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Tre Live is very much alive and he is now reppin’ the DMV area. With a fresh lyrical flow featuring conscious rhymes, he not only raps but produces, mixes and masters his own tracks as well. GroundSounds recently chopped it up with this jack of all trades, check out our exclusive interview with Tre below.
For those just discovering your music, can you tell us a little bit about your background?
My parents knew that I liked music at an early age. They bought me my first drum pad for Christmas in 1995. I was 6 years old. From there, everything just progressed musically. I was never really allowed to sit and watch TV or play a game for hours on end because my father felt that was unproductive. He pretty much left me alone when it came to making music. So that’s what I grew up doing. I was introduced to FL Studio at 13. I have used it ever since and I’m now 24. I used to make beats and rap like the music that I grew up with but I eventually developed my own style. In short, I exchanged my skill to imitate for an ability to tell my own story. My music has become deeper and more vivid as I continue to grow as an artist.
What has it been like growing up in the DMV?
I actually grew up in Central Virginia and honestly never knew there was much of a difference between northern and southern Virginia until I moved to the D.C. metro area in my 20’s. I grew up in a rural area about 20 miles south of Richmond called Prince George. I’m in the DMV now and I have really embraced the area. I hope that DC returns the love and responds to my music.
When it comes to creating music do you have a routine? Do you typically start with an idea, or a beat?
When I sit down to make music, I generally have a mood in mind more so than a beat or story idea. That mood dictates my starting point. I may catch a feeling for a song while driving for instance and then build music around it once I get home. However, there are those times when I start with a beat and the words just write themselves. I generally have hundreds of unused beats sitting around.
What was it like working on your debut mixtape Very Much Alive?
Very Much Alive is a musical diary of my life from my last few semesters in college up until this point. Working on it was a way for me to escape from the negative and celebrate the positive. I pulled inspiration from everything that was going on around me at the time.
You produce, write, mix, and master…how did you become a jack of all trades?
By being selfish. I never wanted to have too many other hands in my work. I like to control every aspect of my music since so much of my work is about telling my story. Who knows my story better than me? I work hard on music and I’m willing to work non-stop until it’s exactly how I want it.
What are you currently listening to?
Other than myself, I’m listening to the new Drake album and Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City. Those two usually are what’s keeping me going these days.
Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
There are a lot of local artists in the DMV that I want to collab with such as Dbabie, Kimani Amor, and Dom of da District. As far as big names, I most definitely want to work with Kanye West, J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar.
What can you tell us about your latest track “Thank You America”? What was the creative process and inspiration behind this song?
The version of “Thank You America” that I perform live and is on YouTube is only one verse of the track. It was originally inspired by the Trayvon Martin case and verdict, but I was led in an entirely new direction when the Government shut down. The Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake track seemed to fit the tone that I was looking for.
What were your thoughts on the government shutdown? Were you affected?
The government shutdown affected me in a major way. I have been working for the Department of Defense for 5 years now and I used to believe that this kind of work was among the most stable around. When I found that even this work was in jeopardy, it really went to show that nothing in this world is guaranteed. I just took all of my emotion and put it into “Thank You America.”
What advice would you give to artists and musicians who are juggling their passion with a career?
While you’re striving for the life that you want to live, always remember that only a few are able to truly “make it.” For me, there is a certain lifestyle that I want to live and I am going to get there whether it’s through music or otherwise. I do music because it’s what I do. I don’t come home and watch TV, play PlayStation, or watch sports. I make music. This is how I always have been. I am always going to work on music regardless if it goes somewhere or not. So, my advice is dream while you’re awake.
What are you currently working on? What’s next?
I am currently working on my next mixtape Furlough Friday. It should be completed by the end of the year. I am constantly working and while I wish this was my only job, that’s not the case. I have bills to pay in the meantime of course; but I’m always going to make music about chasing dreams and living life to the fullest. If you listen to my music, you know that it’s deeper than just putting words on beats and calling it a song. It’s my life, and I want the listener to capture every aspect of it. I want my music to be the best thing coming out of the DMV.
