Triillbert - The Icy Boy EP w/Interview
Triillbert is a twenty-three year old hip-hop artist and songwriter from West Texas. A very talented artist, Triillbert brings a lot of uniqueness to his music that helps him stand out from the crowd. Today we are excited to share our thoughts on Triillbert’s new six track EP, The Icy Boy EP, as well as our interview with this talented artist!
The Icy Boy EP begins with the aptly titled track “The Iciest”. From a conceptual standpoint, I feel like this is the perfect song to begin the EP as its lyrics and overall style really fit the theme suggested by the EP’s title. I really enjoy both Triillbert’s quick-hitting flow on this song, along with the hooky chorus. “Chillin’” is up next and this song is incredibly melodic - sure to get stuck in your head - and also extremely genuine. Triillbert takes a first-person approach, describing his life and the work he puts into his craft. The third track from The Icy Boy EP is “Juice on My Dash” and this song takes a more raw approach to the rap flow. I really enjoy this approach in this song - no B.S., just pure, awesome flow straight into your ears. These first three songs are all distinctive in their own right and serve as great introductions to Triillbert’s songwriting and performing skills.
“‘21 Bonnie & Clyde” is the fourth song from The Icy Boy EP. This track has my favorite production on the entire EP and is also up there in terms of my favorite lyrical performance; taking the modern day concept of “ride or die”, the lyrics compare this relationship to the classic tale of Bonnie and Clyde, something I found quite relatable. “Not the Same” follows and this track’s piano-led backing track is my favorite instrumental from the EP. The way in which Triillbert’s vocal performance teams with the backing instrumental for this song is something truly special and, again, Triillbert’s flow is nothing short of outstanding. “On My Grind” concludes The Icy Boy EP - and what a strong way to go out. This track embodies many of the awesome elements that make up Triillbert’s music and I feel like it is the perfect way to close things out.
Now let’s jump into the interview!
Can you share how your music career got started?
It goes back as far as when I was about 10 years old and I started writing lyrics, songs, poems, etc. I recorded and released my first freestyle when I was 16 that a lot of people I went to school with will remember it as the original “Icy Boy”. After about a year and a half of writer’s block, I moved to Houston, Texas where I started to write and record more consistently. You're influenced by 90's R&B and 00's Hip-Hop.
Who are some of your favorite artists that have helped influence your music?
I draw a lot of inspiration from a lot of other genres, since I listen to a lot of music all around since I was young. But some of my favorite artists that influenced me are Eminem and T.I., and kind of on the newer side, Drake, J. Cole and Kendrick. A lot of my melodies and harmonies come from influence from old school R&B.
Can you walk us through your songwriting process?
My songwriting process just consists of me deciding what I want to or can talk about. Once I settle on a subject, the next thing for me to do is make every rhyme line up right and keep a scheme going without it compromising the message I’m trying to get across. When I comes to choruses, I’ve always had the philosophy that has to be catchy. Even if it’s repetitive, there’s something about if the hook is catchy and grabs the listener’s attention, it will always stick with you. With a lot of songs I tend to get stuck in my head, I can definitely say it’s the right way to go about that.
We took a listen to your new EP The Icy Boy EP - can you tell us about the recording process and song selection for this release?
I knew I wanted to do a project that gives the listener an idea of my type of surrounding or environment at the time of when I first started getting into music seriously – hence it being the “Icy Boy” EP. It’s essentially me also going back into that mind state that I had throughout my teens, as well as sharing a lot of things that may have changed within the 6-7 year timeframe. Songs like “The Iciest”, “Not the Same” and “On My Grind” I feel encapsulate this theme the most. The idea with the sound selection was meant to make the track list sound a lot like a mixtape, different types of vibes throughout the project while also sticking to the Icy Boy concept.
What's next for Triillbert?
After a year-long dispute with the former record label I was signed to, what’s next for me now is to start growing as an artist. Gain more exposure, growing a bigger following and a fanbase, while also finally having the freedom to release a lot of music that’s been in the vault since being in quarantine all of 2020.
After our interview with Triillbert, I feel like I understand where he is coming from as an artist even more. While listening to The Icy Boy EP, I found myself really impressed by Triillbert with his natural flow and on-point songwriting which is truly making a noticeable mark in the current rap/hip-hop game. You can find all of Triillbert’s social media and streaming links for The Icy Boy EP by clicking here. We have the entirety of The Icy Boy EP embedded below via Spotify - take a listen!
