with Nino of P.K.O.)
2006Down South Hood Hustlin (with Nino of P.K.O.)
2009Still No Play In Georgia (Best Of) (Mixtape)
Ready for War (The P.T. Mixes)
2010Crown Royal (Mixtape)
The Be
2011Crown Royal 2 (Mixtape)
2013 Crown Royal Legend (Mixtape)
2014 Crown Royal 4 (Mixtape)
Crown Royal 5 (Mixtape)
2015 Crown Royal 6 (Mixtape)

Singles

YearSong U.S. Hot 100 U.S. R&B Album
1999"No Mo Play in G.A."We Ready (I Declare War)
2001"This tha City"Face Off
"Vice Versa"
(featuring Peter the Disciple)
13
2002"Are We Cuttin'"
(featuring Ms. Jade)
9647Universal Soldier
2003"You Can't Pimp Me"
(featuring Peter the Disciple)
2004"Ridin' Big"91By Any Means Necessary
2006"Pop a Few Bottles"
(featuring Rasheeda)
By Choice or by Force
2007"Saddam"Tool Muziq
2008"Heaven Is Below"A.T.L. (A-Town Legend)
2009"I Want War"Feel Me or Kill Me
"Comin Wit Me"Ready for War
2011"Dirty Atlanta"
(featuring Ralph)
Still Troy
"Ain't Gangsta No Moe"

Collaboration singles

YearSong U.S. Hot 100 U.S. R&B Album
2003"D.S.G.B."
(with D.S.G.B.; Down South Georgia Boyz)
Til Death Do Us Part
2014"We Represent Dat"
(with Lil Jazz)
Non-album single
2016"Money Up"
(with King Killumbia & Lil Ru)
Welcome to Killumbia
2018"Hoe Check II prod by King Killumbia & D Gutta"
(with King Killumbia, Project Pat, The Last Mr. Bigg, Mr. Flip & Natalac; Remix with Lil Brod)
Pimp of the Nation
2018"Roll Down"
(with Dusty Roadz & King Killumbia)
Kranked Up
2018"IDGAF prod by Witeout"
(with King Killumbia, Lil Wyte & Kaotik)
Non-album single

Production credits

Pastor Troy

"Havin' A Bad Day"

"This Tha City"
"My Niggaz Is The Grind"
"Move To Mars"
"Throw Your Flags Up"
"No Mo Play In GA"
"Eternal Yard Dash" with Big Toombs
"Oh Father"

"Universal Soldier"
"Bless America"

"WWW (Who, Want, War)"
"Where Them Niggaz At"
"Respect Game"

"I'm Down"

D.S.G.B.

"We Dem Georgia Boyz"
"My Folks"
"Brang Ya Army"
"Above The Law II"
"Southside"
"Repent"

"I'm Outside Ho"
"Sittin' On Thangs" with Taj Mahal

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References

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  2. Birchmeier, Jason. "Back for the First Time" – Overview. allmusic: 2000.
  3. Birhchmeier, Jason. DSGB biography at allmusic
  4. Henderson, Alex. "Kings of Crunk" – Overview. allmusic: 2002.
  5. Reid, Shaheem. Pastor Troy Reps For Georgia. MTV News: September 23, 2002.
  6. D'Angelo, Joe. Elvis' #1s LP To Hit #1. MTV News: October 2, 2002.
  7. "Come Shop Wit' Me" – allmusic
  8. Harris, Chris. T.I., Pink, Shakira Can't Shake Rascal Flatts From Billboard #1. MTV News: April 26, 2006.
  9. Daw, Stephen. "Lil Nas X Responded to A Fellow Rapper's Homophobic Comment, And It Was Perfect". Billboard.
  10. Lil Nas X Responds to Pastor Troy's Homophobic Post papermag, Sandra Song, January 29, 2020
  11. Lil Nas X responds with a shrug to Pastor Troy's homophobic comments ajc.com, Melissa Ruggieri, January 30, 2020
  12. Pastor Troy Talks Lil Nas X, Says He Isn't Homophobic But Being Gay Isn't Right hotnewhiphop.com Erika Maria, January 31, 2020
  13. Pastor Troy Says He's Not Homophobic Because He's Taken Photos With LGBTQ Fans complex.com, Joshua Espinoza, February 1, 2020
  14. reports, Atlanta Daily World staff (April 8, 2016). "Pastor Troy presented 'ATL Legend Award' at BMI Urban Showcase". Atlanta Daily World. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 "Big L – Charts & Awards – Billboard Albums." Allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. n.d. Web. October 27, 2011. <http://allmusic.com/artist/big-l-p144340/charts-awards>.
  16. "allmusic (((Insane Clown Posse – Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums)))". Allmusic . Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  17. "We Ready I Declare War by Pastor Troy". Amazon.