Don Trip Talks About the Making of “Allen Iverson”

A few weeks back, we were introduced to the song “Allen Iverson” (right at the height of the latest drama surrounding A.I.). We loved the track and posted it on the site for our readers to check out.

Shortly after dropping that post, we had the opportunity to catch up with Memphis-bred artist Don Trip – the man behind “Allen Iverson” – to talk about the making of that track and much more. Check out the interview here:

Dime: What inspired you to start rapping?
Don Trip: Really it just came to me. I always loved the art of rapping & felt there was a place for me. I started writing raps when I was 10 years old so it was kind of a natural thing.

Dime: Growing up Tennessee who were some of your favorite rappers to listen to?
DT: My three favorites were Tupac, Jay-Z, Andre 3000. None of them were from Memphis but I admired them the most. I felt like they really set the bar as far as rapping went.

They definitely played a role in inspiring me to rap but as far as the methods from how I rap I developed my own. Each rapper is different so you can’t mimic techniques or flows. I’ve always had my own style but I looked to them for the blueprint on how to approach it. Mainly they just showed me how to be myself.

Dime: Before you started to gain a real buzz in 2009, did you ever feel like rapping wasn’t for you? It’s just as hard to make it as a rapper as it is to the NBA. Even the most confident ball players doubt themselves sometimes.
DT: Nah, I never felt like rapping wasn’t for me, there were times when I was a little bit frustrated that it hadn’t happened yet. But I knew that it takes time and persistence to make it in this game and I always told myself that in due time I would make it where I was trying to go. I knew it was gonna take hard work to get there but that made the challenge even more exciting.

Dime: Tell me about the “Letter To My Son” record. It seems like that’s the one that put you over the top and really got you to that next level.
DT: The “Letter to My Son” record was a true story. It’s a record that’s pretty much biographical. It really set the tone and put me in a good place to be signed. It was a heart felt record that I really put my all into. I just translated real emotions & feelings into a song. I think due to it being so emotional and so real it brought attention from people who can relate. It’s not the first record I’ve done like that but it was definitely the first that got noticed. I keep real in all my songs but that one was particularly special to me.

Dime: How did the strength of that record translate into success for you as a rapper? How long did it take after that record came out for you to start getting the recognition you felt you deserved?
DT: It took about two years. I did the song in 2009, but 2011 is when things really started looking up for me. The song definitely gave me something to define myself with as a rapper and really got me on the right track.

Dime: The song “Allen Iverson” is another one of those thought-provoking tracks that hits home. Especially for those Allen Iverson fans out there. What made you feel that his story directly relates to the point you were trying to reach in the song?
DT: I grew up watching Iverson. I just felt like people were so quick to criticize him. Folks were right there supporting him when he was on top and as soon as he was coming down everyone scattered. He made a few bad decisions but like I said before we’re all humans. And although he made a few poor choices he made good decisions as well. He did a ton of great things and accomplished so much. When you’re on a platform like he was it only takes one or two mistakes for people to start forgetting about things you’ve done right. That’s what I tried to embody in the song and I just felt like Allen Iverson painted the perfect example. Rappers make references to LeBron and they have been Michael Jordan songs, but grew up watching Iverson. So I just felt like I needed to display that picture.

Dime: What was it like working with Cool & Dre on that record?
DT: I been working with them for quite some time. Since 2010, I feel like out of all producers they have the idea of how I want to approach records. Originally they sent it to me with all the exerts with the interviews and all that so when I listened to it, it brought me back to a convo we had a year prior talking about who I was inspired by. Ofcourse A.I was amongst the folks I mentioned. So we both felt like this record was a perfect fit.

Dime: Were you more of an Allen Iverson fan or Memphis Grizzlies fan?
DT: Definitely more of an Iverson fan. We didn’t get the Grizzlies in Memphis until I was older.

Dime: What was it like for you when Iverson came to Memphis? Were you happy to see him playing in your hometown, or disappointed to see his career hit that sort of twilight stage.
DT: I was really just glad to see that he was still playing. Glad to see that he was still able to move and play the way he was always capable of playing. Mentally he had some distractions I think that’s what held him back most.

Dime: Do you think he can still play in the League?
DT: Of course. I think he could still play. It would take some adjusting and he’d have to really get back in the swing of things but when it comes natural like it does for him there’s always a place in the league for that.

Dime: What’s next for Don Trip? What can we look out for?
DT: More honest music. More music you can feel. More music you can relate to speaking about your own story. Like I said were all human and all go through some things. So we all have stuff to get off our chest at times.

Dime: Have you been working with any big name DJs or Producers?
DT: I got the Gangsta Grillz dropping with DJ Drama on the 27th. As far as producers, I’ve been working with T-Minus, Drumma Boy, Renegade, and J.U.S.T.I.C.E League whom are all great producers so look out for that.

The Guerilla mixtape is out now – download it HERE.

Check him out on Facebook HERE

Follow Don Trip on Twitter

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