Christopher Donnie Wallace Jr. (born August 20, 1985), known professionally as Don Trip,[1] is an American rapper. As a pioneer of the Memphis sound, he has been releasing music since 2007.[2]
He is perhaps best known for his 2011 single, "Letter to my Son" (featuring Cee Lo Green).[3] Two years after a clip of him recording the song went viral on YouTube, he was signed by Cool & Dre's Epidemic Records, an imprint of Interscope Records, after which it was re-issued as his debut commercial single in October 2011.[4][5] In addition, he was named an XXL Freshman the following year.[6] After being dropped from the label, he continued work as an independent artist. His 2015 album, Godspeed, narrowly entered the Billboard 200.[7] With fellow Memphis rapper Starlito, he released the mixtape series Step Brothers.
Early life
Don Trip grew up in the low-income East Memphis.[2] Living in a fatherless household, he watched as his mother work three jobs and still struggle to support him along with his brother and sister. At the age of 12, he began working to provide for his siblings, later saying that "all we ever had was us."[8] At an early age, Don Trip was inspired by Jay-Z, Tupac, and Jadakiss.[9] At 15, he noticed his family was falling apart, and felt the urge to do something more to help them. Inspired by the pre-teen duo of Kriss Kross, he began rapping and making music.[8]
Career
2012: Early career
Trip's career began at 15, when he started rapping.[8] After working on his craft, he began to release mixtapes and singles in the late 2000s, leading to a string of 9 projects being released between October 2010 (Crossface Crippler)[10] and February 2012 (Guerilla).[11] Releasing his mixtapes on websites such as Datpiff and HotNewHipHop, he began to amass a following as a street rapper.
His song "Letter to My Son" (originally released in 2009), went semi-viral on YouTube, fueling his transition toward mainstream hip-hop.[9] The song, which detailed Trip's struggle with being unable to see his son due to a court ruling, was lauded for its accurate depiction of a hardship not often portrayed in rap music. In 2012, hot on the heels of "Letter to My Son," Trip was named one of XXL's 2012 freshmen, alongside artists including Future, Danny Brown, and Hopsin.[6] Soon after, he was signed to Epidemic Records, a joint enterprise between production duo Cool & Dre and Interscope Records.[5]
2017–present: Step Brothers
Don Trip with Starlito at the Vice Media office in 2017
Prior to his signing at Interscope, Trip scored big with his collaborative Step Brothers mixtape with Starlito.[12] Released in 2011, the mixtape was peppered with references and in-jokes relating to the Judd Apatow movie Step Brothers, and gained a cult following among the rap community. A few months before the mixtape's release, Starlito and Don Trip were introduced to each other by Yo Gotti, with whom Trip was touring.[9] Both rappers were already familiar with the other's music, and after discovering their musical compatibility, decided to make a joint project.[13] Three studio sessions later, Step Brothers was fully recorded. Due to the success of the mixtape as well as their collaborative chemistry, Starlito and Trip continued to collaborate, releasing the Step Brothers 2 mixtape in 2013.[14] While Trip was based in Memphis while Starlito was based in Nashville, the two continued to meet up in person to record, never emailing each other songs back and forth.[15] In 2017, the two linked up again for the third installment of the Step Brothers series,[16] preceded by the Karate in the Garage collaborative mixtape.[17] Released independently, like the two previous mixtapes, Step Brothers 3 received widespread critical acclaim from publications such as Pitchfork,[18]XXL,[19] and USA Today.[20]
Personal life
In May 2022, he married a Memphis nurse, who gave birth to his second son.[21] As of December 2023, Don Trip has eight children, two sons and six daughters, by four different women.[22][23]
