Burlington, ON – Trey Chops releases Volume one of his vaulted records, the 4 track EP features some of the records he’s kept hidden for the past 4-years while he was taking a hiatus and focusing on his craft. Trey Chops tells us there’s many more where this came from and we’re excited to see what he gives us next within his Vault EP’s. It’s not often we see an artist coming out of Burlington Ontario but Trey Chops has definitely set the bar high for any artist coming out of his city.
Trey Chops doesn’t just rap on the beats, he creates them as well and engineers all of his own records. The multi-talented artist is letting us know that he’s back and he’s coming for his shine and to put his city on the map.. Toronto isn’t the only one with some amazing talent. Trey Chops is on our watch list, the body of work he’s released has lasted the test of time being sitting on a hard drive for 4 years and still being absolute bangers in 2021 as he released them.
Listen to the project below and don’t forget to follow him on social media – @TREYCHOPS on every platform.
We had a chance to talk to Trey Chops and ask him a few questions & Get to know him.
Q: How was growing up in Burlington? Tell us a little about Burlington for those who might not have ever heard of the city.
A: Burlington is a nice place, for sure. Honestly though, growing up in a predominately white city as a bi-racial kid is kind of tough! Toronto and other “hot spots” for hip-hop offer a great support network, while Burlington just sort of leaves you to fend for yourself.
Q: I’m assuming by the title of the project “Vault” these are all songs that were locked away during your hiatus? How many more records do you have locked away and are you going to be releasing those or new music after this?
A: Yeah, all of these songs have been locked away for 4-5 years now. I’ve got about 33 tracks in total that I’m looking to release through the “Vault” series, most of which nobody has ever heard before.
There should be about 4 to 5 volumes of the “Vault” EP coming out, so be on the lookout for those throughout the year. In regards to new music, I’ve already began recording/producing new tracks again and will 100% have a brand-new EP done by the end of 2021!
Q: Speaking of your hiatus, what made you take such a long break and what made you come back and turn up the rap scene again?
A: We all know how crazy the music industry can be, and I had a skewed perspective of things at first. I was under the impression that all of these 19-year old kids with Bentley’s and diamonds chains was where I needed to be, and after 2-3 years of releasing music without much traction, I felt like I just wasn’t good enough.
Looking back on it, my hiatus is the worst thing I probably could have done for my music career. Thankfully, I feel like I have the talent to jump right back into things! I decided to take another crack at things because life’s too short to just sit around and hope something happens.
Q: What was the inspiration for “I Get Sad In The Club Too”?
A: Ha! You liked that one, eh? “I Get Sad In The Club Too” is basically an ode to all of the rappers we hear and see on mainstream television/radio. We see them all over our social media feeds flaunting jewelry and money at the club because it helps them stay relevant, but at the end of the day… they’ll always get sad in the club, too.
Q: Who are your biggest inspirations in music?
A: I have a lot, since I listen to just about anything that makes my feet tap. Whether it’s funk, hip-hop, EDM, whatever! My main inspirations would have to be: Kool Keith, MF Doom, 50 Cent, Wiz Khalifa, Flying Lotus, and plenty of others.
Q: If you could work with anyone who would you work with and why? Also, what would the vibe of the record be?
A: That’s a great question. For some reason, I find it easier to work on tracks by myself, but there’s no way I would turn down teaming up with Wiz Khalifa or Currensy for a smokers’ track. Something you can roll up to!
Q: Lastly, What are your views on the current state of hip-hop?
A: I mean, there are good artists out there for sure. The level of lyricism is lacking a times, but I get it – sometimes you just want something you can bop to.
Thankfully, I think I offer a great combination of lyrics and “bop”-ability.
