CEO Trayle‘s smooth flows and deliberately-paced delivery force listeners to pay attention to every word. Rewarding listeners for their close attention, the rapper also known as Mr. Back Door shares Vier, a new EP that further establishes him as one of the slickest and most versatile rappers in the ATL scene. The title of the EP translates into the number four in German, a number with mythical and historical significance in Trayle’s life–beyond being the source for his explosive nickname C4. Nine years ago, on July 4th, Trayle suffered seven gunshot wounds as he successfully fought off an attempted home invasion. Trayle survived, but he suffered emotional scars that he still processes every day. The rapper explored his trauma and expressed gratitude for the little things in his recent single “July The Fourth,” the EP’s closing track.
Though the EP is informed by trauma, it is not all doom and gloom. It kicks off with “DrillC4,” in which Trayle tries his hand on a drill instrumental without losing his signature style. The new EP is home to “Send My B*tch,” a sinuous ride-or-die anthem about a modern-day Bonnie & Clyde. On “Send My B*tch,” Trayle goes toe-to-toe with Enchanting, a similarly soft-spoken rapper from The New 1017, bragging about his partner-in-crime’s facility with illicit activities. Enchanting slides through in the song’s second half, proving that she’s one to be feared, perhaps even more than Mr. Back Door himself. In the video, Trayle and Enchanting portray the ultimate stick-up couple, as they execute a honeypot heist and drive off in their Dodge Challenger with a fresh bag.
Vier continues a busy year for the CEO, highlighted by his recent project The Collection. Spanning eight tracks, the project reconciles Trayle’s pugilistic past (represented in songs like “Mr. Door Kicker”) and his luxurious present ( “Buy A Boat,” “Fendi’d Up”). Trayle recently took a trip to New York in the video for “Of Course,” the tape’s closing track.
Freshly signed to 10k Projects, CEO Trayle is following in the footsteps of his hero Gucci Mane, crafting street raps that are at once down-and-dirty and refined. The 27-year-old artist always stays true to his muse regardless of what’s fashionable, creating music that went against the grain in his home city of Atlanta during the heyday of the triplet-driven melodic trap. His music found an audience in Chicago, still home to his largest base of listeners. Trayle’s trajectory skyrocketed after he released “Ok Cool,” a viral hit that generated over 60 million streams and earned a remix from Gunna. “Ok Cool” landed on Happy Halloween C4, a 16-track opus with appearances from Babyface Ray and Doe Boy.
With much more music on the way, CEO Trayle is primed to take over the rap game.
© 2022, Seth "Digital Crates" Barmash. All rights reserved.
